Wardrobe guide - What should I wear to my photoshoot?
The clothing you decide to wear for your photography session can make a huge difference to the end result of your photographs. We want you to wear what you feel comfortable in and to look and feel yourself but by choosing your clothing carefully it will really help with the outcome of your photographs.
Here are a few things to bear in mind when choosing your outfits:
Logos
Anything with big logos/branding is big a no no unfortunately. These photographs will be on your wall for years to come and unfortunately logos stand out and will not be timeless. You might love a certain fashion label now but it’s likely to add a time stamp onto the images and look dated in a few years time.
The same goes for anything particularly fashionable and on trend in the fashion world. As time goes by these items will look dated and you don’t want to look back on your photographs wishing you had dressed differently.
Patterns
Patterns clash with other patterns. I actually love it when one person wears a striking pattern but it means the other people involved in the session must steer clear of patterns and wear solid colours. This goes for however many are involved in the session. If more than one person wears a strong pattern you will clash with each other and it just won’t look right. You can also clash with the surroundings with too much pattern (especially in environments with a lot going on in the background, such as woodland).
Emily and Chris’ outfits here go perfectly together, they are both wearing warm tones & Emily’s dress has a pattern, whereas Chris is wearing a solid colour. They are also dressed appropriately for the surroundings, quite casual and Doc Marten boots keeping the sand out.
Similarly Lyndsay & Finn’s outfits complement eachother. Lyndsay is wearing a solid coloured dark jumper and jeans which compliments Finn’s striped dinosaur t-shirt and khaki green trousers perfectly. The tones are again all similar and co-ordinated.
Colours:
Generally speaking, muted tones and neutral colours work better than lots of bright colours so that you remain the subject, not your clothes. Try and choose colours that co-ordinate with each other and stick with either all warm tones (browns, reds oranges) or all cool tones (blues, greys). I do love this boiler suit from Lucy & Yak that Emily is wearing, which shows that bright colours can work!
Carrying Extra items
The most important thing of all is to not bring anything extra that you don’t want to be in the photographs.
Due to the nature of lifestyle photography and capturing the natural non-posed moments, if we need to keep stopping to put things down we end up missing the candid in between moments. It is ideal, if possible, to leave pushchairs and other bulky items in the car. If you need to bring snacks for the little ones then I'm more than happy to put them in my camera bag whilst we shoot so they are out of sight.
The Weather
Dressing for the weather is also essential. If your session is in the summer, make sure you and your family are wearing cool, comfortable clothing. In the winter, wrap up warm in your favourite coat and scarf. The images will reflect the time of year so dress for the weather. If you plan to wear summer clothing in the winter and need to keep stopping to take off your coats then we miss out on the ‘in between’ moments and end up carrying extra items around. It can also be quite noticeable in the images if you’re freezing cold. So let’s embrace your winter warmers or summer sandals!
Finally, don’t listen to the rules too much, be your natural self!