Your Photography Session: How to Work Your Wardrobe

One of the most common questions I am asked from my clients is what to wear to their session. I’m here to tell you this is such a good and valid question and you should never worry about your choices- as your photographer, it’s part of my job to help you decide, provide guidance and advice.

I've put together a few tips below to help you out when you’re deciding what to wear for your next photography session.

1) Start with a colour palette. You can do this by either thinking in terms of different shades of blue, all pastels, all earth tones, etc or you can do this by starting with one item of clothing for inspiration and match the rest of the outfits to it.

2) Simple is best.

By simple, I mean don’t overthink it or worry about going out and buying an entire new outfit for each family member. Stick to your usual style- the more comfortable you are in your clothing, the more you will enjoy the session and be able to be yourselves.

It’s also completely okay to dress up for a session if you want, just stick to the dressy clothes already in your closet.

3) Focus on complimentary, not matching colours.

Instead of trying to match everyone in the same shade of blue, look at varying shades- Dad in navy, Mum in light blue, daughter in blue floral, brother in white for example.

Along the same lines, look at all pastels (blue, pink, light green, light yellow) or all earthy tones (mustard, rust, plum, etc) or all neutral colours is simple but beautiful.

4) Don’t be afraid to use different patterns.

I wouldn’t suggest having every family member in a different pattern but a mix of solids and patterns can be very complimentary. Stick with small patterns (pinstripes, tiny florals, pindots, etc and you can’t go wrong).

Dad in a pin-striped shirt, Mum in a floral dress, kids in solids or vice versa- if you’re sticking to complimentary colours, it’s okay to have a variety of patterns. The main thing you want to avoid here is anything too bold or distracting (so no thick stripes or large polkadots for example).

5) Use Accessories to tie everyone’s outfits together.

Scarves, cardigans, shrugs, necklaces, hairbows, tights, etc can create the matching element to bring everyone’s outfit together. Mum’s blue floral scarf matches the pinstripes in Dad’s shirt, etc

6) Consider your session location.

If you’re somewhere with lots of greenery, you will want to avoid wearing shades of green or browns. If your location has pops of colour from flowers or buildings, wear colours that will compliment those background colours. You want your outfit to stand out, not blend in.

7) Stay away from logos or images on clothing.

They’re very distracting and take away from the emotion and natural beauty of your photos.

8) Don’t wear anything too bright (think anything neon, or any over-saturated colour like a bright red or orange). These colours can be very distracting and can actually create colour casts on your face. Overly saturated colours are tricky to edit and keep true to colour in your final image.

9) Head to Pinterest for inspiration.

Here is a link to a Pinterest board I have put together with some of my favourite colour palettes: https://pin.it/5Mj1Hzb

Remember that this list of suggestions is exactly this- suggestions. Choose what you will be comfortable wearing and choose what you will feel good wearing. If it makes you happy, it’s perfect!