What to wear for your spring & summer photoshoot
Spring and summer photoshoots have a lot to offer in terms of colourful gardens and annual flowers and blossoms. To get the most out of your photo shoot, a little planning goes a long way. These pictures will be on your walls for years to come so consider timeless and classic outfits over this season’s latest trend.
Here's a few tips to help get the look you're after.
What’s your style?
First think about the style - do you want something casual or smart? Jeans and t-shirts or trousers, shirts and dresses. Whatever you decide, it should be something that you’re comfortable wearing. We want everyone to be unrestricted and let their personalities shine through.
Focus on the faces
Clothing shouldn’t be distracting or detract from what is happening in the photo. Avoid themed clothing (ie NO character shirts!), any writing, big logos or distracting patterns. These take attention away from your family and may not stand the test of time in your photographs.
Stars, stripes and patterns
Less is more in this case. Some pattern is fine but to avoid too much distraction and limit the number of patterns. Bold stripes are fine however, fine pinstripes cause distortion that is distracting to the eye.
Think colour schemes
It’s good to coordinate your colours but it’s not necessary to be exactly the same. A colour scheme with 2 or 3 complementary colours works well without becoming too busy and distracting yet give you enough leeway to work with colours that suit everyone. A simple colour palette will give a harmonious look to your photos.
To help choose your colours, consider the colours that will be present at the time. In the spring and summer we should find lots of green, yellow, pinks and purple. If you start with a colour for one person, you can build around that outfit.
Colours to avoid
Despite what you might think, try to avoid wearing black. Black looses detail and which then makes it less flattering on camera - navy is a better option if you want to wear something dark. Also, avoid fluorescent and neon colours as they lead to colour cast which means the colour is reflected back onto the face, neck and fair hair and they are also very distracting.
Break up and accentuate
Accessories are great to give a bit of variety and individual style to your photos. They add texture and a little pop to your photos and tie the colour scheme together.
Do they pass the test?
Finally, once you’ve selected all the clothing, lie them out together on the bed to see how they work together. Most importantly, wear clothes that you love and feel great in. We want you relaxed, happy and sure of yourself. It will show!
See my family photography page for more ideas of what to wear and shoot ideas.