So you’ve booked a photo session and the big day is drawing nearer.

Now for the tricky bit - what do you wear?!

As someone who’s about as far from fashion savvy as they come, I know the feeling of bewilderment and stress you’re probably experiencing right now. Good news, though - as a seasoned photographer, over the years I’ve picked up what looks best, and I’m happy to offer some simple suggestions to ensure your family photograph beautifully. : )

The not-to-dos are fairly simple, so let’s cover them first.

1. Remember the trend from the nineties where everyone dressed in matching denim and crisp white tees?

   Don't do that.

   In fact, try to steer clear of matching at all.

   Instead, focus on choosing outfits that compliment one another (both in texture and tones). I’ll give you some examples of that in a minute.

2. Try not to wear tees or jumpers with large branding or logos on the front.

   These will be distracting and detract from the timelessness of the photographs we make.

   We want attention to be drawn to your pretty babies’ faces, not on Peppa Pig or George, right?

3. Something that’s not as often mentioned that I’ve learned over time is pretty important - try not to wear anything that’s purely black or white, whether that’s jumpers, shirts, jeans, trousers…

   Why? Black especially is guaranteed to dominate tonally in your images. This means they’ll be less aesthetically pleasing than is ideal (especially if you’re hoping to hang these pictures on your walls!).

   The exception to this rule is babies.

   If you’ve just brought a new baby home, photographing him or her in a classic white onesie or singlet will always be beautiful; white will draw attention to their soft baby skin and can always be complimented with muslins or other items to add interest and texture.

So all that in mind, what SHOULD we wear?

1. Soft or natural tones, such as pale pastels and neutrals will always photograph well.

2. Earthy tones are fantastic and look great in-camera and on your walls.

   This includes rich colors such as burgundy, deep greens, shades of blue and mustard. Pops of bright color can also work wonderfully to create a captivating image.

3. Varied textures in your choice of clothing are great (think denim, wool, linen, corduroy, cotton) and layering is excellent (such as scarves, beanies and vests if the weather allows).

Now with this all said, ensuring the kids (and you!) are comfortable is most important, so let that be your best guide.

Try to select clothing that is soft, warm, and allows the kids full mobility and freedom to move - because moving kids are happy kids.

Ultimately, what you wear will not matter.

If I come to your home and your toddler's in a nappy and your son is refusing to put on a shirt, those are going to be stunning pictures (in fact, please wait for me to arrive to dress them - I adore capturing wardrobe changes and if I live to be a thousand I will still have never seen enough toddler belly buttons or delicious baby rolls!).

What we’re striving for when I come to tell your family’s story is authentic, real connection.

And we will get that regardless of what you’re wearing.

If you’d appreciate some help and guidance though, I’ve prepared a little storybook of past sessions below.

They’ll give you some ideas, and will allow you to see how important clothing can be in shaping the mood and vibe of a session, as well as the way it comes together as a body of work or collection.

Enjoy, and as always if you have questions don’t hesitate to reach out - I always love a chat.