Please see below a few general suggestions on what to wear at an outdoor photo session.  These are my personal guidelines but whatever your style, make sure your clothing choices will not look dated in months or years to come, especially if that final image is going to be hanging on your wall!!

 

The first thing to bear in mind is the location you have chosen and what the backdrop colour is likely to be.  Secondly, think about your home décor, and where your image will be placed – will it blend in with your chosen room?

 

 

C o l o u r s   a n d   C o - o r d i n a t i o n

 

It is always a good idea to co-ordinate outfits without matching.  For instance, if someone in the group has a bold dress, jumper/top or even a patterned outfit, then you can use this as your base and pull out a colour from within that outfit to use on the rest of the group.  However, use patterns sparingly as you don’t want to distract away from others in the photo.  I find that if you choose two to three colours which complement each other or different tonal ranges of the same shade, it will give a more timeless feel.

 

This is my personal opinion, but I’m not much of a fan of stark white clothing (unless in wedding photography) as it can get blown out, however, if you team white up with a softer layer, for example, different shades of denim, tan, muted pinks and blues (pastel shades), then your white suddenly becomes more subdued.

                                        

Timeless clothing is key if you want your images to last so pick outfits that are not too trendy and do not carry too many large branded logos.  However, you still want to capture individual personalities, so if this is your style, then that is fine, but use them sparingly.

 

I've pinned some colour shades to explain the above on my Pinterest page, under Colour Schemes.  Please follow the link at the bottom of my 'About' tab above.

 

 

La y e r i n g   a n d   A c c e s s o r i e s

 

Layering is a good way to add interest, as are accessories.  Choosing the right combination will give a neutral outfit a bit of colour pop and/or texture, but again use these sparingly as you wouldn’t want the viewer’s eye to go straight to a large accessory!

 

 

F o o t w e a r

 

I would never tell anyone to go out and buy new clothes or shoes for a photo session, but if you want everything to tie in nicely with the outfit, surroundings and your chosen theme, then make sure your footwear co-ordinates.  For example, toddlers might love their superhero/disney trainers, and if you want this type of session, then that’s fine as they would probably be wearing a superhero/disney outfit, however, I wouldn’t suggest teaming this particular footwear up with a neutral outfit, as your eyes will be drawn straight to them.   I would recommend keeping footwear to a solid colour, whether it be a rustic boot, ballet shoes, converse, or even a nice pair of wellies!