What to Wear for your Spring Photoshoot
Spring is such a beautiful time of year, as the winter cold starts to ease and pastel spring colours start to bloom, it’s a brilliant time to get out and about again with your family. Choosing the right outfit for your spring photoshoot can be tricky, so I hope this helps you tackle that wardrobe and pull out the perfect outfits for you and your family!
Layers & Fabrics
Our spring weather can be unpredictable, although winter is behind us, we can still get very cool breezes coming through, even in the glorious sunshine. Layers are key here so you can keep warm if you need to, and also, they can look really nice if you can see both layers in your outfit. A flowing floral dress with a smart blouse or jacket offers comfort, style and you can have a range of photographs with and without your jacket.
Choose fabrics than move gently with the breeze, some lightweight cotton or satin materials are soft to wear but also add a nice touch of movement to your photographs.
Colour Palette
Spring is all about those beautiful pastel colours! Think soft, gentle hues such as blush pink, sky blue, mint green or lavender which complement the blossoming flowers around you. It can be nice to also have one item of clothing or pattern the same colour as each other to bring all your outfits together.
Spring and floral patterns go hand in hand, so do add some floral patterns to your outfit, for example a floral skirt, top or dress, and if your family are also coming along to the photoshoot, keep some of their outfits simpler, so you have a nice mix of floral and plain designs (we don’t want to overdo it too much).
Accessories/ Footwear
Accessories can add a nice touch to your outfit, just make sure they are complementing it, and not overpowering it. Delicate jewellery such as a little necklace, floral hair accessories, a nice watch can finish your outfit off, just ensure that they are also pastel colours to blend in.
Comfort is always important when it comes to your shoes, especially if you’re running around and playing with your children on your photoshoot. You can still keep it stylish though by going for some beige/brown/ grey ankle boots (avoid black!), and perhaps some trainers or sandals – you can even get some floral ones out for the little ones!
I wouldn’t go too heavy on the makeup for your spring photoshoot, as it can be very distracting in the sunlight, keep it simple to give the more natural look, with some simple hairstyles such as soft waves, simple braid or a gentle ponytail (and not so heavy on the hair gel boys!).
I know that’s quite a lot to consider when you choose your outfit, but the main thing is, wear something that you feel confident and comfortable in, make sure it’s not something brand new that you’ve never worn before as you might hate the outfit later. Know how the outfit looks on you and how it makes you feel, so you turn up feeling good and ready to have some fun 😊
Summer Photoshoots
Summer Colours
Wherever you choose for your photoshoot, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be green in the background of your photograph, so just consider that when you choose your colours. It would be best to avoid wearing green so that you don't blend into the background, neutral colours (tan/brown) and navy look good against a green background, and I would recommend avoiding red so that you don't look too Christmassy.
You can use bright and bold colours, but wear them with something neutral so that our eyes aren't too distracted by your clothes in the photograph.
Summer Clothes
It can get very hot in the summer, especially if we're out playing, so do choose lighter fabrics which will flow in the breeze, linen in a great example of this. Movement in clothes also looks great in photographs, for example if your little girl is wearing a dress and spins around or if you're just out walking it helps bring your photographs to life, as well as keeping you all cooler.
Anything Else?
- Props are always a nice addition to your photographs. This can be in the form of a sunhat, picnic basket and blanket, perhaps even something for the children to play with, such as a frisbee, football or if they're young, some bubbles! They look great in the photographs and are a great way to get the kids smiling (and even mum and dad).
- Bring plenty to drink and some snacks for the little ones, we don't want any hangry kids!
- Don't stress too much about your outfits, just remember to dress like you. Don't try something new that you won't be comfortable in as I want you and your family to be as comfortable as possible and have some fun together!
Autumn Photoshoots
Autumn has to be one of my favourite seasons to take some photographs – there are so many beautiful colours to enjoy, pumpkins, autumn leaves to chuck in the air and usually some great big muddy puddles to splash in!
The only tricky bit about it? Deciding what to wear! You never really know whether it’s going to be a warmer or colder day, rain, or shine so it’s best to come prepared for whatever the weather may bring.
Preparing The Right Outfit
Layers and accessories, such as scarves, jackets, gilets etc, which add interest to your outfit, as well as warm if you need it to be. This is better than just one big warm coat which might not be suitable.
Knitted jumpers, scarves, hats and even gloves are such great accessories to wear in Autumn, and for your footwear I would recommend wearing some nice boots/wellies or ankle boots over your jeans, keeping you that little bit warmer, and they look great too.
Autumn Colours
When choosing your colours, Autumn really suits the following:
Warm neutrals, cream, tan, beige, orange, mustard yellows, light and dark browns look absolutely stunning in amongst the Autumnal season. If you want to add a bit of contrast then navy blues, greys and warm berry colours also look great (just avoid using red and green as that can start looking Christmassy).
Choose a palette and stick with it for the family – you don’t want to end up clashing your colours, or one person standing out against the others. You could have matching outfits for the kids, or even have everyone wearing an item of clothing of the same colour, just make sure you wear something you’re comfortable in. If you enjoy wearing jeans and a jumper day to day then wear that, don’t buy a new outfit that is completely different to what you would normally wear, as that could affect how you feel during or after the photoshoot.
Avoid vivid colours and patterns, for example if you want to wear pink, then a duskier rather than a bright pink would suit the palette, and avoid black (unless it’s your footwear), and definitely no white shoes…. they won’t be white for long!
In summary – Autumn shoots are all about fun! Come in comfortable clothes that you can layer up or down and be prepared that your children might just splash around in puddles, throw autumn leaves around and just get a little mucky in general…. but that’s part of the fun!
Winter Photoshoots
Wearing the right clothes for a winter session is crucial for your photoshoot to be comfortable, warm, and look beautiful. It’s all about keeping warm, so you can have fun, relax and not shiver in the cold.
Preparing the right outfit
Winter is all about layers, and if we are out in nature (woodland, gardens, fields etc) then you can go for a very casual look. Exposing layers such as jumpers underneath unzipped puffy jackets can really add to your outfit, and we can even work with cute winter hats.
For your jumpers, you can go for a woolly/ cotton look for a cosier feel, either with a polar neck or scalf, don’t go for anything too thin as they can be unflattering and not very warm.
Pair your cosy jumper up with a cute beanie hat and you’re ready for the cold!
Jeans are always a safe bet for keeping you warm, and blue or black jeans also tick the box for one of your winter colours. You can also wear thick tights or leggings for a slimmer look without getting too cold out there. Pair these with some decent walking shoes or nice boots to complete your outfit and keep those feet and ankles warm.
Colours to consider.
There are many different winter colour palettes that you can go for, from deep winter with bolder colours, to cool winter with pastel blues and greys (see below).
The most important thing to remember is for you and your partner/ family to complement each other’s colours, rather than clash, by sticking with one palette. Also, unless you’re going for a Christmas look, avoid the Christmas colour palette, (so your green and reds together).
How do you choose what colours to wear? Take a look in your wardrobe and see what colours you wear most, and which palette they fall into, they are the colours you feel most comfortable in and that’s what you choose for your photoshoot.
Your photoshoot isn't the time to experiment with brand new colours, as you may feel self conscious in them or even dislike how the end results look. This isn't to say don't buy new clothes for your photoshoot, new clothes can make you feel really good about yourself which can come across in your images, just make sure it's something you're comfortable wearing.
Deep Winter Colour Palette
Cool Winter Colour Palette
