The Style Guide
For children & family sessions
Choosing your outfits
When deciding what to wear for photos, pick a palette of 3 colours. Let this be your starting place.
Think in terms of tones: earthy tones, neutrals, pastels, jewel tones etc.
A set of earthy browns and nudes would coordinate beautifully.
When in doubt, I suggest wearing any combination of cream, greys or tan. It is pretty hard to mess that up and looks good in almost every setting.
The soft neutrals always bring the focus back to the people in the photos keeping it timeless and clean.
Keep patterns to a minimum. Consider playing with textures instead. We want your family to be the star! The clothing should coordinate, not take over.
If you are thinking of using patterns or prints, choose smaller ones that won’t pull attention away from the main subjects, and only put one person in a pattern.
When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits.
''I have booked your photo shoot, but what are we going to wear?''
Trying to plan your outfits can be a little stressful if you don't have a plan.
I've created a short style guide to help you through! It doesn't need to be difficult. With a little planning ahead, you can make your photos 'POP' by choosing the right colours to compliment the surroundings on your photo shoot.
Colour combinations
Which colours work together, and why? How can you creatively explore different moods or directions? Firstly, think about what the main colour is on your photo set. If it's green grass, set this as your main colour. If it's golden corn fields, set a warm orange tone for your main colour. The wheel will show you complimentary colour to match your shoot!
Simply select your base colour on the colour wheel and choose your desired colour harmony. I recommend sticking to one of the first three options to keep it simple - View Colour Wheel
Monochromatic Colours
This colour scheme uses only one colour and includes lighter and darker variations of that colour. If you’re having trouble picking a colour palette, start with this one. It’s the easiest to create a cohesive look.
Example: If your primary colour is sky blue, your other colours could be darker navy blue and lighter baby blue.
Complementary Colours
On the colour wheel, these colours are opposites.
Examples: Red and green. Purple and yellow. Blue and orange.
Analogous Colours
These colours are next to each other on the colour wheel.
Examples: Dark red, red, and orange. Green, yellow, and yellow-orange.
Neutral Colours
A beautiful harmony of neutral colours work very well together. These are particularly great for in studio portraits, light airy outdoor shots and beach sessions.
Examples: Here are some examples of neutral tones.
How do colours make us feel?
Colours play an important role in sparking our emotions.
Think about the location of your shoot and what kind of result you want from your photos. Is it warm? Happy? Dreamy or peaceful?
With the help of the colour guides, you can decide how your final image turns out.
