Why do I need to ‘style’ my family for our photoshoot?

A client wardrobe for photoshoots is a great way for us photographers to help their clients style their photography sessions easily, beautifully and cost effectively. Many clients I speak to before they book their newborn or family session feel a little nervous about how to style their whole family in a cohesive and natural way that works for their session. I understand how hunting it can be, after all, how often do you coordinate your entire family for an occasion?  Usually we will dress ourselves and our children in outfits that feel and look good as individuals, so creating a look that feels cohesive without being too ‘matchy matchy’ (I’m talking about blue jeans and white t-shirts here) is daunting if you don’t know where to start

My usual look is jeans and t-shirt, I almost never wear a dress!

My usual starting point is with Mums. I want everyone to feel comfortable and good in what they were for their family photoshoot but us Mum’s will often naturally leave ourselves until last even though we can be super critical about how we look in photos. So starting with finding something that Mum feels great in will give us a colour palette or look that we can base the rest of the family’s style on.

I always encourage Mum’s to think about wearing a long dress. This is for a few reasons. Firstly if you find the right one they are flattering on just about everyone. Let’s be honest, they are great at covering all the bits

we would prefer to be covered. The length means you don’t have to worry about legs, how tanned they are, what you feel about them, tights if it’s cold..it just removes all those niggles and how much leg you’re showing.

Movement play a huge part in outdoor family session images. You’ll be walking through long grass, lying on blankets, carrying your children…basically being pretty active and having fun. The movement of the fabric really lends itself to capturing that feeling of fun, in a way that jeans will never do and the length means you don’t have to worry about what’s on display.

Texture and colour are the next things to think about.  When your photoshoot is out in nature, the very best fabrics are natural fabrics with a little texture in soft earthy colours.  These will blend easily with the backdrop, keeping your skin tones natural and your faces the focus of your images with all the lovely emotion and connection we will capture.

These styles work equally as well in the studio where the soft natural fabrics and colours are all bought with skin tones and creating classic, timeless images in mind with the studio’s vintage vibe.  I find new Mum’s love the studio dresses as the way the drape delicately over their post pregnancy shape is both flattering and comfortable.

So how does the client wardrobe work?

My client wardrobe for photoshoots is available to all clients who book either a newborn studio session or an outdoor family photoshoot.  I have an online gallery of items available to choose from. Trying on appointments can be scheduled a couple of weeks before sessions, items collected the day before or in the case of studio sessions, you might be happy to see what feels good during the session whilst I start taking photos of your baby.

Get in touch to find out more about my client wardrobe and how we can work together to nail your styling.