Clothing Composition for Portraits

Setting your wardrobe for the day can be tricky enough some days, let alone setting a wardrobe for an entire family photo shoot. Here I would love to share some photos from a recent family shoot, which the family just absolutely nailed the clothing department. 1)Choose a style or colour pallet you would like to go with. Do you prefer the classic look of denim pants and white shirt? Or would you like to add some colour to it? 2) If going with some colour, choose a piece of clothing that will be the feature, and let all family members know co-ordinating colours to go along with it. Using the below images as an example- this colour set was created from the desire to use the plum coloured scarf. This was then complimented with denim in both black and blue, and shades of black and grey. 3)- Don't use 'prints'- unless you are doing something specific like a superman themed photo shoot, leave the cartoon prints at home. You are looking for clothing that has colour and texture, but will not jump out louder than you in the photo. We want gestures, posture, emotion and relationships to be the focus of the photo, not your favourite Tweety Bird shirt!

4)Yes, you can feature patterns- even the checkered shirt worn by the son can be referred to as a pattern, but see how this combination of soft greys with darker greys works into the colour scheme because it features complimentary colours- not contrasting. Contrasting colours would be bright pink and bright yellow; the only way to feature such a loud pattern would be in the rest of the family wore pinks and yellows in different hues and textures. 5)- Warmth- don't be afraid to have photos in autumn or winter. Wearing layers, and featuring coats and scarves gives such a warm and cosy feel to your photos. If you have young children in a shoot with this type of weather, please please dress them appropriately. I want you to get the best out of your photos, and as soon as they receive the briefest of cold winds, those smiles turn up side down. So layer then up with boots, give them a favourite teddy to hold, a nice big warm coat, and you will be set! I hope that these few tips have helped. If you have any questions regarding this information, or regarding other clothing options, I would love to see your comments below, and I will answer as soon as I can. Thank you to the Penrose family for allowing me to share their gorgeous family photos. xx Best wishes ~ Kiki