Blog Entry, The First
Those who know me, know I love a good ramble. So it feels like a blog is a logical move for me. I have thoughts on topics I’d like to mention, some might be directly photography related, some might be musings, or simply a re-cap on a recent shoot. We’ll see how this creature evolves.
You're Wearing That?
My first topic is both relevant and close to my heart.
‘What should I wear?’ is a question I get asked often. I get asked this from adults. Adults who have successfully dressed themselves (and their offspring) for many years. So why does the prospect of a family shoot suddenly make us forget basic human intuition? There are many reasons, but it boils down to one main thing, we want to ‘get it right’.
Colours, Co-ordination and Creativity.
** I should note. All images displayed in this blog feature families who nailed it.
Beautifully co-ordinated not just with each other, but all 12 people involved in this session.
You can't go wrong with denim, teamed with soft greys and forest green.
Nature tones, stunning combo featuring colours reflecting Australia's landscape.
Neutrals done to perfection.
I chuckle when I’m asked. Not because I don’t have an answer, but I’m hardly a fashion guru. I wear an Oodie 78% of the time and I’m guilty of rocking socks with thongs. I’m a beacon of dishevelment at the school drop off and my entire wardrobe consists of the same few styles in repeated colours.
I should know a bit about it though. For those who do know me outside of photo-land, you’ll be aware my ‘home away from home’ is my Visual Merchandiser position with Sportscraft, Saba and Jag. Dressing mannequins is literally my DAY JOB!
So why shouldn’t I be able to offer styling advice for you and your gorgeous family?
My advice to those who ask comes with several points, here they are:
Be You.
If you don't recognise yourself in the images, others may not either. Going out of your way to create a persona that isn’t you, may come across unnatural in your photos. The same applies if you’re uncomfortable. If you don’t usually wear a face full of makeup, then don't! Opt for a more natural look. If your fashion-go-to is dark shades and simple silhouettes, wearing a green, purple and yellow frilled, paisley, maxi dress perhaps isn’t the look you want.
Seasons.
You might be willing to freeze for your vibe, but I bet your kids aren’t. I would simply say to consider the weather and season when choosing outfits and make sure you all look like you’re heading to the same event. If the kids are in little Summer dresses and shirts and the adults are in Winter coats it might look a little odd. If you can’t decide what look you want, just book a shoot in both seasons, easy peasy!
Intentions.
What are you doing with these pictures? Are they for gifts? Do you intend on printing some? Are they for your walls and in your house? Which rooms? Will your red dress clash with your mint green couch if the big canvas is on the wall in the lounge? Are they purely for social media use and a new profile picture? Or maybe something to post on the kids birthdays instead of the flattering pic of them taken that morning with bed hair, mismatched pjs and half chewed weet-bix hanging out of their face. Knowing your intentions can help weed out certain outfits and colours.
Winter co-ordination, jackets for all to create a warm image.
Blue hues, this lovely family is connected through a spectrum of shades of blue.
If you need something else to be your 'focus', plain denim and white tees can help you highlight your special message. (P.S. it's a BOY!')
Keep It Simple.
The bigger the group, the harder it is to coordinate, particularly in an extended family shoot where multiple tastes and opinions are involved. Basic tonal instructions can result in a beautiful natural blend of styles that all work together. If you ever need help coming up with a simple palette for one of these sessions just reach out to me, I love coming up with this sort of thing.
See the image below of a family of 16 who gave the simple instruction of 'wear something that will go with navy'.
Resources.
Pinterest is your friend. A google search will also come up with some great options if you’re specific about what you’re after eg. ‘Spring Family Photo Outfits’.
Get your friends opinions. Take photos of your outfits laid out all over your room. Take pics of jacket on and jacket off, little boy in overalls vs little boy in polo and shorts and get some feedback.
I’m always happy to be the recipient of these kind of photos, it’s super fun and can sometimes even help me get a vision for the shoot ahead of time.
An example of a large family group getting it right, with the simple instruction of 'something that will go with Navy'.
Colour/Print.
Are they necessary? Nope. You can all wear white if you want. But does that work for you? Maybe not. So here are some tips and ideas.
Neutrals: White, Cream, Ivory, Sand, Fawn, Birch, Champagne, Pumice, Biscuit, Stone, Gold, Camel, Nutmeg, Desert, Tan, Bark, Chocolate.
Black Bases: Silver, Gunmetal, Pewter, Charcoal, Grey, Black.
Blue Bases: Chambray, Washed denim, Indigo, Dark denim, Navy, French navy.
My rule would be- Neutrals can be a free for all. Use them as much as you need. They work well with all other colours and can be a great option to break up louder 'Pops" and out there prints. Neutrals will probably be seen more in Summer and Spring but they’re certainly not seasonally exclusive.
Second rule would be to pick either black bases or blue bases, but not both! This gives you a great start point to build around.
Lastly- Choosing colour and print.
Can I use several colours? YES!
Can I mix prints? YES!
My suggestion would be to limit the colours to two or three but it really depends on the look you’re going for. If you have a certain garment you want to use, for example little 6 year old Sally’s dress that she got for Christmas, pick the colours out of that dress and work them into the rest of the family. When using this palette, consider all the complementary shades of that colour. You might have a pale mint, and it looks really strong teamed with eucalyptus, sage, forest or bottle green.
Peach can look amazing with a dark burnt orange. Dont be afraid to explore all the variations of a certain colour when tying it in with the entire wardrobe.
And one more final question…
'Can we all wear the same thing?'
Heck yes you can!
If you want to Von Trapp your family, I’m here for it!
Cat X
A super simple but effective palette of white, denim and khaki.
4 different contrasting prints, stripe, spot, floral and cars- but the colours tie it all together perfectly.
A super easy combo here when mum has picked up the tones in her little dudes knit.
