What to wear
What to wear for a christmas photoshoot
Deep solid colours photograph far better than bright red under warm light, which amplifies any red already in the skin. Avoid heavy sequin if the…
What to wear
Deep solid colours photograph far better than bright red under warm light, which amplifies any red already in the skin. Avoid heavy sequin if the…
In short: Deep solid colours photograph far better than bright red under warm light, which amplifies any red already in the skin. Avoid heavy sequin if the room has fairy lights — the two compete. Layers, because half the good frames are outside.
Colour. Deep solids beat bright red under warm indoor light, which amplifies any redness already in skin. Emerald, navy, plum and black all sit well against fairy lights.
Fabric. Velvet and wool photograph richly in warm light; heavy sequin fights with fairy lights and produces harsh specular dots.
Footwear. Irrelevant indoors, which frees the decision entirely — until the outdoor frames, which need boots.
The thing that ruins frames. Matching Christmas jumpers photographed under a ceiling light. If the jumpers are the point, photograph them by a window in the morning instead.
In the bag. Spare warm-white bulbs to replace whatever cool-white fitting is ruining the room, a lint roller for jumpers, and a bin bag for the wrapping paper that otherwise fills every frame after ten in the morning.
Families and hosts who want something better than the annual blurred photograph taken under a ceiling light at four in the afternoon.
Location changes the answer: Wherever the biggest window is, and outside in the last hour of daylight. If the house is dark, one lamp behind the subject and a window in front is a complete lighting setup that costs nothing.
Planning pressure to account for: Shooting under ceiling lights. Mixing daylight and warm bulbs in one frame, which puts orange and blue on the same face. Leaving the group photograph until after the meal. And photographing gifts instead of people.
Bring each proposed outfit as a complete look, including its shoes and accessories. The final choice is made against the actual background and light rather than from a generic colour rule.
Deep solid colours photograph far better than bright red under warm light, which amplifies any red already in the skin. Avoid heavy sequin if the room has fairy lights — the two compete. Layers, because half the good frames are outside.
For a one-hour session, plan one complete look and one quick variation such as a jacket, shoe or jewellery change. Two hours can normally support two or three resolved looks. More changes reduce shooting time, so photograph the most important outfit first and treat extras as options rather than promises.
Choose colours that separate clearly from the location and suit the intended use of the pictures. Solid tones and controlled texture are reliable; very fine checks, tiny stripes and reflective logos can distract or produce moiré. Send phone photographs of the options with the brief if you want a decision before the shoot.
Bring the garments on proper hangers, matching underwear, the shoes for every full-length look, a lint roller and simple touch-up products. Pack one neutral backup layer. Steam everything beforehand, but keep a small steamer nearby for travel creases and final adjustments on set.
Send the date, location and what you need photographed.