What to wear
What to wear for a family photoshoot
Coordinate the palette, do not match the garments. Two or three colours across the whole family, with at most one pattern. Dress the children in what…
What to wear
Coordinate the palette, do not match the garments. Two or three colours across the whole family, with at most one pattern. Dress the children in what…
In short: Coordinate the palette, do not match the garments. Two or three colours across the whole family, with at most one pattern. Dress the children in what they will not fight — comfort determines how long the session lasts. Layers for London weather.
Colour. Two or three colours across the whole family, chosen from what people already own. Lay everything on a bed together before the day — clashes are obvious in a pile and invisible in a wardrobe.
Fabric. Anything a child will tolerate for an hour. Stiff collars, itchy wool and new shoes end sessions early, and no styling decision survives a child who wants to go home.
Footwear. Shoes that have been worn before. New shoes plus a park equals twenty minutes of complaint.
The thing that ruins frames. Identical outfits. Matching white shirts and jeans reads as a uniform and dates the photograph to whichever decade it was taken in. Coordinate the palette, vary the garments.
Families who want one good picture together, and who know from experience that getting everyone to look at a camera simultaneously is not realistic.
Location changes the answer: Somewhere the children already like, so the session is not their first encounter with the place. A park, a common, a beach, or your own home. Home is underrated: it needs no travel, there are toys, and it is where the family actually exists.
Mariya charges £300 per hour for fashion, portrait / personal branding and brand / commercial photography. The booking includes 10 retouched photographs for the whole shoot, delivered within two weeks. Bring your own wardrobe at no styling charge, or add clothing, accessories and shoes supplied by Mariya at £100 per look. Studio hire and applicable travel are separate.
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.
Coordinate the palette, do not match the garments. Two or three colours across the whole family, with at most one pattern. Dress the children in what they will not fight — comfort determines how long the session lasts. Layers for London weather.
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.