What to wear
Whatever survives a field and photographs in dust and low light — texture and colour over pale neutrals, which grey out fast. Footwear you can walk…
In short: Whatever survives a field and photographs in dust and low light — texture and colour over pale neutrals, which grey out fast. Footwear you can walk ten miles in. Anything you would be upset to ruin stays at home.
Colour. Texture and colour over pale neutrals, which grey out in dust within an hour. Anything reflective works after dark when flash comes out.
Fabric. Whatever survives a field, sun, and being sat on. Nothing you would mind ruining, because it will be.
Footwear. Broken in and closed. Visible in most full-length frames and responsible for whether the day lasts.
The thing that ruins frames. A bag that will not close, photographed hanging open in every shot. A crossbody that sits behind the hip stays out of frame.
In the bag. A power bank, a rocket blower for dust, wet wipes, and a small torch — the walk back to the tent is the one part nobody plans for.
People going to a festival who want more than a blurry crowd photo, and creators who need the weekend to produce content.
Location changes the answer: Away from the main stage: the edges, the paths, the camping field at sunrise. The best festival photographs are almost never taken in front of the headliner.
Planning pressure to account for: Photographing only at night when the light is hardest. Bringing a bag you cannot close. And trying to capture the scale of the crowd, which never works — one person in front of it does.
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.
Whatever survives a field and photographs in dust and low light — texture and colour over pale neutrals, which grey out fast. Footwear you can walk ten miles in. Anything you would be upset to ruin stays at home.
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.