What to wear
Coordinated palette, different garments. Avoid identical outfits, which read as a uniform. Prioritise what the children will not fight about; a…
In short: Coordinated palette, different garments. Avoid identical outfits, which read as a uniform. Prioritise what the children will not fight about; a session ends the moment clothing becomes a battle.
Colour. A shared palette of two or three tones, never identical outfits. Matching siblings read as a uniform and the photograph dates to the decade it was taken in.
Fabric. Whatever they will not fight about. A session ends the moment clothing becomes a negotiation, and no styling choice is worth that.
Footwear. Worn-in, or barefoot indoors. New shoes plus a session equals complaints within ten minutes.
The thing that ruins frames. Dressing the younger child in something they cannot move in. Sibling photographs work because of movement, and stiff clothing stops it.
Let the older one choose. An eight-year-old who picked their own top cooperates for twice as long as one who was dressed, and that difference decides how many frames you get with both children in them.
Parents who want one photograph of their children together that is not a negotiation.
Location changes the answer: Home or somewhere they already play. Familiarity is worth more than scenery with children, because a new place is a distraction to explore rather than a background.
Planning pressure to account for: Shooting after a nap has been missed. Promising a treat at the end, which turns the whole session into a negotiation. And planning an hour — twenty focused minutes produces more than an hour of persuasion.
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.
Coordinated palette, different garments. Avoid identical outfits, which read as a uniform. Prioritise what the children will not fight about; a session ends the moment clothing becomes a battle.
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.