Advice for a lifestyle photo-shoot.
Dark or bright colours work really well and casual clothing is advised. The perfect outfit would be jeans and a black t-shirt for larger groups if the weather permits, or else we can go indoors or into shade and out of the elements if that’s possible. You are very welcome to bring a change of clothing in fact I ask you to bring a change, a few different types especially for children, due to the way they play etc. and are expected to get a little dirty.
Clothing Tips for kids
It’s a good idea to take a change of clothes for the child to get a wide range of photographs.
Bright colours are always good and colours that complement the background choose clothes the child feels comfortable in. Depending on the environment, children’s clothes can become dirty;
(Bear this in mind when dressing your child for the shoot and when choosing a location for the lifestyle photography). You might want to bring any toys or items that may get the attention of your child if they do not want to look towards the camera for any reason, or it may even be included in the pictures. Hats, scarves & woolly jumpers etc… all look good in photographs, it’s also important for your child to be warm especially in the chilly months. Clothing with texture will add detail and emphasis to the picture. Take the some food & refreshments, just in case the shoot runs a little longer than anticipated, especially a change of nappy or clothing in case of accidents. Above all, smile be happy because that is what it’s all about; having fun and making it a memorable and enjoyable experience, The photos should reflect the real emotion and essence of the day. I may even ask you to stand behind me to get child’s attention or to help make them laugh.
Guidelines for all portraits, studio or outdoors:
All members of the family should be dressed to the same degree of formality or casualness jeans and plain tops, whites, greys are perfect even the family dog,if you have an outfit for them too! I recommend solid colour clothing of the same tones. This should be classic, timeless clothing that doesn’t date the portrait, nothing with too much name tags emblazoned on the front or back. If you want to use white or pastel tones, everyone should be similarly dressed. Avoid the look of one person standing out because of a bold, distracting pattern or a contrasting light top when everyone else is dressed darker (especially if that person is heavier). For more formal portraiture avoid T-shirts, tracksuits, mini-skirts (sometimes people are seated on the ground), heat transfer designs and bold patterns (including wide stripes). Some types of patterns create more’ effects in digital equipment. (i.e. hound’s-tooth pattern, contrasting stripes, etc.) This is not the time to experiment with a new hair style or extra makeup. Use makeup to cover blemishes if possible. Babies often spit up; please bring them a second or third outfit if possible. “Photo-grey” glasses photograph black outdoors and very dark in the studio. We will do everything we can to reduce glare in glasses. (If you always wear glasses, you should wear them in the photo.) We suggest non-glare coated lenses to avoid reflections. Glass glare can be retouched if necessary. Shoes may show in some poses so please bear this in mind for the shoot. Above all Pets are welcome, especially friendly ones!!!
Outdoor portraits: Casual or dressy, everyone should look like they belong together. Solid tops with nice jeans or khakis work well outdoors. Sweaters are excellent when the weather is chilly. As are scarfs or woolly hats please Co-ordinate the colours so no one person stands out, above all the others in the picture.
What are the best colours to wear?
The general rule of thumb is to keep it simple. Plain colours and comfortable clothing, casual styles work best. Bold patterns and stripes are best avoided. As for specific colours – try to keep them not too loud so it will not distract the viewer’s eye from the main purpose of the image and that is you and your family. Some outfits date easily; remember the 60’s, and the 70’s, and even the 80’s. Plain tops and plain colours work best especially for black and white images, if that is your taste. Richard will take images in both colour & black & white for you to view & select your favourites. Richard will choose locations and backgrounds to complement your personality and choices of outfit. It’s worth mentioning too that reactolyte style spectacles will be too dark for photographs taken outdoors – we suggest that you have the lenses changed or wear standard glasses for your photo-shoot. Although this is not an essential requirement, it will look better to see the eyes of the person being photographed rather than having what looks like sunglasses on.
What if my children won’t co-operate?
Don’t worry! Richard has years of experience of photographing children of all ages, not to mention endless patience, especially having a 3 year old daughter. The beauty of an outdoor photo-shoot is that it is great fun. Your children will be unaware of having photographs taken much of the time, enabling Richard to concentrate on capturing beautiful, natural images.
The best advice is not to tell your children that they are going to have their pictures taken, simply that they are going out to have fun. And please, please…don’t tell your children to smile or say cheese! Relax, allow the photo-shoot to develop and leave it to Richard to encourage more natural expressions – the smiles and moments of unexpected magic will come. You may in fact be surprised – the best portraits are often when the subject isn’t smiling at all, so Richard’s aim is always to capture a variety of different moods and expressions.
Would you recommend a pre-shoot consultation?
Definitely. This is your opportunity to find out about different styles available and to plan the shoot. The more information Richard can gather about you and your family beforehand, the more personal and unique he can make the photo-shoot. Although if you can email some pointers of the people he will be photographing, this will help to break the ice and help everyone feel relaxed. Just give the names, a brief description so I know who’s who & some information of their background and leave the rest to me.
What do we do if the weather is bad?
Aaah..The British weather! The short answer is that we generally shoot in all conditions except torrential rain. In fact, the best light is often found on drizzly or overcast days, rather than on bright, sunny ones when we have the problems of contrast and squinting. Richard will search out the most suitable locations and the best light for the conditions. On the rare days when the weather is so bad that we can’t shoot, we are happy to re-schedule. As mentioned earlier you can bring suitable wet weather clothing and utilise them for some fun shots, even umbrellas add to the style and pictures.
If you have any further questions or requests, then please contact me as soon as possible, regards
Richard Wright
Web; www.richardwrightphotography.co.uk
Email; info@richardwrightphotography.co.uk
Tel/Txt; 07912845414
Tel; 01772 635 810
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