What to Wear for a Winter Photoshoot

It doesn’t have to be difficult to know what to wear to one of my custom photo sessions. Here’s my simple method so that you never have to be concerned about what to wear in photos again.

Winter is a fantastic time for family photoshoots. It really is the best season, with beautiful light and mostly calm days with very little wind. The arc of the sun is lower and it speeds across the sky making our days shorter, which means I can photograph a lot earlier in the day and for a lot longer than I do in summer, so it’s great for little ones. I start my shoots at around 3pm in winter as opposed to around 7.30pm in summer. The light is also more diffused which for us photographers means it’s much easier to get those gorgeous pastel colour tones and turn your family photographs into works of art.

One of the main things I hear from my clients is that it can feel a bit daunting trying to figure out what everyone is going to wear. I get it, you don’t want to go to all that trouble just to have your photographs ruined because of outdated patterns or a mismatch of colours.

Simple is best. Avoid the latest trends and busy patterns and go for matching colour tones and overall comfort.

One of the things I particularly love about winter clothing is the texture. Texture is great for adding visual interest to photographs.

While you want everyone to be looking good, they also need to be warm. We’re lucky in New Zealand to have an abundance of beautiful merino clothing. If children are wearing merino layers and are snuggly and warm, they’ll be much happier during their shoot than they will be if they’re cold. The temperatures in Hawkes Bay can variety wildly, so it’s best to be prepared and remember you’re going to be outdoors for at least an hour and a half. Plus, merino layers mean you’re not adding heaps of bulk. And don’t worry if you can see it under the clothes. It really won’t matter. The main thing is that everyone is warm.

Simple, classic styles work best. It’s advisable to avoid strong patterns, stripes and checks, and to stay away from logos. Everything doesn’t need to be completely plain though, a simple flowery dress can work well. You don’t want to all wearing the same colour, but stick to similar tones so that no one person stands out. You want the photos to be about you and not what you’re wearing.

Mostly though, everyone needs to feel comfortable so they can just be themselves and have fun, so don’t overthink it. You want to be authentically you. After all, it’s your shoot!