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By Elena · Cup of Green Photography · Caterham, Surrey
This is the question I'm asked before every single family session, so here's my answer. The short version: soft, muted colours, comfortable clothes you already love, layers for the Surrey weather and shoes that can handle a bit of grass. That's most of it. The longer version, with the reasons why, is below.
Start with comfort, not a catalogue
The best family photos happen when everyone forgets what they're wearing. If your daughter has a dress she twirls in every day, that beats the new one bought specially. If your son lives in his dinosaur jumper, there's a good argument for the dinosaur jumper. My job is to photograph your family as you are, and clothes you feel like yourselves in do half the work before I've lifted the camera.
Colours that work (and the ones that fight the photo)
Around Caterham we're mostly shooting against green: the grass of Queen's Park, the trees on the North Downs, the long meadows of Happy Valley. Soft, earthy colours sit beautifully against all of it: cream, oat, olive, sage, rust, mustard, denim blue, warm brown. White works in summer light; darker tones look rich in autumn and winter.
What fights the photo: neon and very bright colours, which cast a colour onto faces and grab the eye; big logos and slogan tops, which date quickly and pull attention from expressions; and busy all-over patterns on more than one person. One gently patterned piece is lovely. Four is an argument.
Soft, coordinated colours let the faces do the talking.
Coordinate, don't match
Matching outfits had their moment, and the moment was a while ago. Instead, pick two or three colours that sit well together, say cream, rust and olive, and let everyone wear their own version. Dad in an olive jumper, mum in a cream knit, one child in rust cords, another in a floral with those colours in it. It looks intentional without looking like a uniform, and everyone still gets to be themselves.
Fabrics and layers: dress for Surrey, not for the studio
Texture photographs beautifully. Knits, cords, denim, linen and wool all add depth that flat sportswear doesn't. And layers are your friend twice over: they look good in pictures, and they cope with the fact that Surrey weather changes its mind roughly every twenty minutes. A cardigan or jacket can come on and off between shots and gives us extra variety without a single outfit change.
Autumn sessions: my favourite dressing brief of the year
If you're booking for September, October or November (autumn slots around here go quickly, because the Downs in turning colour are hard to beat), the brief writes itself. Chunky knits, scarves, cords, boots. Rust, mustard, olive, cream and deep green, echoing the leaves. A flask of hot chocolate is technically optional and practically essential with small children.
Two practical notes for autumn around Caterham: paths on the North Downs and Happy Valley get properly muddy from October, so bring wellies for the walk and nicer shoes to change into if you care about them. And pack a warm layer for everyone, because a warm child is a cooperative child, and no photograph is improved by chattering teeth.
Layers and boots: dressed for the Downs, not the studio.
What about babies and toddlers?
Simple and plain is the rule for the smallest people. Solid colours or the gentlest patterns, nothing that swamps their face, and no outfit that needs constant rearranging. Bring a spare. You know why better than I do. For crawlers, clothes that can meet grass without causing anyone stress mean we can let them explore, which is when the good pictures happen.
A quick checklist before you leave the house
Everyone comfortable? If it itches, pinches or needs tugging, swap it.
Palette, not uniform. Two or three colours shared across the family.
Layers packed. Surrey weather is a coin toss; layers win either way.
Shoes that can walk. Grass, mud, gravel paths. Wellies in autumn.
Spare for the little ones. And a snack. Always a snack.
One last thing: if you're stuck, send me a photo of what you're thinking. I mean it. People do it before most sessions, and it takes two minutes to say "perfect" or "maybe the other jumper". You're not being fussy; you're making the most of your shoot.
Sorted the outfits? Let's find you a date.
I'm a family photographer based in Caterham, shooting relaxed sessions across Surrey and South London. Autumn dates go quickest, so if you're thinking golden leaves, now's the moment.
Soft, muted colours photograph best: cream, oat, olive, sage, rust, mustard, denim blue and warm browns. They sit beautifully against the greens of Surrey parks and countryside. Avoid neon shades, large logos and busy all-over patterns, which pull the eye away from faces.
Should our family outfits match for photos?
Coordinate rather than match. Pick two or three colours that sit well together and let everyone wear their own version of them. Identical outfits look dated fast; a shared palette looks intentional and lets each person's character come through.
What should we wear for an autumn family photoshoot in Surrey?
Autumn is knitwear season: chunky jumpers, cords, scarves and boots in rust, mustard, olive and cream tones that echo the turning leaves. Bring wellies if we're heading onto the North Downs, since the paths get muddy from October, and a warm layer for everyone, because a warm child is a happy child.
What should we avoid wearing for family photos?
Avoid big logos and slogan tops, neon colours, brand-new shoes nobody can walk in and anything that needs constant adjusting. If you'll spend the session tugging a hem or worrying about mud, choose something else. Comfort reads as relaxed in photographs.
Cup of Green
