NYC Children's Photographer Archives - Irene Bella Photography

Long Island Holiday Photos/What to Wear for your Holiday Photos

Fall is officially here. The kids are back in school, football season has begun, Dunkin Donuts is promoting their pumpkin spiced lattes, the leaves are turning and it’s that time when everyone is starting to think about getting professional holiday photos taken. I know, I know…..it’s only October and Halloween hasn’t even gotten here but the truth is the sooner you plan to get your holiday photos taken the better, particularly if you wish to capture the fall foliage. Although it is hard to predict just exactly when the fall foliage begins and how long it will last, you really only have an average of about four weeks to capture the foliage, sometimes more, sometimes less. Usually there are about two weeks in which you see the richest and most vibrant colors. Typically here in Long Island, NY and in the five boroughs of NYC, the peak is usually around the last week in October and the first week of November so if you are considering having your photos taken with the fall foliage I strongly recommend that you do this no later than the middle of November. Look on the bright side you will have your photos and holiday cards all ready before Thanksgiving and will have one less thing to worry about during the holidays. :o)

Deciding what to wear in your holiday photos can be a daunting task. I always gets asked what colors to wear. Should we match? Should we color coordinate? I have some suggestions and at the bottom of the post I will post a few links to help you decide on what to wear for your family/child holiday photos. The key obviously is going to be what type of background will you be using? Will you have them taken indoors at your home or in a studio or at an outdoor location? Will this be a family shoot or just of the kiddos? I think having the whole family in the pictures is always a great idea and I generally prefer doing family photos outdoors as it provides a variety of backgrounds. You can also have them taken in your home, especially if your home is beautifully decorated for the holidays. If you plan on taking your photos in a studio or against a studio backdrop then I would speak with the photographer to find out what type of backdrops and props they will be using.

Here are a few suggestions of what works and what doesn’t:

1. Stay away from White

White generally washes people out, particularly if you have fair skin and just looks “blah”. You can however using white as an accent color, or layer over the white. i.e.. a jacket, sweater or colorful scarf.

2. Consider wearing layers and accessories

Layers and accessories can add a lot of spark to your photos and texture. Some ideas include a sweater, jacket, coat, vest, button up shirt, tights, hats, scarves, gloves and even necklaces. Layers are great for adding a pop of color and texture in addition to helping you keep warm or cool during the duration of your photo session.

3. Stay away from Prints, Logos , Graphics, Characters and Stripes

Just a no-no. They just take too much attention away from the main subject(s)….your child. Who wants people to first notice the Mickey Mouse before that adorable little smile? And if you do insist on wearing the red sweater with Frosty on it….. then fine….but do layer it over another shirt below it so that you can pull it off after you take a couple of photos of your child wearing it.

4. Coordinate your outfits, but don’t match

This applies to a family of two or more. Please don’t make everyone wear the same color. Matching is boring and dated. Coordinating does not translate to matching. You can choose a favorite color or style and go from there. The idea is to harmonize the colors so they are complimentary to one another. Next time you are at the mall or out window shopping, notice how the windows and mannequins are made up. Most of the time they are showing you several different outfits in different tones (earth tones or cool tones). A good way to see if your outfits are coordinated is to lay them all out on the floor and take a picture of it so that you can look at it from afar and get a different perspective of it.

5. Ideas for Choosing Colors

Earth tones (beige, brown, tan, gold, grey, forest green or mustard) will always look great in photos taken outdoors, but do allow for a hint of color (reds, blues, greens, purples or teal) by either wearing a colorful hat, scarf, gloves or top to go with your neutral bottom to add a little pop to your pictures. These colors mentioned always look stunning outdoors.

For more color combinations and tips, please click below:

Holiday Wardrobe Tips

P.S. If you found this post to be helpful, please leave a comment below. I truly appreciate it. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Long Island Children’s Photography/Flushing Meadows Park Photo Session

Springtime is here……the birds are chirping and the beautiful flowers have all bloomed. I especially love the pink flowers on the branches. Since i also work as a skating coach at Worlds Ice Arena in Flushing Meadows Park, NY I get to spend lots of time in the park. One afternoon, I took a walk through the park and found a beautiful spot filled with these flowers for this children’s photo session. At first Julia wore a beautiful blue dress, I tried getting some posed shots with her holding the flowers and smelling them.