because clothes are cute but kids are cuter | Huntsville AL school photographer

So your kiddo has school portraits scheduled soon with me, and you’re wondering how to dress them?

Great question!

My signature backdrop is solid black. I love this backdrop because it is simple and keeps the focus on the child’s sweet face and expressions.

My signature style is to shoot pretty close in (normally chest up). I’m really looking to connect with your child and bring out their personality, whatever that may be!

So for that reason, clothing may actually be LESS important than you’d typically think.

But….

We don’t want the child to blend into the backdrop.

And we don’t want their clothing to be distracting from the real star of the show!

So…..

Let’s start with what NOT to wear:

Definitely don’t have your child wear black (this can cause a “floating head” look). You in general also want to avoid navy blue.

I suggest avoiding clothes that are baggy (including hoodies).

Also, no large logos or prints on the front of the shirt or dress. These are definitely distracting, and because I shoot kind of tight, the entire front of the shirt doesn’t always make it into the photo, which then leaves the viewer wondering what the shirt said instead of oohing & aahhing over how cute the child is!

So, what DO we wear?

Glad you asked! :)

I always suggest your child wears something that is light-colored that will pop against a black backdrop. You can also do a brighter color (but no neon!) Neons cast a weird neon-colored glow up under the chin, and that’s definitely not the look we’re going for!

Small details at the neck or shoulders (such as cute sleeves or buttons) usually work great for these images.

For girls wearing bows, I suggest a small bow or clip at the side of the head rather than a very large bow on top of the head. Again, because of the style of these photos, I’m going to be coming in close on your child’s face, and tall bows can make that crop trickier.