Springtime is one of the best times for shooting pictures outdoors. The flowers are bright and colorful, the sky is a vivid blue, and patterns of color surround us. There are many opportunities to take pictures too. From Easter and Mother’s Day and to graduation and beyond, many celebrations give us a reason to say, “Cheese!”
But there are a couple of helpful hints I wanted to throw your way to take better spring photos. I’m writing today’s topic based upon something that happened to me in the last two weeks at my photography studio. I ran into a small communications problem with a few clients—translation: I forgot to emphasize the importance of color to them.
When the outdoors is bursting with amazing color palettes and patterns, don’t let your wardrobe compete with Mother Nature. I thought I explained this to my clients, but I guess I didn’t do a good enough job, since two sets of families showed up in patterned clothing! Patterns look great in person, but when used in outdoor photography, they can get very muddled.
The trick to complementing the outdoors is keeping your clothing simple. Wear solid colors as much as possible and refer to your color-blocking palette—with help from Lisa Robertson or Pat James-DeMentri—to put together an outfit. Taking a photograph outside is a great time to expand your own wardrobe color choices. Try a hue that looks good on you, not just your favorite color. There’s a big difference!
For example, if the sky is a vivid blue, try peach, corals, or pinks to stand out from the sky. Also, avoid wearing white; it’s a go-to shade that’s overused. And I know you think black is “slimming,” but on a bright, sunny day, try and avoid being the only vampire in black for the family photo. A good photographer will always make you look your slimmest and your best in any color you’re wearing. My absolute favorite tip is to avoid the color green. If your backdrop is going to be mostly woods or tall grass with minimal flora color, avoid wearing green. Think about it this way: our U.S. military wears green as camouflage in the woods. It’s very effective for war, but not very flattering in pictures. If you wear green and stand in front of the woods for your photo session, you’ll only see your face, making it look like a floating head in the photo.
So get outside and take those pictures—just keep your colors complementary, simple, and solid!
Keep snappin’ and follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/qvcdavejames and on Twitter at @davejamesonqvc.
—Dave James
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