Background Choices and Clothing Tips for the Children's Contest

General Clothing Tips

1. Stick with solid colors as much as possible.

2. If there is more than one child, pick a color scheme, i.e. everyone in blue and white.

3. Avoid contrast in the clothing like black and white because it pulls attention from the faces. It is better to go all light or all dark.

4. Classic, timeless styles and vintage looks are great.

5. Bare feet are usually preferred.

6. There is nothing more classic and timeless than a naked baby. If they are under the age of 7 months, naked or just a diaper with a nice diaper cover is usually my first choice. We continue to suggest just a diaper cover for some of the portraits up to the age of two. If you are going to be holding the baby in some of the images, bring a change of clothes for yourself in case you get soaked!

What about props?

If you don’t feel imaginative, don’t worry because simple pictures are often best…but sometimes the right prop can be wonderful. What do you look for?

1. Items that will help to tell a story. For our “Mary had a Little Lamb” photograph we brought in an antique desk, a chalkboard, a flag, a shepherd’s crook and a live lamb!

2. Items that have special meaning. We included an heirloom baptismal shawl from Norway in each of our children’s baptismal portraits.

3. Antique, vintage or rustic items can be very cool. Like an old wash bowl, milk can, antique fire extinguisher, wagon, baby buggy. Use your imagination!

Background Choices

The Beige and White Hall

Clothing suggestions: All white is my favorite for this setting but any pastel will work. Khaki shorts or pants are good choices, too.

The White Sweep- This is a classic.

Clothing suggestions: Absolutely anything goes here. If you have patterned clothes that you just love, this is the background to use.

Props: Any prop that your imagination can come up with works great with the white sweep. Toy cars, pets, wagons, rocking horses, special chairs, doll buggies, firefighting gear, you name it, we have done it!

The Blue Forest

Clothing suggestions: Classic clothing in dark, rich colors are very nice with this background. Burgundy is particularly good but blue, green or white work, too. Woodland fairy costuming is a possibility or even a “Huck Finn” feeling with rolled up jeans!

The Tuscan Wall

Clothing suggestions: Black turtlenecks and jeans work well with teens, adults and older children. Blues, browns, yellow and white are the colors of choice. Avoid red.