WHAT TO WEAR

Family sessions

There is one thing I want you to remember when choosing clothes:

You need to be able to move.

We are not going to spend the session standing nicely in a row smiling at me.

You'll walk. Sit. Run. Carry children. Pick them up. Get down on the ground. Cuddle. Probably be climbed on. There may be wind, bare feet, messy hair and children going in completely the opposite direction to what we planned.

That's usually where the good stuff happens.

So your clothes need to let that happen too.

START WITH COLOUR

I want the family to look like you belong together without matching.

Please don't put everyone in white shirts and jeans. (or if this is your your jam, go for it, it can be done great too)

Instead, choose a small palette of colours and work within it. I love warm neutrals and earthy colours — cream, oatmeal, caramel, chocolate, olive, rust, mustard, dusty pink, burgundy and muted reds.

Then mix in texture: denim, linen, wool, corduroy, chunky knits, soft cotton.

Texture photographs beautifully and makes a simple colour palette feel interesting.

WHY I CARE ABOUT COLOUR

Colour affects the entire photograph — including your skin.

Our light here in Finland is often naturally cool. We have grey skies, blue shadows, cool winter light and usually quite muted surroundings. Many Finnish skin tones are also very light.

If we add lots of bright or cool blue clothing, especially close to the face, the whole photograph can become even colder and skin can start picking up those blue tones.

Warm and earthy colours help balance that.

They also work beautifully with the places where I tend to photograph: dry grass, sand, fields, rocks, autumn colours, muted greens and warm interiors.

Blue isn't forbidden. Nothing is forbidden. I just usually prefer muted denim, dusty blue or a deep navy over a bright, cold blue — and I'll balance it with warmer colours elsewhere.

DON'T MATCH. CONNECT.

Think of everyone's clothes as one photograph.

Start with one outfit you really love — often Mum's — and build everyone else around it.

If you're wearing a rust dress, perhaps your child has a cream knit and brown trousers, another has muted olive, and your partner has oatmeal and dark denim.

Nobody matches.

But everything works together.

Avoid having five strong colours competing for attention. And generally avoid large logos, neon colours, very busy prints and anything that immediately pulls your eye away from the people.

Off white is always beautiful and classy if nothing else works. Try to go for ivory or even beige rather than pure white. Again cold colours..

MOVEMENT MATTERS

This is probably more important to me than whether you've chosen the "perfect" colour.

Soft, relaxed clothing moves with you.

A long skirt moves in the wind. An oversized knit changes shape when you're cuddling your child. Linen wrinkles and looks lived in. A dress moves when you run.

Very stiff or overly formal clothing tends to hold its shape — and sometimes makes us hold ours too.

If your trousers are so tight you can't sit comfortably on the ground, or your child's beautiful outfit means you're constantly telling them don't get dirty, it's probably not the outfit for our session.

Kids especially should be able to be kids.

AT HOME

Home gives us a little more freedom.

Think bare feet, soft knits, tanks, linen, comfortable trousers, a simple dress, underwear and cardigan for newborn sessions — clothes that feel like a slow morning at home rather than everyone getting dressed for an event.

Also look at the colours already in your home.

If your bedroom is warm and earthy, we'll work with that. If your home is very neutral, we can add warmth and texture through clothing.

And don't underestimate skin. Bare baby legs, shoulders, little feet and bellies add their own warmth to photographs.

OUTDOORS

Outside, I think about your clothing together with the landscape.

The location, season and light all matter.

In a golden field I might bring in rust, cream, brown, olive or burgundy. At the beach, perhaps oatmeal, faded denim, cream and warm neutrals. In deep autumn colours, we might keep your wardrobe simpler so you're not competing with everything around you.

Layers are brilliant outdoors because we can change the feeling without changing your entire outfit.

A cardigan comes off. Sleeves roll up. Shoes disappear. A jacket gets thrown over someone's shoulders.

It doesn't need to be complicated.

And if you're unsure, send me photos.

I'd much rather help you pull together things you already own than have you panic-buy matching beige outfits for the whole family.

We're creating photographs of your family.

The clothes are just there to help tell the story.