Choosing an Outfit for Photo day

Involve your child in the process.

Children absolutely love being involved in choosing their outfit.

One of the best ways to make photo day exciting is to offer your child two or three outfit choices that you already love — and let them pick their favourite.

We often hear children proudly say things like:

"This is my favourite shirt!"
"I chose this dress because it’s my favourite and I wore it to a party "
"This is my favourite colour!"

When they feel proud of what they're wearing, their confidence shines through in the photos.

Clothing Suggestions for Kindy Photos

Remember — photos are mostly about your child’s expression and personality, not just the clothes. However, some outfits photograph particularly well outdoors.

Bright Colours Pop

Bright colours look fantastic in outdoor play photos and help your child stand out against natural backgrounds.

Pastels & Patterns

If bright colours aren't your style, these also photograph beautifully:

• soft pastels
• textured fabrics
• fun patterns
• stripes

Denim Always Works

Denim pairs beautifully with colourful clothing.

Think:

• denim jackets
• denim skirts
• denim shorts
• denim jeans

One of my favourite combinations is a denim jacket with a colourful shirt underneath — simple and timeless.

A Note About Hair

For health and safety reasons we can only do very light hair tidying.

We may gently move hair out of the eyes or give it a quick tidy — but we cannot brush or restyle hair unless a brush is provided.

If you'd like us to tidy your child’s hair:

• pack a hairbrush or comb
•  if you do, leave a note on your registration form or email us

Please keep in mind that we will tidy it as best we can, but it may not look exactly how you would style it at home.

Because children are running, climbing and playing, hair may move around during photos — and sometimes that’s part of the fun!

Head and Shoulder Portrait photos ​

For the head and shoulder portraits, clothing details near the neckline photograph beautifully.

Things that work well include:

• collared shirts
• necklaces
• subtle patterns near the neckline

One of the most important things is comfort.

Try the outfit on a few days before photo day to make sure it fits well.

Kids grow fast — and if something feels too tight or too loose, they may not want to wear it.

Should my child wear their allocated Kindy T-Shirt ?

You are very welcome to have your child wear their centre’s kindy shirt.

Just keep in mind that all of their photos will then include that shirt.

Many families like to give photos as gifts to grandparents or relatives, so sometimes a special outfit can be a lovely option.

What about Shoes and Hats ?

We always follow kindy sun safety rules.

Children come outside wearing their hats, and we simply remove them briefly while taking a few photos.

Most photos are taken in shaded areas and the hat is usually off for only a few minutes.

Sometimes we even include the hat in a few photos — which can be very cute!

Shoes

Children can usually choose whether they want shoes on or off.

Because we photograph children shortly after arrival, they will often still have shoes on.

If you definitely want shoes on for photos, please leave a note on your registration form.

Boots can look fantastic in winter photos!

Winter Photo day tips

Even in winter, we photograph outdoors.

Because we start early (around 8:30am), it’s a great idea to choose an outfit that includes a cute jacket or jumper.

If a child feels cold, we will keep their jacket on so they remain comfortable.

Lovely winter options include:

• knit jumpers
• button jackets
• sleeveless puffer jackets
• collared shirts under jumpers
• leggings under dresses

Keep an eye on the Red Cherry Instagram/ Pinterest page for ideas !

Preparing your Child to have photos taken

Talking about photo day beforehand can help children feel excited and relaxed.

You might like to tell them:

Your going to have some fun photos taken at Kindy !"

You can even show them photos from the Red Cherry website so they can see what the photos look like.

We usually start with a few simple portraits and then move into a few fun activities from a list of examples :

• climbing
• swinging
• sliding
• throwing balls
• drawing
• crawling through tunnels

Our goal is always real smiles, giggles and natural play.

If your child feels a little shy, they are welcome to:

• talk about their favourite friend
• tell us about their pets
• bring a special toy or snuggle bunny

Extra little things

Glasses:

Please let us know if your child wears glasses and you have a preference for them to be on/off during photo session.  We will always leave their glasses on and will not remove them unless instructed otherwise. We do our absolute best to choose shady areas that minimise glare and reflections on glasses when taking photos outdoors. 

Extra information: 

If there is anything that you would like us to know in regards to capturing lovely photos of your child - please let us know ahead of time on the registration form. We will have a note of it on the day on our photography list. 

Photo clothes in your child's bag: 

If you decide to have your child changed into photo clothes - please leave a note on the registration form PLUS let your child's educator know.  That way it wont be missed during the busy morning. 

What if my child's clothing gets dirty prior to photos ? 

Feel welcome to pack something extra just in case.  Honestly though, photos are about your child's expressions and joy at being at kindy. We do try to wipe it clean if we can and do the best we can to disguise any little messy bits .