What to Wear for Your Hawaii Photoshoot
With all the planning that occurs when it comes to vacation prep I know the last thing one wants to feel stressed about is what to wear for your photoshoot in Hawaii - No worries, I have you covered. The most important factor to remember when it comes to a photoshoot is that this session is for your family. I know it’s exciting to share images on social media etc. but the key point to do when prepping for your session is to wear what you feel comfortable in. If you are not a fan of dresses or a dress blouse then don’t wear one - it is absolutely okay to rock a pair of pants/shorts and a tee for your session. If your kiddos absolutely cannot stand a button up shirt well hey you are in Hawaii embrace the laid back vibe and go for a simple basic tee or a swimsuit. This may not sound like the advice you were expecting in the get go but if you or a loved one wears something they are not a fan of it’s going to show in the photos hence why feeling comfortable in what you’re in is key. Now that we have covered that bit of info let’s dive into the outfit planning tips ↴
The Do’s
Let mom select her outfit first. BOOM. Right off the bat but this is going to be very helpful. I know I go back and forth several times when selecting an outfit for family photos so it’s okay if you feel unsure of what you would like to wear right away. Take some time think about what color(s) you love, what type of clothing you would feel comfortable in, some have a vision board of ideas in mind that if one is on hand you can reference to but really lean into what sparks joy for mom. Once you have your outfit in mind you can then start planning for the rest of the family members. * If you are doing a multigenerational photoshoot let the ladies all select their outfits to plan off of for the immediate family members.
Color. Hawaii is colorful ! Embrace the color and do not be afraid to wear something that makes a statement if you would like to. Very often when looking up tips for a photoshoot the phrases “ neutral tones/earth tones” is used which is fine and dandy if that is what you love best but I am here to say it is 100% okay to lean into colorful outfits. This goes hand in hand with wearing patterns. My goodness patterns look stunning with the backdrops here in Hawaii. The only word of caution I will give for patterns is if one member is wearing something patterned try to not blend together with everyone wearing something patterned this way everyone stands out and isn’t one solid aloha print.
If going with an evening session expect wind. We are a chain of islands out in the middle of the ocean where the trade winds like to whip on through from 11:30AM through the evening. If members of your family have long hair be sure to plan accordingly with a hairstyle that will help prevent hair from getting blown in one’s face. This also needs to be applied for outfits such as dresses, you want those to be wind friendly with no Marilyn Monroe moments of that dress blowing up during our session.
Do you want photos in the water or possibly a whole session in the water ? If yes to either feel free to wear a swimsuit for the ladies under an outfit and have the gents wear board shorts as their bottom choice. With making the trip out here if you love the ocean and want to splash around or get some fun shots with surfboards/floats you can absolutely go beach vibe all the way with the attire you have on. * Most permitted beaches do not have a restroom for an easy change so I do recommend to have those bathing suits already on when showing up to a session.
Sunscreen. I know this is not an outfit but it’s something to be at the top of your “to do” list. The UV index here in Hawaii is incredibly strong and even on a cloudy day you can get a nasty sunburn. It’s no fun to be burned in general or be bright red in photos so be sure to apply reef safe sunscreen whenever you are out and about.
With younger kiddos do not change them into their photo outfit until you arrive at the session location. Accidents can happen and with the effort it can take sometimes to get the family out of the door you don’t want to be ready to go and have a planned outfit have an oops occur on the way over. Keep your little one in a comfy outfit for the drive and once parked then change them into their photo outfit. With babies/toddlers it's wise to have a photo outfit #2 on hand just in case which you can keep in the car or bring in the diaper bag .
Hang up your outfit upon arrival or set them out the night before. With packing we all know things can get a bit wrinkled so make sure to have things out so they can lay out or be steamed if needed before the session date.
Not
The Don’ts
but the best to avoids
Let me start off with saying the list below is not a “no” because if it’s something you want to do please do what makes you happy that is what is the most important here. The below list are things that can be a bit tricker to photograph which is why they are being mentioned:
Aim to avoid clothing items that have brand logos, characters on them, or phrases. Trends change where a certain brand or show may not be as popular years down the line so it’s nice to have photos that do not have what is listed.
Be cautious of tinted glasses. I wear contacts/glasses and without them I would be as blind as a bat. I definitely want my clients to be able to see during their session but if you have tinted glasses those will start to change pretty quickly where the beginning of the session your eyeballs will be nice and visible but by the end you are wearing shades. If you are okay with this or if they are a must for having on then wear them but just a little heads up of what to expect for images.
The color white. At some point throughout the years the color white has been deemed a go to for beach sessions. I have photographed many photoshoots where a family has worn all white and the images are beautiful but if this is the route you plan to go I request you do something called a “light test”. Before your trip to Hawaii hold the clothing items up to a bright light or the sun and make sure they are not see through. Again Hawaii’s sun is harsh and if the fabric is see through that is going to show during our session together.
Smart watches and hair ties off of your wrists. It’s okay if you have a bold tan line from your watch, that is much easier to edit out than the watch itself. Again you want to think about looking back at these photos years down the line.
Hopefully these tips help you with some direction for your photoshoot planning. If you are thinking of working with me I have two guides that I send to my clients upon booking with more details of outfit prep. However, even if not working together know that you can always ask your photographer about outfits we are here and happy to help. Have an amazing time in Hawaii !
For additional inspiration feel free to scroll this post to see some outfit ideas that photographed beautifully
