What to wear for a garden photoshoot

By Mariya Harley · London · updated August 2026

What works for a garden shoot specifically

Colour. Anything except green. Warm tones — cream, rust, terracotta, deep red — separate cleanly from foliage, while green clothing merges into the background at every distance.

Fabric. Light fabric that moves, because gardens usually come with a breeze and it is the only free motion available.

Footwear. Flat or barefoot. Heels sink into lawns and the compensation shows in the posture.

The thing that ruins frames. Green light bouncing up off the lawn onto faces. It is a real colour cast, it is worst at midday, and standing people near the house rather than in the middle of the grass largely avoids it.

In the bag. Secateurs for the one branch that will cross a face, a kneeling mat, and something to stand on — most garden portraits improve from thirty centimetres higher. Insect repellent from May onwards, because a session ends when the midges arrive.

Two rules that hold everywhere

• Steam it the night before — creases are the most expensive thing in any retouching bill and the cheapest to prevent.
• Bring options and decide on set, where you can see the light and the background rather than guessing at home.