What to wear

What to wear for a team and sports photoshoot

Kit is fixed, so the decisions are backgrounds and consistency: same background for every individual, no mixture of home and away strips in one set,…

In short: Kit is fixed, so the decisions are backgrounds and consistency: same background for every individual, no mixture of home and away strips in one set, and sponsors visible if the club needs them for the programme. Ask captains to check laces and collars before the first frame rather than fixing twenty photographs later.

What works for a team and sports shoot specifically

Colour. Kit is fixed, so the only real decision is consistency: one strip across the whole set, never home and away mixed in the same gallery.

Fabric. Modern shiny kit blows out under hard light. Shoot in open shade or diffused light so the sponsor logos stay readable rather than turning into white shapes.

Footwear. In frame for every full-length team photograph, and the one thing nobody checks. Mud on boots is character; odd socks across a row is not.

The thing that ruins frames. Twenty collars, none of them straight. Ask the captain to walk the line before the first frame — it costs a minute and saves twenty edits.

In the bag. Gaffer tape to mark the floor, a step for the back row, spare batteries, and a printed name list so the individual files can be labelled on the day.

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.

Next step

See if a session makes sense

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