Elf Works is the busy one. A toy workshop caught mid-job, with wooden toys, a repair station, a basket of teddies, a snowy window behind and signs that shouldn’t really be taken too seriously.
The other three sets are places you sit. This one is a place you do something, and that changes what works.
Colour is welcome here
This is the set that can take it. Reds, greens, mustard, denim and warm browns all sit comfortably against the wood and the workbenches. Cream and oatmeal work too, and have the advantage of lifting a child off a fairly dark background.
Nothing stiff
Your child will be picking things up, leaning on things and quite possibly climbing on something. Soft, comfortable clothing photographs better here than anything smart, and it means nobody spends the session being told to be careful.
Dungarees are made for this set
They suit the workshop, they don’t crease badly, and they look right on a child who’s busy. Corduroy, denim and thick cotton all photograph well against the wood.
Sleeves that push up
There’s a workbench involved. Sleeves that roll or push up give you a child who can actually get stuck in, and they photograph better than sleeves hanging over hands.
A note on red
There’s plenty of red in the set already, in Santa’s sack, the signs and the tree. Red clothing isn’t ruled out, but a deeper red or a rust will read better than a bright postbox red sitting next to a bright postbox red sack.
Coordinated, not matching
Particularly worth it with siblings here, because there’s enough going on that two children will naturally be doing different things. Different outfits in the same palette look far better in that sort of picture than identical ones.
If you’re not sure, send me a picture of what you’re thinking and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’ll work.
