Start with the setting, because it answers most of the question. The set is a warm Christmas scene lit by studio lamps, and soft colours with plenty of texture suit it. The picture at the top is an illustration of the idea, not the finished set.
Clothes that belong at a family Christmas look right. Clothes that belong on a ski slope in 1987 look like a joke, which is fine if the joke is the point.
Pick two or three tones and share them out
Matching outfits look like a uniform. Coordinated outfits look like a family. Choose two or three tones and let each person wear them their own way: one grown-up in a cream jumper, the other in navy, one child in burgundy and the other in a cream and green knit.
Colours that sit well on a warm Christmas set:
- cream, oatmeal and ivory
- camel, tan and chocolate brown
- deep green and burgundy
- navy and soft grey
Red is the obvious Christmas colour, and one person in red looks lovely. Five people in red look like the staff photo in a department store.
Bright white is the one to be careful with. It can lose its detail under studio lights and makes the creams around it look grubby, so choose ivory or oatmeal instead.
Knitwear photographs well
Texture gives a picture warmth. A chunky knit, a cable jumper or a soft cardigan all look cosy on camera. Corduroy and wool do the same.
Keep patterns bold. A big tartan or a Fair Isle yoke works well. Very thin stripes and tiny checks can shimmer in photographs, and they catch the eye in the wrong way.
A few things are better left at home.
- big logos and slogans, which date the picture and pull every eye towards them
- neon, which fights the warm colours of a Christmas set
- anything with a cartoon character your child will be embarrassed by at fourteen
Tartan pyjamas: commit, or don't
Matching Christmas pyjamas are the one exception to "coordinate, don't match". If everyone wears them, it is a theme, and themes are fun. If half the family wear them, it looks as though half of you overslept. Bring socks or slippers that go with them.
Feet end up in the picture
Feet are often in the picture, especially when children sit on the floor. Clean shoes that go with the outfits are fine, and so are socks that do. Bright trainers are easy to forget until you see them in the photos.
Planning twenty minutes around small children
Twenty minutes is plenty for six good pictures and short enough for a toddler, as long as you plan around them.
- Book around naps. A rested three-year-old gives you twenty minutes. A tired one gives you four.
- Feed them first. A snack in the car on the way is a good idea. A chocolate one, while they are wearing the good jumper, is not.
- Dress them late. Bring the outfits in a bag and change at the last possible moment.
- Bring a favourite toy. It can go in the picture, or sit just behind the camera to earn a look.
- Skip "say cheese". Ask them to count everyone in the picture instead. That is about the right length of job for a two-year-old, and the face they make while counting is better than any posed smile.
A small bag of rescue kit
- the outfits, on hangers or folded flat on top
- a hairbrush and hair ties
- wet wipes, for faces and for anything a toddler has touched
- a spare top for whichever child is most likely to spill something
- the favourite toy, and a snack for afterwards
Grandparents, couples and the dog
Grandparents often look best seated. It gives the eldest person somewhere comfortable and gives the picture an anchor, with everyone else gathered round. Grown-up brothers and sisters, with no small children to chase, have time for something a little smarter: a jacket on one and a chunky knit on the other looks good side by side.
Couples can use the same trick as families on a smaller scale: one person in a deeper tone, one lighter, both from the same short list above.
If you would like the dog in the picture, ask when you book. A clean collar or a Christmas bandana is about as far as dog styling needs to go.
Warm, whatever the weather
The set is indoors, in a barn with no windows, so rain and the early dark of late November make no difference to the pictures. The light on the set comes off the studio lamps and is the same for every slot. Coats come off for the photos, so what is underneath is what counts.
Dates and prices
A session is £95 inc VAT for 20 minutes on the set and six edited images, and the full gallery is £45 more, inc VAT. Sessions run on Saturdays and Sundays: 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November, and 5–6 December 2026. The photos come back in time for Christmas cards and presents. There is parking on site, and the barn is fifteen minutes from Chichester.
Prices, dates and booking are on the Christmas photoshoots page, and the Journal has the announcement of this year's sessions.
If you have a question about outfits, nap times or the dog, ask when you book and we will help you pick a slot that suits.
More from the Journal
- Christmas photoshoots at the barn: four weekends, twenty minutes each
- What to wear for a professional headshot
- Recording your audiobook for ACX: the specs, the maths and the room
- All Journal articles
The picture at the top of this article is an illustration generated to show the set-up. It is not a photograph of a client or of a real job.
Ready when you are
Availability and a firm quote, usually same day. No pressure, no hard sell.
Questions we get asked
What colours should a family wear for Christmas photos?
Two or three warm tones, shared out between you: cream, oatmeal, camel, deep green, burgundy, navy or soft grey. Coordinate rather than match, and leave neon and big logos at home.
How long is a Christmas mini session?
Twenty minutes on the set, with six edited images, for £95 inc VAT. The full gallery is £45 more, inc VAT.
Can we bring the dog to a Christmas photoshoot?
Ask us when you book, and we will talk it through.
granary.digital · 01243 884993 · studio@granary.digital · The Old Grainstore, Adsdean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 9DN · Prices exclude VAT unless marked inc VAT