Preparing for a photo shoot, whether it's a professional or a home studio session, can be both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Some people are naturals in front of the camera, whereas others need a little loosening up before they can feel comfortable. Children, on the other hand, are wonderful to photograph, because they're generally very expressive and natural ─ a photographer’s dream subject! There are, however, a few things that you can do to ensure that any canvases produced from your children's photo session really sparkle, and this week we'll run through the dos and don'ts of dressing your little ones for their shoot.

The number one rule of dressing for portrait photography is that you are the star of the show, and your clothes and location are the supporting cast. With children, however, it's perfectly okay to bend this rule in the name of fun and cuteness! If your kids are happiest dressed as a dinosaur or fairytale princess then we recommend that you just go with the flow, because that way they're more likely to enjoy the experience and give you some great photos.

If, on the other hand, your kids are cool with wearing whatever you throw their way, a photo shoot is a great opportunity to get creative. Talk to your photographer and discuss their ideas for a background. White or grey give you scope to dress your kids in any colours you wish, but if your photographer has a choice of coloured backgrounds, you should think about coordinating your children's clothes accordingly. Most women are naturals at this, but if you're struggling you could use a great little tool called a colour wheel, like this http://paletton.com/#uid=30I0u0kGBK6lRM2s6KzJ+tsKSmT for ideas.

If you have more than one child, it may seem like a good idea to dress them in matching colours, or even matching clothes. This will nearly always be overkill: it's much better to choose coordinating outfits, but accessorise one of your children with something that matches their sibling's costume ─ this will look cute and classy at the same time.

Most kids really do love dressing up, and you can take advantage of this by going to town with accessories for their shoot. Hats and scarves are always a big favourite, as are wacky sunglasses, flowers, or even fruit. As well as doubling the fun and keeping the kids engaged, clever use of accessories will help your photographer to deliver a larger selection of great images.