Which colours photograph well, and which do not?

Why mid-tones and rich shades hold up

A camera, especially a phone, can only record a limited range from darkest to lightest in one shot. It sets its exposure for the scene, usually for faces, and anything far brighter or darker than that falls off the ends of the range. Mid-tone fabrics sit comfortably in the middle, so their folds, embroidery and texture all survive.

Saturated colours also keep their identity when the light changes. A deep teal still reads as teal under warm hall lighting, in shade or under a flash, whereas a subtle greige can turn pinkish, greenish or grey depending on the light.

The colours that misbehave

None of these is a colour to avoid altogether. They are simply the ones to plan for.

• Stark white: in sun or flash it turns into a bright patch with no detail, so embroidery and pleats disappear. It also picks up colour casts: blue in shade, yellow under warm bulbs.
• Solid black: folds, seams and embroidery vanish into one dark shape, and a flash shows every speck of lint and dust.
• Neon brights: cameras struggle with extreme saturation, so neon pinks, greens and oranges often come out in a different shade, or glow unnaturally and tint nearby skin.
• Very pale pastels and nudes: in bright light they can merge with skin in the photo, even if they look fine in person.
• High-shine satin and metallic fabric: a flash bounces straight back, leaving white hot spots on the curves.
• Very fine stripes and tiny checks: these can create a shimmering ripple, called moiré, on cameras and screens.

Phones, flash and indoor light

Most event photos are taken on phones, which brighten faces automatically and guess the colour of the light. In warm indoor light they often shift whites to cream and blues towards grey. A flash flattens texture and exaggerates shine. Mixed light, such as a window on one side and bulbs on the other, can make one side of an outfit look a different colour from the other.

Matte and soft-sheen fabrics cope with all of this better than glossy ones. Our guide to matte and shiny fabric explains how sheen changes the look, and the same applies to a kameez.

Choosing fabric for an outfit that will be photographed

If photos matter, such as for a family gathering, a graduation or one of the events in our wedding guest guide, lean towards a mid-to-rich shade in a matte or softly lustrous fabric. If you love white, choose ivory or off-white with some texture or embroidery to hold detail. If you love black, add a colour near the face, such as a coloured dupatta, so the photo has a focal point. Our article on jewel tones covers the richest group.

Photos run the other way too: colours can look slightly different on screen from the real cloth, and a small difference in shade is not a fault. With Fabric + Stitching, the fabric and colour are agreed in your written quote before cutting. Mention that the outfit is for an event when you ask for a quote.