What should I wear to my photo shoot?

Picking the right clothes is one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked. So what to wear? Well, your clothes should reflect your child's/family's personality. Fun and loud? Go for bright colors and accent patterns. Calm and quiet? Go for neutral colors that go together.

Are you planning on putting up a big picture in your living room? You may want to consider colors that will go with your decor too.

I put together a "how to" guide for deciding what to wear to your photo shoot. (This is basic advice for family and group photo shoots, but much of the advice can be applied to individual shoots as well.)

Step One:

Choose clothing for one person first
You don't have go out and buy all new outfits for your photo. Most times, you can get a great look by building your clothing around one person's outfit. It's usually best to start with the person in the group who has the least amount of clothes or who is hardest to pick an outfit for. Look through their closet for a great piece you want them to wear for the photos.

The picture above shows a good friend of mine’s kids and I love this picture because it shows the families fun personalities but nothing too distracting where it brings it all together to focus on the kid’s faces.

Her youngest daughter is really into wearing petticoats, she would wear them everyday if she could. So she based the families wardrobe off that outfit and the colors she put together. I think it came out nice.

Step 2:
Build the rest of the group's outfits based on the first person
Now that you've got one person's clothing done, you can build the rest of the group's outfits.

General rules to remember when choosing outfits.

Keep in mind where you are going to be shooting
Are you going to be indoors or outdoors? Is the area paved, muddy, rocky, or grassy? What kind of colors would look best in that setting? If you will be outside, it's a good idea to wear clothes you would be comfortable sitting on the ground in.

Stick to one style
Make sure everyone in the group is wearing one style of clothing such as classy (formal wear, suits, dresses, etc.), casual (shorts, t-shirts, sandals, etc.), or contemporary (a mixture of classy and casual--like a dressy top with jeans and heels).

Avoid loud patterns or huge logos or words on an outfit
Smaller patterns on part of an outfit look fine, but keep it to one or two people in your group. Patterns should compliment each other, not draw attention away from the main subject of the photo, you!

Colors don't have to match, but they do need to go together.

Clothing from the same color pallette or based on colors in one outfit tend to create a cohesive look without feeling too "matchy." I love fun and vibrant colors; they help the portraits "pop" off the screen or print, but remember, the emphasis of the photos should be on your faces, not your clothing.

Think about shades of black and white.
Since your package may include images in black and white, you will want to think about how your outfits would appear in those shades.
Bring accessories and props that pull together the outfit
Using props and accessories is a good way to get different looks out of a single outfit. Think about things that characterize you and your personality: scarves, purses, shoes, items from your line of work, hobbies, and interests.

Hands and Feet
Often, I will take photos of details like hand-holding, rings, and family feet! Remember to clean and trim nails for these shots. For feet, if you have matching shoes or shoes in the same shade, that's a plus. Of course, we love bare feet too.

What to bring

A comb or brush and hair-spray if you use it, a light face powder to reduce any shine on your face that may build up during your shoot, and lip balm for ladies and the gents. Dry lips don't show well in photos and so a non-shiny, non-waxy, none colo red lip balm is essential. Avoid chap sticks, as they tend to leave a white residue

*Clients are always welcome to an over-the-phone consult about what to wear to the shoot. I've even helped finalized outfit choices in person.