What do I wear to my photo session?
Well here’s the plus side: weddings are easy.
So what do you wear for an engagement, portrait or maternity session? Well that cannot be solved with a beautiful white dress. So here’s a good guide on what to wear, or what not to wear to your photo session. Let’s take the stress out of that dreaded “I have nothing to wear” moment.
First off - Rule of thumb. Bring several outfits, though you could show up in the perfect outfit, it may clash with a prop you request, a backdrop or even another person’s outfit. Try to bring a minimum of 3 outfits. Believe me if you enter my studio with a suitcase I will be nothing but happy. So don’t fear the “did I bring to much?” moment. You can never have to many options, especially for a photographer. Something as simple as a t-shirt could lead to the perfect image.
So what do you do if you have a mini session, a small wardrobe or just lost a ton of weight and want to rock a transition session.
Follow the guides below and you can’t go wrong.
#1 TIP! Bring black and white!! It doesn’t matter what type of session you are doing, where it is, or what you want the end result to be. Always bring a black and white shirt. This is a wonderful staple item for all photo sessions and leaving the house without a black and white shirt should… “IS” a crime.
All jokes aside, it is best to bring at least one staple item with you to a photo shoot.
Portraits & Engagement sessions
The most important thing to remember is comfort. If you show up in stiletto heels and a mini dress that you are anything but comfortable in, you will be able to tell in the images. More importantly, when you hang these amazing images on your walls and look back at that wonderful time, would you rather look back at a fake moment for one hour of that time or an accurate display of who you and your partner/family were at that time. Photography is the best way to capture memories, so wear something that you enjoy being in so we can capture the “real” memories for you to look back on.
Colors! Day to day it’s easy to layer up with bright colors such as fuchsia or lime green, but what is a super cute fashion trend can be a photographer’s worst nightmare. When you choose colors for your images, it’s usually better to go with a dimmer color or more natural color choice. We can always spice up an image with props and backdrops. This is because bright clothes reflect onto your skin, so if you’re wearing highlighter yellow, your skin will reflect that color and you will look…well… highlighter yellow. This is a retouching nightmare and sometimes images cannot be brought back from the point of no return.
Fit? It is best to wear clothes that are not too tight for your body. This goes back to being comfortable in whatever you wear. If you can’t breath very well; it’s not a good sign. The same is true with baggy clothing; you want to show shape in the images, so please no baggy hoodies!
You know that horrid art class that you took in high school and that awful color wheel that the teachers talked about constantly. This is where “Ill never use this in real life” comes back to bite you in the behind! If you are coordinating outfits with other people it’s best not to go super “matchy, matchy” though this can appear “cute” at a dinner party, in a portrait… not so much. Try to choose colors from the same side of the color wheel, this insures that they will complement each other, but not scream… we all shopped in the same store. And remember, it’s better to have accents of colors and more neutral colors present than it is to dress in head-to-toe blue.
Image from: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/393713192403946037/
No crazy patterns! A scarf with some plaid is not the end of the photographic world, but a striped dress, on the other hand, can be. It’s best to stray from any crazy, bright, detailed patterns when choosing an outfit. After all, we want the attention on you… not your clothes. And NO LOGO’s please - don’t wear a shirt with a giant Nike logo on the front if they’re not paying you for the advertisement. Chances are you won’t want it hanging on your wall for the next 15 years.
How do I dress my children?
All of the above counts for children also. Though you may want to dress your kids once you arrive at the location or studio just incase.
Make-up and Hair!
Make-up and hair is usually the easiest part of session planning. As long as your hair is not frizzy and there aren’t fly always everywhere; it should work out just fine. As for make-up stock up! No really… It’s best to wear a little bit more makeup during a session than you normally would. The camera dulls the effects of make-up, so adding a little bit extra will look completely normal on camera.
If make-up or hair seems daunting, that’s not a problem at all. We have make-up artists and hair stylists on staff. Just request their services when booking your session and we will fill you in on all of the details.
The most important thing to remember is have fun! Photo session’s can seems a little bit terrifying, especially when you have no idea what to expect. So it’s best to remember that you are capturing a beautiful moment in your life, and when you look back on this time, you wont remember the photo session it’s self, or the thousand outfits you tried on before you even left the house. You will remember the incredible memories; and most importantly, you with leave our studio feeling beautiful. We strive for a fun, open, stress free environment.
