I often get asked what you should wear when having a portrait session done. Although there is no right or wrong answer, there are some helpful tips.
You generally want your clothes to go along with the theme of your shoot. If they’re in the park, you might want something more casual. If you’ve chosen to locate somewhere downtown or urban, you can also go casual or dress it up a bit. Either way, pick something you’ll be comfortable in.
As far as color goes, solid colors and traditional patterns (think stripes, checks, etc) are generally safe. Avoid going to bold with the pattern, as it will most likely become distracting.
Try to avoid outfits with showy logos and brand names, text, images, etc. They are distracting and tend to date photos.
For engagement, family, couples and other portrait sessions that involve more than one person, remember that it looks very good when your outfits coordinate. This does not mean they need to be identical (jeans and white button ups), but the same color family, same type (all casual or all dressy) is always a very good idea.
Ladies
- Pay attention to your bra straps – you don’t want them showing in the photos.
- When picking shoes and opting for high-heeled ones, consider also bringing a pair of more comfortable shoes, something you could wear in between taking pictures.
- For engagement sessions wear just one ring – you can probably guess which one I’m referring to.
- Consider bringing some hair clips and bands. Those will be handy in case of windy weather
Gentlemen
- Try to avoid baggy clothing
- Pay attention to your socks – it’s best when they have no patterns on them and match the rest of your outfit in color (the color of your jeans/pants in most cases) and in style (finer socks for dress shoes, regular ones for casual shoes) and long enough to cover the area between your shoes and the bottom of your jeans/pants when you are sitting;
- Sandals plus socks is a big no-no.
Children
- Depending on the type of shots you’re looking for, you can have a lot of fun here. A little experimentation can be a pleasant surprise.
- Some kids like to dress themselves. Some are better at it then others. Either way, sometimes it can be fun to just go with it. You can be the judge here.
- If they have a favorite hat, or favorite boots, bring ‘em along.
- Make sure whatever it is, they’ll be comfortable in them. If they’re not, that’s a quick way to render them uncooperative.
- Feel free to bring multiple outfits.
And of course, if you have any questions, you can always contact me if you’re unsure.