What to wear for your portrait session
May 23, 2020 -- Posted by :
Your outfit choices are always a big topic for family portrait sessions, headshots, or even corporate portraits. What you wear will have undoubtedly impact on the the images we make together.
So just how do you decide what to wear?!
Well my advise is to choose neutral colours like navy, whites creams and soft pastels. Jeans are always a brilliant choice and can be accompanied with T Shirts, Polo’s, pullovers everything goes with a pair of jeans. Things I recommend avoiding are, polka dots, stripes, checks, busy patterns and dominant logos or badges. Patterns, logos and words look for there own attention, when in fact the most important part of any portrait are the people within it.
One other point to remember for family portraits or groups, is to have a think about how your outfits look together. Do they clash? It’s best to avoid colour clashes, strong patterns are best avoided too, for example stripes and polka dots don’t work together.
However, I do understand trying to put a family wardrobe together isn’t easy and could cause tears!
It’s worth mentioning, most of my portraiture is outside, often in the woods. I would recommend the ladies leave their best Jimmy Choo’s at home! Instead flats, Timberlands or even wellies always look cool!
To expand a little more on the clothes themselves for my popular woodland shoots. Jeans, Pullovers, Bobble Hats and wellies are perfect for Autumnal and Winter sessions. Warmer Spring and Summer days, Jeans, T Shirts, Polo shirts and Timberlands always look great.
You’ll want to make it look like you haven’t planned your outfits but also you want to stay warm on colder days and cool on hotter days! Why? If you are too hot or cold it will impact how you are feeling. I want you to feel amazing and have a wonderful time on your portrait session, this means that the images that we create together are the absolute best they can be.
To save you some time, and to help you work out what to wear for your experience, here are my top tips for choosing outfits for your photoshoot.
Most importantly where possible, you need wear what makes you feel good. The feeling you have when you put on an outfit that you love, it gives you a bounce to your step, and makes you top of the world…. that's look I want from you all!
Next, unless you’re going for a particularly styled shoot, you’ll still want to look like you, of course the best version of you! Having a photoshoot with a professional photographer who cares about making you feel relaxed will allow them capture some beautiful images. Seeing those images is the best feeling, intact I’d go as far as saying its a true confidence boost.
Lastly, for the Ladies mostly (although many Gents too may like having a quick trim at the Barbers so you look even sharper than normal!), I believe is well worth spending a little extra time and effort on is the finishing touches, like hair and make up. My better half loves the feeling when she’s just had her hair done. If you have time, a blow dry just before your photoshoot will make you feel a million dollars. Similarly, if you’re a little unsure about make up, visit a beauty counter a week or so beforehand and ask for recommendations of colours and products that suit you. If you’re going to the effort of having professional photographs taken, these little things can make a huge difference, both to how you look and more so, how you feel.
In years to come, these portraits are going to be a beautiful memory of a time gone by. I think it’s well worth spending a little time planning these details in advance.
Here’s are a few images from sessions I’ve captured, to give you some ideas for what you might choose to wear for your photoshoot.
If you have any ideas, please send them over! I’d love to hear from you.
