What To Wear?
Let’s be real for a second.
Finding something to wear for photos can be super stressful. We all struggle with it, even photographers. So I wanted to put something together that would help guide you in the right direction!
Dressing for photos doesn't mean everyone needs to dress exactly the same with a white shirt and khaki pants. You want to choose outfits that compliment each other so people don't blend together and to create dimension in your images. I listed below a few things to take into consideration.
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Choosing colors from your home
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Finding a Color Palette
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Dressing for Location
Family Photos
When dressing your family for a photoshoot the best piece of advice I can give you to start with is have Mom choose her outfit first. I can't tell you how many times I have found the perfect outfit for my kids and have found nothing for myself that matches. It can be very frustrating. Finding cute kid attire is easy!
Next piece of advice would be to find a pattern and pull colors from it. For example mom found a floral dress everyone else uses solid colors from the floral pattern to match.
Don’t put anyone in exactly the same shirt! You tend to lose people and only see floating heads in images when everyone is wearing exactly the same thing.
Let at least one person wear a rich color. In my photos specifically rich colors really stand out and give that perfect look you see displayed all throughout my work.
For large family portraits with several people give everyone 4 colors that compliment each other and have them wear that. For example One year for my family photos it was shades of brown, white, cream, and black.
Engagement Photos
When dressing for an engagement session with me I always advice to choose 3 outfits.
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Casual
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Semi-Casual
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Fancy
Okay hear me out. It sounds excessive but most people choose an outfit that they either feel great in but photographs strange or an outfit that they hate all together that they think will photograph well. Choosing 3 gives you a chance to switch it up, get different colors, play in the dresses that you never get to wear or your favorite ones. It lets you be comfy in jeans and lets him get a chance to dress up and dress down!
My engagement sessions we really refer to them as more of adventure sessions so I would also advise to bring walking shoes and to save the cute shoes to switch into.
Choosing clothes that show movement in photographs can make a world of difference for your session. Specifically dresses that catch the wind behind you, or jackets that you can come on or off give such a great variety of looks!
OVERALL DON'TS
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Avoid Neon Colors
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No brands on T-shirts
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Don't do all exactly the same color shirts or pants
Don’t forget to keep in mind where you decide to book your session. Woods? Beach? Lakeside? Urban? Choosing clothing that fits the vibe of your location is important for the overall final touch to an image.
