Useful Tips
The following answers many questions asked prior to a portrait session:
Clothes
- If this is for a business purposes, wear what you would wear to visit an important client.
- If you want a casual look, consider these:
- Avoid clothes with wild checks, stripes, and very busy patterns; especially if worn together!
- Avoid clothing extremes. Generally, turtle necks and V-necks are good, as long as they don't over-power the subject's face. Bottom line, dress to feel comfortable.
- Tips for men:
- Wear pressed, well-fitting shirt. A fresh shave is suggested, since five o’clock shadow can show. When in doubt, a jacket of solid color in a medium to dark shade is suggested.
- Tips for women:
- Choose jewelry that doesn’t overpower their face. Patterns are fine as long as they are not too distracting. Medium to dark colors are preferable. Avoid flesh colored tones and colors that are too bright.
- Everything in the portrait photography session should be geared toward drawing attention to the subject's face, not away from it. Therefore, if you plan a full-length portrait, consider wearing pants, a long skirt, and/or dark stockings.
- Avoid bare arms where possible. Opt for long-sleeve shirts/blouses rather than short-sleeve.
- The color of the clothes:
- Avoid bright reds and orange (they battle the subject's face for attention)
- Darker colors are generally better than light colors
- Colors like white, yellow, and pink tend to over-power the face and make the subject took too pale
- In general, the best colors are medium shades of blue, green, burgundy, and rust.
- If taking a group portrait, everyone should wear complimentary colors. The outfits don't have to be duplicates to look good; however, you don't want everyone in light blue and one person in bright red.
- The star of the portrait photography session should bring at least one additional change of clothes (and shoes, if appropriate). Two or three are even better.
Location
- The setting can be a muted background (to emphasize the subject) or an environmental background to convey messages about the subject. If you plan an environmental background, please let the photographer know before the shoot so we can plan for the correct lighting.
Checklist
- The following items may come in handy: brush, comb, make-up, lipstick, mirror, hair clips, …
- Plan to be ready least 15 minutes early so you can adjust your clothes and relax. If you are feeling stressed, it will show in the portraits.
Above all – Smile, and have a great time!