What to Wear to Your Photoshoot

So we’ve booked a photoshoot together…now what?! I want to talk briefly about the do’s and don’ts for when it comes to what to wear for a photoshoot! We’ll even touch on what NOT to wear for a photoshoot (if you’re wanting those warm, creamy edits you see on my page!).

 

Choosing an outfit can be stressful but this is actually my FAVORITE part! Number one thing I want you to remember? Being comfortable is EVERYTHING. You should look and feel like yourself, first and foremost. Like .l.. if you absolutely hate dresses then please do NOT wear a dress!! 

 

It’s not uncommon for people to want to shop for new, fancy, fabulous clothes to wear to a photoshoot. And that’s totally fine – if that’s your jam. But let’s talk about comfort a little more. Do you think you’d be more comfortable in your favorite t-shirt and jeans or a new clingy little black dress? The best route is usually to go with something that’s tried and true. Something you know moves with you and hugs you in all the right places. Don’t get me wrong – it 100% does not have to be jeans and a t-shirt. You can glam it up a bit more if that’s what you fancy. But if authenticity is what you’re after, you’re going to have to show up as yourself. And if you want to capture this time of your life in all its glory, then it’s about the feeling of being in your own skin.

Another tip is to match your outfit to the location and season! Plan your outfits around what you know about the conditions at the location we’ll be shooting at. You’ll want to be warm enough (or cool enough!), have pain-free feet, and look relatively native to your environment. The idea is to authentically capture you wherever you are. Think through your clothing choices logically based on location, vibe, and comfort level.

*Pro tip: Try to avoid all black on a stinking hot day! Truuuust me on this one!*

Another big topic I want to cover is color scheming your clothes for photos. This part is KEY to consistency! Meaning…most of my clients wear neutrals and earth tones which is why their photos look so natural and golden! 

With that said, aim for neutrals, earthy tones, and metallics. These colors compliment the outdoor environment almost anywhere you go and look damn fine as a printed, framed photograph.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for a beige world of quiet and inoffensive colors. By neutrals, I just mean softer tones. Primary colors are incredibly striking, but can sometimes have the effect of detracting from the main subject (which is you). So for example, instead of blood red, go for something closer to soft pink. Instead of bright orange, opt for ochre or apricot. The earth tone color palette is actually pretty vast so do your research!! 🙂

A rule of thumb here is to choose to either complement your natural environment or contrast it. A mustard dress in a deep green forest will look epic, whereas a bright pink, patterned dress doesn’t really fit in with your surroundings. It totally depends on what you’re looking for!

 For families it’s best to keep your color scheme limited to four colors. You can choose one person to wear a feature color and have everyone else’s outfits complement that.

Leading into the next tip: complimentary, GOOD, matching, BAD!

You don’t want to create the illusion of being your partner’s siamese twin. When multiple people wear the same color, sometimes their matching outfits blend together so much that you can’t really see any of them properly. The viewer can’t tell where one person begins and another one ends. They turn into one uniform blob.

In order for the aesthetics of your photograph to really sing, you want to find complementary outfits that showcase a variety of colors, textures, accessories, patterns, and tones. Complement the other people in the photograph as well as your surroundings. The idea is to have everything look good together without everything looking the same.

And as always, if you have questions about your outfits please don’t hesitate to reach out before we meet!