What To Wear Guide
Due to popular demand, the blog post for what to wear has arrived! But before I get started, let me just say that I am no fashion expert. Unless I’m working, I’m usually wearing sweatpants, a hoody, and socks that don’t match. With that being said, I’ve been shooting portraits for quite some time and have figured out what I think works and what doesn’t. The ideas below are just tips. The most important thing is for you to feel confident and true to yourself. If that means wearing socks with sandals, neon yellow pants, and an oversized lampshade around your body, that’ll be good with me!
Colors
If you’re wanting to play it safe, I generally recommend sticking with neutral tones. Neutral tones can be all the colors of the rainbow but just muted. So instead of a fiery red, maybe go with something more like a burgundy. Instead of saturated yellow, try a mustard or khaki shade instead. Neutral tones are less distracting and keep the focus on you. If you’re wanting something a little funky, maybe try keeping it to only one piece of clothing in an outfit. Another distraction to watch out for is when the color of your clothes is very similar to your skin color.
Patterns & Logos
Just like colors, we need to be careful when choosing bold patterns and logos because they can often be a distraction in a photo. Patterns can be great but I tend to recommend sticking with something a little more subtle like flannel or a flowery dress. To keep things simple, we’ll usually only have one piece of patterned clothes in each outfit.
Example of a bold pattern taking away attention from the subject (can be a good thing too).
A clean and consistent pattern that isn’t distracting.
A pattern on the bolder side but it works for him!
Wear clothes that make sense
It’s important to think about the way you want to come across in your photos. For business, real estate, and politics, a suit can often be a great option to look professional but if you’re wanting something a bit more approachable, you can go with the classic button-up shirt with a rolled-up shirt look too. If we’re doing a shoot with multiple looks I think variety is king. We can get some photos with more formal clothes and others on the more casual or maybe even athletic side if that’s something you’re into. Think about how you’re planning on using the photos and what would register best with the people seeing them.
Also, make sure you’re wearing clothes that make sense for the conditions, weather, and scene we’re shooting in. If we’re hiking around Lighthouse Park for photos, don’t only bring high heels. If it’s 5 degrees, maybe we’ll have to save the crop top look for another day.
Props and Accessories
I’m all for good props and accessories. Examples of good props could be your pet, a cool vehicle, your bike a guitar, etc. I feel like props should usually be based in reality so stay away from trendy props you may see on Pinterest or Instagram like fairy lights and smoke bombs. If you have a certain passion or skill you’d like to have photographed it can be great to bring along the accessories that go along with it. If you’re a Yoga instructor, you could bring your mat, a block or two, a notebook, and maybe your computer if you’re doing some zoom classes and want to show that off to clients. Alternatively, we could do the shoot at a yoga studio and have a bunch of other props to play around with.
Accessories are another way to make a shoot more unique to you. Glasses, watches, scarves, jewelry, hats, etc. are all great options to add some interest to your outfits and photos.
Other tips
Make sure clothes are clean and wrinkle-free
For the guys (especially younger guys): either commit to having stubble or be clean-shaven. I find there can be an awkward in-between.
Bring multiple outfits and layers. Usually, 1 outfit for every 45 minutes is good. But feel free to change layers in between for varied looks.
Don’t know where to shoot? Check out my Location Guide
That’s it for my what to wear guide. I hope you found it useful in choosing your outfits for the shoot! If you’re still unsure, feel free to text or email me a couple of photos and I can let you know what I think.
