What to Wear to a Photo Shoot

When you are thinking about what to wear to your photo shoot, there are some things that you should keep in mind. It all depends on what the pictures are for, and your taste in fashion.  If you are having your high school senior pictures taken, you can go for a high fashion look, or go for a more traditional look. If you are having family portraits done, casual or dressy is the perfect way to go. If your family is more relaxed and laid back, then everyone would probably feel the most comfortable in jeans. If your family is a little more formal, then you could go with suits and formal dresses.

You should pick out clothes that you feel most comfortable in, because your comfort level shows in the pictures. You want your photos to make sense, so be aware of the season and the location. Normally you would wear a dress and sandals to the beach in the summer, not boots and jeans. Layering your outfits will allow more variety in your shots and can provide more visual interest in your photos. Not everyone will think about this before there photo shoot, but you should remember where you come from. You can think about the décor in your home, and the style of your home. You will most likely be ordering prints after your session, so you can try to get your photos to blend in with everything in your home. You should bring outfit changes, so you have more of a variety in your photos.

Also, you should try to avoid patterns. If you had a choice between a plain shirt and a patterned shirt, you should choose the plain one. Patterns take the focus off of the main subject, you! Wearing all dark colors of the same material will make it hard to see the details in the photo, and make it boring. If you are light skinned, bright colors can be a little tricky. If your cheeks are rosy colored, you should try to avoid reds. If you have blond hair, you should try to avoid yellow. When it comes to the sassy pair of shoes, I am all for it. But remember it can make a painful session, so make sure you bring flip flops or flats along with you to change into in-between shots.   

The most important thing before a photo shoot is to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. If you look tired or under the weather, it will show in your photos. Your stance and the look in your eyes all contribute to a great photo. When people look at a photo, the first thing they look at is the eyes. The difference between a fair and great photo is how bright your eyes are. Cigarettes and alcohol can make your eyes look blood shot and dull and can take a few days to clear. So if you smoke or drink, it may be good to not do it a couple days before your photo shoot.  

If you do your own makeup for the photo shoot, make sure you avoid using heavy face make up. Also do not wear dark makeup around your eyes, as it will come out darker on the photograph and that does not look good. You should avoid any glossy lipstick because it will cause unwanted reflections. If your skin gets sun burned easy, then you should avoid excessive exposure to the sun.

Don’t forget to bring a selection of necklaces, ear rings, scarf’s, and belts to your photo shoot to reinforce your image and complement your outfit. If you are having a personal interest shoot then you can bring anything with you that you are interested in such as a hobby or sport or something you like to do. Also, don’t forget to bring a hairbrush and extra makeup for touch ups.