What to Wear on Your Photo Shoot

Notice how the colours worn by each person are in the same palette (earth tones) and are brought together in the scarf.

One thing that all of my clients ask me (well, except for the four-footed kinds) is: "What should I wear for my photo shoot?"  While the type of shoot does determine the style of clothing, e.g. formal, casual, individual or family portraits, there are some basic guidelines that you should consider.

Colour

Don't wear brightly coloured clothes!  They look good in real life, but neon-bright shirts or blouses will give a tint to your neck and face that won't show up until you see the photos.  That said, don't feel the need to stick with neutral tones.  Choose colours you like that flatter your skin tone, as well as your eyes for those close-up shots.

When dressing for your family photo shoot, you want to look like you're meant to be together rather than a group of people randomly gathered off the street.  But this doesn't mean donning a uniform of khaki pants and white shirts.  It's often easiest to use pants and skirts to create a coordinated base and allow individual characters to show through with the remaining clothing.  Help younger children to select their clothes and give older family members guidelines that help them stay coordinated.

Remember also that the eye is attracted to the lightest part of the photo, so if one person is wearing a shade of clothing that's a good deal lighter than the others, the viewer will automatically be drawn to that person in particular.

If you're planning on having a wall portrait made for your home or office, consider the colouring of the room where your piece will hang.  Look for shades that complement those of the surroundings instead of competing with them.

Patterns

While we don't need to completely avoid patterned clothing, it's best to be conservative in your choices.  Individual photo shoots such as seniors, baby portraits and headshots are more forgiving, but it is possible to include patterns in family portraits without causing eyestrain.  Regardless of the amount of people involved, choose a basic pattern such as stripes or argyle so that your clothing doesn't upstage you.

If you do decide to incorporate patterns into a group photo, have only one or two people (depending on the size of the group) wear a pattern and make sure the patterns are similar.  Base the other subjects' clothing around the colours included in this pattern.

Style

You may also want to think about clothing trends: what looks good this year might be out of style next year.  And while we can't avoid changes in fashion, selecting clothing that isn't outrageously trendy helps prevent photos from looking overly dated, even when they're 20 years old.

Of course, you might want something completely different.  Coordinating a group of family or friends in a period theme is fun and can add a new dimension to your family portraits.  I rented clothing from a local theatre company for a personal photo shoot a few years ago, which made for a lot of laughter and enjoyment.  Which is what we want in our photo shoots, right?!

Location
Keep in mind the location of your shoot.  Unless you're having a beach wedding, your seaside photos will look better with fun, summer-type clothing rather than formal attire.  Urban areas might call for a stylish look while natural settings will favour more casual clothing.  Be aware that you will likely be sitting on the ground at some point in your photo shoot and while I do bring something for people to sit on if necessary, it's better to dress with this in mind.

Most of all, you want to wear clothes that make you happy and are comfortable to wear, so that you'll be relaxed during your photo shoot.