What NOT to Wear to Your Next Session
In my experience photographing seniors, couples, and families, I've come to learn a few things about what NOT to do or wear when going into your next session. Hopefully this will help to avoid taking photos that you're not absolutely in love with.
NO Red!
Being a former student at a school whose color was primarily red, I do LOVE the color. It's grown to infest at least half of my personal wardrobe, and historically is considered a statement in many outfits. However, a bright red is definitely not the ideal color for your next session. Yes, even if it is for your annual holiday card. While a beautiful color, and without a doubt a personal favorite of mine, there are multiple issues it presents in front of the camera. First, I've found that when wearing such a bold color, it tends to dull the rest of the colors in the photo. This is certainly something to think about if you're someone with a fair skin tone, as red can wash you out, or cast it's red tone onto your - or another subject's - skin. This can be a problem with other bold or neon colors, but red is one I've found to have the worst effect.
NO large prints!
Try to avoid wearing large prints on your clothes to your upcoming session, as they are distracting and take the focus of the photo away from you and/or your loved ones. Wearing small prints or solid colors will ensure that the focus stays on the beautiful faces that lead you to do the photoshoot in the first place. Especially for those holiday cards, many families' first instinct is to wear the bright red, buffalo plaid pieces in their outfits. This outfit has proven to put more work on me as the photographer to edit, and the families photos could have looked much better with another color and pattern selection.
Just a little makeup!
Coming from someone with very fair skin, I've learned how much a difference even just a little makeup makes! Many times, I'm a bare-skin kind of person, but sometimes the camera can be very unforgiving. I've left some of my personal photo shoots feeling insecure about my pale face, seemingly drained of color. Even a small amount of blush can make a world of difference.
Nothing too short!
Coming from experience, it's important to not wear dresses or skirts that are too short! If you have a short dress or skirt that's a must-wear to your shoot, wear a pair of biker shorts or spandex underneath. Many poses include sitting, movement, or something else that could cause your skirt to rise.
Be mindful of hats and glasses!
The point of any shoot is to see the faces of the people in them. I've had clients come to their shoot with a baseball cap and sunglasses, both of which hide your face. We want to see those eyes! Consider a beanie instead. It's also important to keep in mind the imprints that both items can leave on your head and face if worn for extended periods of time prior to your shoot.
I hope these few points have helped you to understand what you maybe should avoid wearing to your next photoshoot. If you ever have any more questions of what to/what NOT to wear to your next shoot, don't hesitate to reach out to your photographer. We're always happy to help!
