Wardrobe Guide
Photography Styling Preparation and Wardrobe Guide
Now that you’ve booked a photography session, the next thing that usually weighs on you is what to wear! If you’re a larger family, matching outfits aren’t the way to go, as it creates an overly uniform look that doesn’t truly reflect the diversity of personalities in your household! The best approach is to select colours that complement one another. For a couple, as in an engagement session, complementing each other is very important, as you are the only 2 people in the session!
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the information below. It looks like a lot, but it’s simply a reminder of how you can optimize your look in front of the camera. Many of these tips are things we already do anyhow but usually on auto-pilot. Calling attention allows you to adjust something if needed. You’ve invested in photos, and you want to look your best! I’ve provided some imagery to show that all of these clients don’t look overly done or rigid or not like themselves. This isn’t celebrity red-carpet, but it is your moment to shine!
What to think about
Comfort: To look your best, pick outfits that make you feel your best! Cut off scratchy tags and choose non-irritating fabrics.
Colour palette and layering: Solid, neutral colours are preferred overall with hints of pattern. Fall sessions can have sweaters and scarves layered using colours like mustard, grey, navy blue and deeper greens. Spring and summer allows some fun and relaxed shorts, tees and dresses/ skirts using colours like brighter or baby blues, taupes, and off-whites.
Fit: Ensure your clothing fits well. Depending on materials, some clothing will pull strangely. Ensure buttons on shirts aren’t straining, and that necklines or collars don’t box up if you raise your arms (because people hug each other in sessions!!)
Styling: This blog offers great tips for optimizing outfits for body type or dressing to accentuate best features and/ or to minimize features that you are sensitive about. Ladies please watch for things like bra straps showing! Shape wear is recommended under form-fitting outfits.
Wrinkles and creases: Choose materials that resist wrinkling. Steam or iron clothing prior to the session. If you really want to wear an outfit but it would crease even in the car on the way to your session, steam or iron and be careful to keep the outfit smooth during the commute. Or, bring it in a garment bag and change either in the car when you arrive, or in a private spot depending on where your photo session is. For the guys, it’s especially important to iron shirt tails if it’s a tuck-in that you will wear tucked out for a more casual look.
Hair and Makeup
Women may choose to get their hair and makeup professionally done for a session. If you’ve never considered it, it’s a wonderful and pampering experience that can make you feel like a million bucks! I’ve done this in the past for hair at least - coordinated my haircut for the same day or day before my session to leverage my salon visit!
For future brides, the engagement session can serve as the hair and makeup trial by the service provider you are considering for your wedding. If too early and you haven’t selected your hair and makeup artist, you can still find a local salon!
Having hair and makeup done can really elevate your images. But if you prefer not to go with a professional for a session, keep in mind the following:
In front of the camera a slightly heavier application of your regular makeup is needed, to highlight features, with exception of eyes (below)
Be careful of overly dark eyes. If your eyes are deeper set especially, dark and heavy eyeliners and shadows and lash extensions can render as raccoon eyes in photographs. If you usually go very dark on your eyes, consider lightening the look.
If you don’t usually wear makeup but want to look more polished for your session, consider a light application of foundation or powder to even skin tone and hide any unwanted blemishes, and make eyes pop in front of the camera with a swipe of mascara.
For those who never wear makeup and don’t wish to for their session: ensure skin is clean, exfoliated and moisturized. Lips too - when our lips get dry they can flake and crack! A quick exfoliation and application of a lip balm can do the trick.
Do an at-home blowout using a round brush to smooth or slightly wave hair. Even if it’s your everyday look, hair naturally dried doesn’t look as polished in front of the camera!
Personal Grooming
You want to feel like your everyday self in photographs, but it is important to pay attention to some details so that you are the best of that everyday self! Consider:
Gentlemen: trim any nose or random brow hairs and ensure neat facial hair
Shave: Unless you want a subtly unshaved look or sport facial hair. Be especially mindful to not nick yourself or create rash; you may want to do this a day before your photo session or at least several hours before, so that any redness has a chance to subside.
Brush hair (and you may want to bring a comb/brush in case of wind!)
Ensure clean and trimmed nails. This is especially important for engaged couples as your rings are featured. A professional manicure might be in order if you want hands to be in top form. Ensure no jagged edges, no dirt under fingernails and exfoliate and moisturize any dry, scaly or rough patches (could be an issue for anyone who works with their hands or outdoors)
If you wear glasses, ensure clean lenses. Or, wear contact lenses.
Brush teeth before the session! You may have loved the broccoli salad you had for lunch, but you don’t want it featured in your photos!
Apply an extra layer of deodorant, especially for an outdoor session. You can get quite warm moving around, but we also sweat if we’re a bit nervous for the session. This way we avoid any sweat stains. If you sweat a lot and it will be a warm day, bring tissues or a towel to dab yourself and you can even bring a change of clothing just in case.
If you are prone to dandruff or dry scalp, and wearing a darker shirt or top, pay attention to brushing off any flakes from shoulders/ collars. Or choose a lighter coloured shirt to mask any issues.
Be mindful of tan lines. Wear clothing that covers deep tan lines or sunburns if you had sun exposure prior to your session. Better to cover, as fixing this is extremely difficult in photographs!!
What to avoid
Tiny, repeating patterns as they can create unwanted visual effects when being photographed. Especially important for mens shirts. Choose a solid colour instead.
Baseball caps/ hats with a rim: They hide eyes and create shadowed faces. In Fall it may be a bit cool, but anyone wearing a hat should think about whether they want all the images with that look - because if you take it off you might risk hat-head!
Neon or overly bright, overly bold colours because they can create a colour cast bouncing up into the face, and because they distract from those beautiful faces!
Logos: Our eyes tend to try and read text in an image first, so it can be very distracting. It can also date images.
Worn or dirty shoes/ sneakers as they can really stand out in certain poses. Clean or shine out scuffs and stains. We rarely pay this much attention to our footwear, but this is an important detail!
Remove hair elastics from wrists.
Overly dark, bulky or baggy jackets/ windbreakers.
If wearing light/ sheer clothing, avoid dark undergarments under lighter clothing
For the guys, avoid your well-worn jeans that have the cell phone outline worn into the fabric
Remember, we aren’t looking for perfection, but we do want to pay attention to these details when preparing for our photo session. All of this information is meant to ensure you are stress-free. Some planning and preparing beforehand allows you to then forget all of it and rock your session!
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