What To Wear
What To Wear
Children (Ages 0-13):
- Clean hair
- Clean face
- No makeup
Teens (Ages 13-16):
- Minimal natural makeup
- Girls may wear light mascara, blush and lip gloss
- Boys may powder face.
Women (Ages 16+):
- Tastefully stronger regular daytime application (It's a good idea to bring all your makeup to the session along with some tissues.)
Men (Ages 16+):
- Optional powder
- Possibly a little lightener under the eyes or blush on the cheeks! (Even Arnold, and Steven Segal wear makeup when on camera!)
Cosmetologist:
*If you would like to have the services of a hair stylist and/or makeup artist to help you prepare for your portraits, let me know. I am privileged to have some great artists to assist on an independent contractor basis. You may contact my partner, Sheila Fonseca, of SNF Artistry to see if she is available. She has done the makeup for a handful of my clients. If she is unavailable, I can refer other artists.
Timelessness:
I love photographs that can span decades. No one wants an embarrassing portrait to hide 10 years from now just because of a fashion trend you were into at the time. I recommend classic, solid, simple, elegant clothing unless it is intentional style choice (i.e. modeling). No loud patterns, no prints, no logos, nothing too flashy or "à la mode". If in a group or a family, try to pick a theme to your outfit choices.
Also, getting your hair and/or make-up done in a traditional style is highly recommended before your shoot. It will make you feel confident about how you look and that translates to your photos.
General:
"The portrait is about who you are, how you live, your personality and passions."
Headshots & Portraits: A simple outfit in a solid color is by far the best.
Families: All of you wearing a similar color adds a cohesiveness that doesn't detract from the image or your faces.
- Tanning before your portrait or wedding is NOT recommended.
- Solid colors are usually better than prints (pastels are best).
- Again, it is the eyes and facial expression that dominate and tell the story.
- Very light or white clothes can tend to wash out your skin tone and produce a fuller figure.
- Dark toned clothes intensify shadows, have a slightly slimming effect, and makes skin tones appear deeper.
Here are a couple more tips about dressing for your portrait:
- Loose fitting, long sleeves will draw attention away from your arms. If you feel your arms are too big, or you have blotchy skin or band- aids on your arms, wear long, loose fitting sleeves.
- An open, scoop or V-neck shirt or blouse will add the appearance of length to your neck, where a crew or turtleneck will give the appearance of a shorter neck.
Hair: Clean and styled the way you want it when you get to the session. (Bring whatever you might need to re-do it!)
Haircuts: Have it done at least a week prior to having your portraits made. If you are having your hair styled speciï¬cally for the session, have it done just before going to the shoot.
Flattering Styles:
WEIGHT: If you feel that photographs tend to make you look too heavy or too thin, do not select short dresses, spaghetti straps, or strapless dresses. Men should not wear a suit jacket that doesn’t fit.
HEIGHT: Use shorter dresses, high heels and boots to make legs look longer.
NECKS AND CHINS: Scarves and shirts with collars help a lot. Do not, however, wear a turtleneck to hide a double chin. V-Neck tops are great at making necks look longer. We can also work with double chins through posing, lighting and retouching.
SWEATERS AND SHIRTS: Sweaters look amazing in photographs. Starched shirts, especially in light colors, often look wrinkled in photographs.
Versatile Clothing:
-Black cocktail dresses
-Jeans
-Solid blouses and shirts
-Pearls, diamonds or rhinestone studs
-Sweaters
-Anything black
-Some other things to consider
-Hats – adds fun and variety
-Jewelry
-Sunglasses
-Favorite items for props (ie. Guitar or football jersey)
-Long dresses for formal or dramatic looks.
-An amazing pair of shoes
Don't forget that tight clothing, including bras and socks, leave marks on the skin. Think about what parts of your skin will be showing and dress appropriately. Bring a few different changes for variety.
*Consider bringing a friend to your shoot to help you feel more at ease.