• Colors. Be safe. Earthy tones always work. Orange is good for skin tones. Yellows are dangerous. The darker your skin-tone, the more you can get away with vibrant colors.
• Solid colors tend to work best. We want all the attention to be on your wonderful faces.
• Think layers!  The easiest way to have several looks from your shoot is to add and remove items.
• Accessorize! Bring bags, scarves, necklaces, earrings – whatever is unique to you and something you love.  It is fun to include those things too!
• Special tip for women – if you wear a tank top under your outfit, it makes it really easy to change without having to find a public restroom, or doing acrobatic moves in the backseat of the car to switch outfits.
• Black is traditional and always a sure thing but be yourself as well. The tux is for the wedding shot, unless you wear one daily.
• The sport coat is good, the sweater is nice and the polo is fine.
• Textures!!! Textures are f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s.
• Sleeve length is actually more important than color.  Just above the elbow or longer is best so as not to detract attention away from the face.
• Your portrait is about you. Let your wardrobe compliment you but not compete with you.

Don’t

• Plaids and highly contrasted skinny stripes can create odd patterns when photographed. (Moire patterns.) Best not to wear them.
• It’s best to avoid patterned, busy or logo clothing.  If they must be worn, limit to just one piece which will reduce visual clutter.
• You don’t need to wear identical, matching shirts … but make sure the colors you are wearing do coordinate well together. Turquoise blue and Navy blue look good together. Avocado green and Lime green do not.  There’s some great examples you can find below.

Colors to avoid …

• Green/yellow if we’ll be photographing in a park setting, as it blends in too much
• Cherry red (bordering on coral red) as the sensors in digital cameras don’t react very favourably to it.
• Generally any red near the face should be avoided as skin is reflective and often gives faces a reddish / ruddy complexion which you do not want!
• Any colour that will wash out/compete your own natural skin colour

Let’s talk about hair & make-up …

We all want to look our best, especially in front of the lens. I always have a mirror handy and keep an eye out for the twisted earring, the errand clump of hair or the lipstick that has lost its luster. Here are some thoughts on this one.

• Make-up lines. This is really geared to those that have not had much experience with foundation (yes teens I mean you).  Keep it cool and watch the jaw-line.   Make sure you feather & blend along the jaw line.
• Hair. Just be yourself. The day before a shoot is not the day to have your hair colored. This applies to men and women. Ask your hairdresser, it takes up to a week for your hair coloring to relax. Same goes for a new hair-style. Give it a week to relax after cutting before you get a portrait.
• Nails and polish. Frequently hands may be seen just below the face or evident in your pictures. Hands can be goofy looking. They are important but not the focal point of a portrait. So don’t worry about the manicure if you don’t have time and please limit any nail polish to neutral or nude tones.

Ultimately, I want to connect with the authentic YOU. So this is really just a guideline on what to wear. If you have a hard time narrowing down your options and want advice, bring a few different outfits with you and I can help you pick something out – or you could always send me photos in advance!

Here is a compilation of ideas from stephanielynnphotos.com and several other fantastic photographers of how to coordinate clothing for your photoshoot.