Can you believe it's already almost October? What that means here at the studio is...HOLIDAY CARDS! The fall is our busiest time of the year. Right after we book a session with a client one of the very first things they ask is, "Okay, now, what do I wear?". Although you and your family may not be having your holiday images taken with me, here's my little guide to dressing for your professional portraits. We give this advice out all year so it's not specific to holiday pictures.
Rule #1: Keep it comfortable. People that are hot, itchy and hate their outfit will not look happy and comfortable in a picture. Fall sweaters look super cute but if you are shooting outdoors and it is still 90 degrees outside, leave them in the closet.
Rule #2: Make sure it fits. This sounds obvious but I can't tell you how many times people will show up for their portrait session with clothing that has never been tried on. Newborns can be especially tricky because they are so small that not a lot of their clothes fit well. If a little baby's clothing is loose it makes them look thin. Because babies are already so small making them look think just doesn't look good.
Rule #3: Not everyone has to match. In fact, I think when everyone matches it can be distracting - like you are all in a uniform. Kids look cute matching but a group of matching adults can look kind of strange.
Rule #4: Everyone should coordinate. Don't worry about matching and think about coordinating instead. If you imagine everyone's clothing is all part of a single outfit and just keep it coordinated that will look great!
Rule #5: Be YOU. I want your images to reflect you and who you are as a person and as a family. If you aren't formal then ditch the ties and suits and be comfortable (and vice versa). You want to be able to look back at your images and say, "That's so us!".
Rule #6: Be careful with patterns, stripes, polka dots and bold patterns. It can look great or it can kill an image. If you aren't a natural at fashion and picking out great coordinating clothing, just keep it simple.
Rule #7: Be careful selecting hair bows and clips. A huge bow on a little girl's head can be very distracting.
Would you like to see some of this played out in real images? I thought so. Here are some examples of well coordinated clothing:
This is a 4 generation portrait. They picked a color that looks great on everyone but they don't match. They all look comfy and they coordinate.
This is my oldest son, Sayer. He has amazing green and brown eyes and pretty brown hair. I knew I was going to photograph him against this wall so I chose this fun brown western shirt. I love it!
These girls are so much fun. Their Mom did a great job just picking a color family and dressing them in fun, bright and comfortable clothing.
These super sweet brothers look perfect in their coordinated grey, yellow and black.
When in doubt, just keep it simple...
Hope that helps! Have fun this season with your families images!