SUGGESTIONS FOR A PHOTO SESSION

Clothing and More

Light colors are best with fair complexions.

Darker colors look better with dark hair or complexions.

Avoid busy patterns and bright colors.

Avoid wearing yellow or green as they can adversely affect skin color.

With business attire, a pure white shirt or blouse with a dark suit jacket will emphasize your neck rather than your face. Pastel, narrow striped, or soft patterned shirt with subtle tie is preferable.

ADULTS

Do:

• Clothing should be conservative and professional.

• Skirts and dresses should cover the knees.

• Solid-color pants work best.

• Shoes and socks should coordinate with outfit.

Don’t:

• No tank tops or spaghetti strap shirts or dresses.

• No short skirts or dresses.

• No shorts.

• No flip-flops or sandals.

CHILDREN

Do:

• Shorts, dresses and skirts should reach fingertips (at least) when arms hang at sides. 

• Solid color polo shirts or T-shirts work well for kids. 

• Shirts should cover midriff area.

• Khaki pants or jeans should be in good condition - no holes please.

• Shoes and socks should coordinate with the outfit.

Don’t:

• No store brands/logos visible. Focus should be on the child, not the manufacturer.

• No tank tops or spaghetti strap shirts or dresses.

• No short skirts, dresses or shorts.

• No flip-flops.

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Formal portrait: Choose something classy and classic.  When you look at your portrait 20 years from now, you’ll be less likely to cringe.
Solid colors look best – no stripes, plaids or bold prints. Black, white, khaki, denim, beige, burgundy, navy, red, pink, greens, browns – any of the hot colors of the season.

Guys:  shirts, sweaters, jackets, suit and tie

Girls:  suits, sweaters, dresses, prom dresses, your favorite outfits and accessories

Casual portraits:  Casual attire that shows your own unique style. Comfortable, everyday clothes are perfectly acceptable. Accessorize with necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hats, hoodies, coats, etc.
Also, consider something different, fun and wild.  Whatever you want for your look, we can make it work!

Bring six to eight outfits. We can help you make the proper selections.

Identity portraits:  Clothes or uniforms for football, basketball, baseball, cheerleading, track, band, wrestling, soccer, music, the arts. Anything that’s important to you, we can integrate: sporting goods, accessories, band instruments, etc.

Friends, pets & vehicles:  Bring your car, truck, best friend, sibling, dog, cat, horse. Just let us know ahead of time. Animals must be constrained when not being photographed. Please contact us with any questions.
Note: People in your portrait should wear the same color clothing as you. Complementing is better than clashing. Clothing for your pet is optional!  :-)

 

GLASSES:  Some eyeglasses may cause severe reflection glare. Check yours out ahead of time. If you think it may be an issue, contact your optometrist to borrow the lens-less frames.

HAIR:  It’s your responsibility because it says a lot about you. We humbly suggest that the day of your portrait is NOT the time to try a new hairstyle.

NAILS:  Your hands will show in some of the poses. Please clean your nails or have them nicely manicured. Natural color polish is attractive.

BLEMISHES:  Not to worry.  Standard retouching will take care of most of the blemishes, scratches, scars, etc. No charge.

SUN / TANNING:  It’s discouraged.  Be very careful trying to get some color the day before the session. There is not much we can do to hide sunburn.

MAKEUP:  (for the ladies) We suggest an extra coat of mascara. Please bring your mascara, powder and lipstick with you.

TANK TOPS:  Please limit tanks or sleeveless tops to less than half your outfits unless they will be covered by jackets, sweaters or long sleeve shirts.

SHOES:  Dark shoes with dark clothing; lighter shoes with light clothing. Avoid white shoes for outdoor portraits unless they are so well-worn they look as though they were never white. Avoid white socks or hose with dark pants or dark shoes.

 

CHILDREN

General suggestions

Please be sure that you have selected the best time of day for your child’s schedule. The photography may take as little as 15 minutes or as much as 45 minutes. Please keep in mind nap times, feeding times, and “peak” energy times.

In order to make your portrait more personal, we suggest you bring along favorite toys, bicycles, hobby items, hats, etc.

The age of your child will largely determine how you wish to have them dressed. If you wish to have a change of clothing, we suggest a strong variation such as dressy, play wear, costumes, uniforms or sleep wear. Please keep in mind your child’s attitude about changing clothes.

Although we are not promoting bribery, offering small incentives for good behavior may help a reluctant child perform better. Please do not talk to your child in advance about “practice” smiling as this may lead to artificial expressions.

It has been our experience that it is best to NOT bring along children who are not being photographed. We like to know what you expect from the photography so let us know in advance.

Remember that a child rarely acts the way you want them to on picture day. Remember also, that this may be a frightening experience for your child. Together, we can create a really special portrait that you will cherish for years to come.

 

Clothing Specifics

Please avoid very bright colors, or what we refer to as Fisher-Price colors.

Little girls:  Remember that outdoor portraits should reflect a more casual style of dress. We like to photograph our little girls outside in dresses and bare feet.

You will be more pleased with dresses in solids or very subtle prints and with at least some sleeve. Outside colors that work best are greens, blues and reds in darker colors. Pastels are appropriate when photographed in a garden gazebo for example.

Inside portraits allow whites or pastels and the use of darker colors for a more classic look. Please discuss your ideas with me before the day of photography as the clothing to some degree dictate the type and color of background.

Little boys:  Because many of our outdoor locations for little boys are very rustic, we suggest overalls, jeans and solid color shirts – particularly t-shirts. Please avoid white shirts, white pants and white shoes.

Nicer outfits for indoors or outdoors should be solid colors or very subtle prints in green, blue, gray or brown.