Clothing can play an important role in your session, it helps to set the tone & feel of your portraits! With clothing you can set a relaxed, timeless & natural feel to your images…which are right up my alley!! As you read through this guide, please keep in mind these are just “tips”…not rules!! Each clients session will be different & I love how each couple shows their personality in their session!!
Let’s start with your home…look around your home or think of how you would like your future home to look. Do you like neutral colours…like me or are you a lover of bright colours? Since the goal is for you to be displaying your favourite images on the walls of your home, make sure the colour palette compliments the colour theme!
Start thinking of clothing options once your session is booked, this helps to avoid a stressful situation the day before or the day of your session! Trying out your outfits prior to the session, making sure all the clothing fits properly, a certain shirt isn’t sitting at the bottom of the laundry pile or your favourite pants aren’t at the dry cleaners still!! Have a change of clothes handy at the shoot if you have little people, accidents can happen in the car on the way to the session!
I highly recommend shopping in your closet before heading out the purchase a whole new wardrobe for your family! You may surprise yourself at the options you already have available!! Take your time & really look at what you already have…take out all those scarves, jewellery, pants, tops & ties…lay them out & start to think of colours that work well together.
I do have some maternity dresses available for clients to use, the above red dress is one of them!! Thinking you would love the use them…awesome!! I will have them ready for you to use if needed!!!
Speaking of colours that work well together, coordinating doesn’t necessarily mean matching! Choose 1 or 2 “star attraction” colours & then add in complimentary colours…many times it’s much easier to find the main colour in the females clothing! We sometimes are the hardest ones to dress…I always start with my outfit before dressing the rest of my gang!!
Once your outfit is chosen, it’s much easier to choose clothing for the rest of your family in colours that either compliment or match your colours. For example… a blue jean romper for yourself, have jeans on your husband with a checkered white & blue pattern, dark blue shirt for your son with kaki pants & your daughter in a white dress with blue flowers. Having trouble picturing a combination?? Hop onto Pinterest & look up colour options…you will be amazed at the options available!!
There are so many colour choices out there, but I generally recommend sticking to your neutrals, earthy tones or muted tones these colours look best in a variety of locations! Neutrals don’t mean just greys & browns, there are neutral options for every colour (mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue, etc) plus there is always the staple white or beige! Stay away from super bright, fluorescent colours that can be distracting & cast a weird haze to your images! If your a lover of the brighter tones, consider muted coloured options…for example lavender instead of bright purple.
Solid colours as your main clothing is awesome, but if your including older siblings in your session be sure to chose clothing that has as little logo’s or characters as possible!! Your little one might be a huge fan of Paw Patrol or maybe Peppa Pig but having those characters on their clothing will take the focus away from the faces of your family!
Patterns can be a great addition to your family’s outfits but it’s highly recommended to avoid loud, chunky or crazy patterns! The smaller or more subtle the pattern, the better! Flannel, small checkered or florals are fantastic ways to add in patterns. When incorporating patterns, best to keep them to one or two people max…too many patterns makes your images feel a little hectic & distracting for the viewer. Going back to that previous blue romper ensemble, pattern on your husband & your daughter adds interest but don’t overwhelm. Get the idea?!
Should I have my hair & makeup done for my session? My answer is always…if it makes you feel & look your best, why not?! I am a minimal makeup person, I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to have it done by a pro..you want to look like yourself in your images! But, if you would like to look like your best self in your images & aren’t a hair or makeup pro… like myself… then defiantly do it!! The most important thing is for you to feel confident during your session!!
Quick pro tip…if you wear nail polish on a consistent basis, think about having your nails done for the session too! There will be some images where your nails will be front & centre…having your nails touched up wouldn’t be a bad idea!!
Here is where you can get creative & add in your personality with accessories!!! The bonus of wearing solid neutrals colours in your clothing is, you can add in your bright colours with your accessories!!! Necklaces, earrings, rings, scarves, bracelets, hats, sunglasses & your footwear…can all add in your love of a favourite colour in fun ways!! Just continue to make sure these accessories complement your outfits & each other!!
Speaking of footwear, for some clients this is the most important part of their outfit!! Some of us ladies tend to get really excited about shoes….while others, like myself tend to put so much thought into the outfits that footwear gets forgotten! Shoes are like a cherry on top of a sundae, they really finish off the look…but the wrong footwear can become distracting! Boots, flats, coloured Converse, cowboy boots, wedges or sandals are some great shoe choices!!
Keep in mind your session location when choosing footwear. If you have your heart set on a open field for your session, you may want to skip heels!! Sticking to thick heeled boots, ankle boots or wedges will still give you the look you want but skipping on the twisted ankle!! Try to stay away from bright coloured running shoes, especially on the kids…if all else fails bare feet works too!!
After all this guidance, the main point that I want to stress is….make sure your comfortable!! That is the number one point I would like to highlight STAY COMFORTABLE!!! If you feel comfortable in your clothing, then you will look comfortable during your session. There is nothin worse than wearing an outfit you don’t feel comfy in…itchy sweaters, a top that is too tight or pants that are too big that will make you feel uncomfortable!
Being comfortable applies especially to children, as they love to run, jump, twirl & skip during our time together! Let your children dress themselves….ok don’t let them actually dress themselves but give them options. Pick out two or three “mom approved” outfits & let them decide which one they like best. Let them think they are in charge, they will feel proud that they “picked” their own outfit! They will feel excited to have their images taken & are less likely to be grumpy & uncomfortable!