Portrait Session Suggestion Guide
Indoor vs outdoor
Most portraits except driver’s licenses and passports today are done outside. The exception to this rule is corporate,
business, or occupational photographs which we will discuss below. Our weather is very unpredictable so try and watch
the weather forecast to help you prepare for what to wear. Please do not show up for your session in a long sleeve sweater
if the weather forecast is 80 degrees. You will be miserable, and it will show in the photos no matter how hard you try
and hide it.
Other things to think of outside are bug repellant, running makeup (use only very light makeup, and bring some facial
tissue to pat the sweat off with).
For indoor photographs they will typically be at your home or place of business. Be sure to wear attire that reflects
where you are. For example, few people wear suits around their home, and few people wear pajamas at work. Dress as
you normally would at work (suit, uniform, whatever) and at home you want to be dressed nice but casual.
Clothing
If it is possible, never wear a pattern. This means no plaid, stripes, lines, dots, or any other shape. Patterns tend to
exaggerate features making you look lighter or heavier than you really are (no, it always works the way you do NOT want
it to, so don’t think about magically gaining/losing ten pounds wearing stripes, you will not like the result).
Try not to wear fur or fuzzy clothing as it makes the image look less sharp. Also have your clothing ironed or pressed to
avoid wrinkles which are difficult or impossible to remove once the picture is taken.
Wear colors that go well with your skin tone, hair color and the background we will be using. Colors such as brown, maroon,
blue or green are nice if the background is dark. Avoid beige, white, tan, pink, etc when there is a dark background. With light
backgrounds light colors are very nice, especially white.
If your session is more than one person, be sure that the colors all go together well, all blues, all pastels, all very light,
etc. If your colors clash then the entire picture will not work. You can however mix colors such as black and white, think
of a man in a dark suit (black, navy, or even medium blue) with the woman in a white blouse.
Avoid wild styles, the simple clothing makes the timeless pictures you will enjoy for years to come. Men tend to look
better in collars and everyone looks good in long sleeves.. Women tend to look better in V necks as it
elongates their neck and body while flattering their face, they however should not be cut too deep.
Makeup
Photography these days can do a lot more than in the past. To that end it is very important that you not overdo makeup.
A simple, light, even application with no harshness is all that is needed, the photographer can take care of the rest. Even
if you have a scar, pimple, birthmark, etc that you want covered up, it is better to let the photographer take care of it
than for the photographer to fight for hours trying to smooth out ten layers of concealer.
Hair
If your going to have your hair cut/styled do it from a few days to a week before the session. Longer than that and it tends to start
looking uneven to the camera, sooner and it can be a little unruly. It needs just enough time to get settled in after being
cut so that it is relaxed yet even.
Jewelry
Keep it simple works here too. Pearls are the timeless classic with dress or nicer casual clothing. Avoid mixing gold and
silver if possible as it will confuse the eye when looking at the picture. Simple diamond stud earrings are great as well
and usually photograph better than dangling earrings. Watches or bracelets are fine and can add a little flair.
