What to Wear?!
We give you unlimited wardrobe changes, so bring A LOT of options. The more clothes we have to choose from, the better. This will give us flexibility in matching your clothing to backgrounds and the surroundings.
Group your clothing together on hangers. Make sure items are free of wrinkles and ready to go. (Please don’t come everything stuffed into a gym bag like many guys have done.)
Make sure you’re comfortable in your clothing and that it flatters you. This will ensure that you like how you look when viewing your photos. Avoid stripes and plaid. Solid colors work much better than patterns.
Bring a variety of colors and mix the level of styles. Some should be dressy, some dressy-casual, and some casual. Bring black and/or dark gray t-shirts to wear under other shirts. White undershirts stick out and photograph poorly. Avoid t-shirts with large graphics or logos. They distract from the main subject, which is you.
Here are some good guidelines:
Blues and Purples near water
Browns and Dark Reds near brick
Black near old structures
Yellows look great near grass!
Wear Boots and Jeans on gravel
Ladies:
CHOOSING AN OUTFIT
We do NOT recommend clothing with high contrast between items. for example, a black shirt with a white skirt. your eyes are naturally drawn to the area of highest contrast in the image, which in this case would be the skirt (making your hips look larger than they are). your focus in portraits should most often be your face, and high contrast clothing detracts from this while making parts of your body appear larger (the ones covered with the light clothing). pair lights with lights, and darks with darks.
Be conscious of parts of your body that might make you uncomfortable. for example, if you are uncomfortable with the way that your upper arms look, avoid sleeveless and strapless shirts and dresses as they will make your arms appear larger.
PREPARATION
Group your outfits together ON HANGERS. clothing in a bag or laid over your arms will become wrinkled, and will not look good in your portraits.
VARIETY!
be sure to bring a variety of outfits to show all of your looks. it’s always a good idea to bring long-sleeved options even when being photographed in the summer.
TANNING
while a little color is nice, be sure not to overdo it for your session. tan lines are not attractive (if you have them, best to avoid outfits that show them). also – too much color will make you appear larger in your portraits (especially in your face) as the color removes the highlights and shadows from your skin.
FINGERNAILS
they show! we recommend having a manicure prior to your portrait session
Men:
MINDSET
Photographing males is much different than photographing females and we understand that. We’ll make you look like a guy, so relax. You won’t feel uncomfortable or have to do any awkward, girly posing.
STYLE
As a general rule, guys are more complacent when it comes to photos. Even if it’s just for your mom, please come prepared. We (and mom) want you to look your best. Dress in a style that expresses who you are, but dress nicely. If your style is a bit sloppy or you’re rather apathetic, have your mom, girlfriend, or other girls that are just friends help you. Trust us on this one.
SHOES
We don’t expect you to get as excited as the girls about shoes, but bring a variety of casual and dressier shoes. Avoid gym shoes or flip-flops since these will appear too casual when viewing your photos.
SHAVING
Please come to your session cleanly shaven. Retouching stubble costs extra and won’t look as good as a clean shave. If you have facial hair that your mom despises, do her a favor and shave it off. We promise it will grow back.
For Everyone:
ARRIVAL
Arrive early or on time to your appointment. Showing up late means you lose camera time, and we don’t want that. If you’re coming from out of town, give yourself plenty of time to find your way around. Having a buffer in case you get lost will save you some stress.
HAIR
If you have longer hair, make sure it will stay out of your eyes during your session. Have it trimmed if necessary. Don’t make any drastic changes like shaving your head or dying your hair around your session date. Otherwise you’ll look back at your photos and wonder “What was I thinking?”
PROPS
They’re great! Bring props that help show who you are. Some popular choices are:
- Sports equipment (football, basketball, baseball bat, etc.)
- Sports uniforms
- Musical instruments
- Activity related items (dance, art, school clubs, etc.)
COMPLEXTION
We retouch your photos, so please don’t be concerned about minor breakouts. We have you covered! If your acne is more severe, you’re still okay. Everyone had acne in high school and we understand! We’re happy to help you out with some extra retouching.
FRIENDS & PARENTS
Friends or parents are welcome and often can be a help. However, if they distract you, it may be best to meet them when the session is over. You’re welcome to have a couple of shots with a girlfriend, best friend, sibling, or parent at no extra charge.
WEATHER
Don’t worry about clouds because they actually even out the light and make for ideal shooting conditions. But falling rain is an issue and we have to reschedule. We will try to contact you first, but please call us at 641-485-0429 if you have any doubts or concerns.
BRACES
If desired, we can remove braces in Photoshop for an extra charge. Otherwise, try not to worry about them. Give a natural smile and enjoy yourself. A good smile with braces is far better than the awkward smile that comes when you try to hide them.
Sourced from 3 Girls Photography and Ten18 Photography