What Should I Wear For My Photoshoot?

What should I wear for my photoshoot?

Deciding what to wear for your photoshoot can be a challenge. Here are a few pointers:

Think about who will be seeing your photos. Think about the image you'd like to represent and the general vibe you'd like to create in the photos. A good starting point might be what you would wear for the first day at a new job or the first day of school.

Clothes should ideally fit properly: not too loose and not too snug.
Avoid the matchy-matchy outfits. The days of everyone in white shirts and khaki pants are over, at least for me. Outfits that are similar-ish and look good together will be fine.
Bold colors are great, but bold patterns or large graphics can pull focus.
Low cut tops are challenging because sometimes the movement of the shoot and camera angles can reveal more than you'd like in the images. If your favorite top is low cut, I'd suggest simply wearing a camisole or undershirt beneath it.
Don't forget about your shoes! Your feet will sometimes make it into the photos. Your shoes can reflect your personality, but closed-toe shoes are best. I make this a specific point because I once had a shoot where three people wore sandals. Thirty toes is a lot of toes!

I would like to appear slender, I should wear black, right? Wrong!

Black loses detail in photographs because the photographer sets the exposure based on the subjects' faces. Black garments end up looking like empty space in the images.
To look slender: wear slacks, any color but black. The waist of the slacks should be worn at your natural waist. Pair with a well-tailored top, tucked with minimal bunching. Add a jacket or cardigan that ends at the hipbone. Wear shoes that have a slightly higher heel.

Of course these are mere guidelines. Reality strikes regardless of how much planning we do. Sometimes a kid won't take off his sunglasses. Sometimes a kid won't put down her favorite toy. Sometimes a kid insists on wearing a tee shirt with a giant cartoon gorilla. Sometimes all of the men show up wearing royal blue shirts. Sometimes the women show up wearing black dresses. It's OK! We will have a great time and get tons of amazing images anyway! The camera always prefers relaxed happy people in imperfect attire to crabby people in perfect outfits!