What to Wear to Your Photo Session | Boston LGBTQ+ Photographer
“What should I wear to my session??” This is definitely one of the most common questions I get asked when we’re in the planning stages. While I’m definitely not as picky as some photographers can be, I do have a few preferences as to what you’re wearing because I know that they will make your photos look better! Here are a few dos and don’ts to help you figure out what to wear to your photo session.
Start with one person. It can feel overwhelming to plan outfits for an entire family, so start with one of you, probably whoever has the hardest time choosing an outfit. Find what you would like to wear, and then work on finding outfits for your spouse or kids based on what you’ll be wearing. If you’re planning to wear a patterned shirt with tones of blue and green in it, try to have your family members wear outfits that include one of those colors, or colors that compliment them, like a muted pink or orange.
Choose more muted tones or neutrals, rather than bright colors. Muted tones tend to compliment each other more than extremely bright or neon colors. Also, when you wear a bright color like red, it reflects on your face and can make your skin look too red. Instead of a bright color, try a toned down version, like burgundy instead of red or mustard instead of neon yellow.
Wear clothes that are comfortable and fit the setting. It will probably look out of place if you wear a formal dress or a suit if your session is in the woods. And besides, I can guarantee you won’t be comfortable sitting, standing, squatting, or chasing your kids in a formal outfit. During the session, I’ll ask you to change positions frequently and play with your kids, so you want to wear something that allows you to move, while also making you feel good about how you look. This includes your shoes! Try a relaxed button down with khakis, a sundress, a solid henley shirt, or a flowy shirt paired with jeans.
Be thoughtful with patterns. If everyone is wearing a pattern, looking at your photographs will become very overwhelming. Try having one person wear a pattern while others wear solids, or have one person wear a very small pattern and another wear a larger pattern. Different textures and layers can help add variety to your look without a pattern.
If you have kids, let them help you choose their outfits. Anyone who has kids knows that they love to be in control. If you make them wear something they don’t like or didn’t choose, they might not want to wear it at all. Give them some choices so that they can decide and feel confident going into your session. If you have younger children who are wearing dresses, remember that dresses are likely to ride up, so add some leggings or bloomers.
And finally, a few things to try to avoid altogether:
Matching. Like I mentioned above, try to compliment rather than matching. We are long past the days of having your whole family wear white shirts and jeans.
Logos. Logos on your clothes distract from your face, which makes it hard to see the emotion in the photo. It’s better to leave clothes with large or obvious logos at home.
Very high contrast. Wearing a stark white shirt with black or navy pants can make it challenging to balance the photo, and the bright white against the black is distracting. Try off white or a pastel instead!
Phones/wallets in your pockets and hair ties on your wrist. These are easy to forget, but can be very obvious eyesores in photos, so don’t forget to check before you leave the house or get out of your car. Many people choose to carry a bag so that they have somewhere to put a few items that they don’t want in their photos.
