Wonderful! You just booked a portrait session and boy are you excited! Then you realize “oh no! I have no clue what to wear for a portrait session to make the most of my photos!” Well don’t worry with some general rule of thumb suggestions you will be ready for you session and get the most from your photos!

Location

First thing you will want to consider is the location your session will take place and the season.

Is the photo shoot indoors, outdoors or both?
What season is it? Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter?

You will want to be sure to choose clothing that not only fit in the environment you are being photographed but also compliment the colors that are around you. For example, if you have booked an outdoor session at the park it may not be as fitting, or easy to move around, if you are dressed wearing high heels and a long dress rather than wearing clothing that are more casual.

Senior Photo

Where will the photos be hung?

Where do you plan to showcase your wonderful photos once you receive the finished product? This could also be a contributing factor when deciding what type of attire and color you want to wear to your session. For example if you plan to have your photos in your living room and colors in the room are shades of blues you may want to choose clothing colors that will compliment the blues in the living room.

Coordination vs Matching

Do not worry to much about all the guys wearing the exact same shirt and pants just make sure that the styles and colors compliment each other. Remember, individuality is a good thing! if everyone looks the same then everyone will blend together and create a boring photo. Where is the fun in that?

Family Photography

Colors

Once you have picked the colors you wish to incorporate you can choose a color family that will complement your choices. Use the color wheel below to help find the colors that work best together. First choose the background color you will be shot with, for example when it is spring most backgrounds outdoors will be greens. Imagine a line coming from the green side to the opposite side. In this case the complementary colors for the greens are the reds, dark orange and light purple. Coordinate the color tones throughout the group.

Warm tones – browns, orange, yellow etc.
Cool tones – blues, grays, blacks, etc.

Complementary Color Chart

Clothing

Be sure to wear cloths that you are comfortable wearing and feel good wearing. The more comfortable you are the more natural the expressions on your face and body language will be. Also, do not be shy to bring a different outfit.

Avoid cloths with Logos. Logos can be very distracting in a photo and can take away from the subject, which is you.
Stick with simple patterns and solid colors
Keep a theme throughout the family
Pants and skirts to the knees will help cover up skin. To much skin tones can tend to be as distracting as bright colors
Choose pastel colors. This will keep distractions down. Bright colors will distract from you being the main focus
White top with jeans or khakis is a very nice casual look. Also black tops with dark pants are nice as well.
Try to wear dark colored shoes

Accessories and Props

Be sure to bring accessories for a splash of color like a red hat or colorful scarf! Also feel free to bring props. If you’re in a band and want to bring your guitar please do so!

Example of using props

Final Thoughts

Above all have fun with your session and be yourself. Remember you are what makes photos special and worth admiring. Do not stress how your going to look and if everything is going to work, just have fun and relax. I hope this was helpful and gives you a direction to go when picking out your “look” for our session. Please feel free to leave comments or contact me with questions or something you would like to add.

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Thanks for reading!

Mike and Julie Ridall – Ridall Photography

What to Wear for a Portrait Session