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How to prepare for your Portraits

Plan your clothing & look

An image that represents you and your story is important. Preparing for it does not have to be stressful. Here are a few tips on planning for the best outfits to wear.  For headshots, the most important clothing item is the shirt that you are wearing, because it needs to convey the right message, flatter you and not distract from your face. The goal with the headshot is to make you appear confident, and emphasize/direct the gaze to your face and your eyes. Your clothing should also reflect the reason you are using your images. For example, a professional uniform where applicable – such as athletes in sportswear, Lawyers in corporate suits, Professionals in button up shirts, Actors in casual clothing, models in trendy fashion.

DO CHOOSE:

  • Classic shirts that are timeless such as button up shirts or sweaters
  • Blazers, jackets or cardigans to cover sleeveless shirts, give a professional look
  • Colours that flatter your skin tone and eye colour
  • Clothing appropriate for your business industry if applicable
  • Clean, wrinkle free tops with no pet hair, rips, tears or missing buttons
  • Simplicity with minimal accessories
  • Simple hairstyles unless it is specific to your theme/look

AVOID:

  • Clothing with patterns, especially busy or bright ones
  • Low cut tops that show cleavage
  • Shirts with text/logos/graphics on them
  • Short sleeves and sleeveless shirts (unless you work in an industry where it is important to showcase your shoulders and arms)
  • If you have long hair and wear your hair down avoid shirts in the same colour as your hair.  (For example, avoid dark turtlenecks if you have long dark hair)
  • Trendy clothing/jewlery that will make your photo appear dated
  • Too much jewelry, keep it simple
  • Colours similar to your skin tone
  • Florescent colours

How to plan outfits for GROUP Portraits

Coordinate your look with large groups for best results

A great way for group and large group portraits to look balanced (but not too matchy) is to choose one or two colours, and have everyone wear at one piece of clothing in that colour.

For example, if you choose ‘blue and grey’, each person would wear an item of clothing clothing in blue and/or grey. It can be very hard to coordinate large groups to be perfectly coordinated, so this leaves some flexibility for each person to choose their outfit without having to go shopping just for one photoshoot.

Whichever colours you choose – it will unify the whole group without making everyone look like they are in uniform.

See examples below.

Examples of Coordinated (yet not all the same colour) group outfits
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Portrait Photography
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