Tips for Portraits & Weddings
Tips for a Great Portrait Session
Timeless portraits are created with attention to detail and coordination between the subjects and photographer. Listed below are some suggestions to help make your portrait session the most successful:
Clothing
• For dark backgrounds - wear medium to dark tones of browns, blue, green, burgundy, and rust
• For White backgrounds - wear ivory, tan, white, pastel colors -- especially suitable for children
• Never wear patterns, plaids, stripes, checks, or prints
• Stay away from bright colors
Couples
• Couples or small groups should wear the same or very similar colors. Couples should not wear light and dark tones together (one person in light colored clothing and the other in dark tones)
Families
• Families should wear solid colors in the same color range.
Environmental Family Portraits
• Casual clothing is best in medium tones for outdoor portraits-
• Blues are good all year; Ivory, khaki, salmon are beset in summer greens; medium tones, browns, burgundies, and grays are good choices for the fall color.
• Solid colors in the same tones are best for any environmental portrait. These clothing choices will convey the "family" connection.
Hair and Make-up:
• Make-up should be natural.
• Lip gloss should be avoided, as it may reflect the light and distort the lips.
• Hair should be styled as you see yourself -- your portrait sitting should not be the time to tryout a new hairdo.
• Men should have their hair cut approximately one week before the portrait.
Jewelry:
• Avoid large sparkle jewelry, as it may reflect light and create a costly correction
Summary Of Tips:
• Do not wear yellow or greens for your portrait sitting
• Wear darker tones with dark backgrounds
• Wear light clothing for lighter backgrounds and fair complexions
• Turtlenecks, u-neck, v-neck tops photograph well (make sure they are not too low or too high)
• Long sleeves are best
• Glasses - if you wear glasses for your portrait, have the lenses removed or borrow a pair of rims only which match your glasses
• Legs should be covered - long skirts, pants, hose
• Tips for all photographs - portraits & weddings:
Hair should be styled the way you ordinarily wear it --don’t try out a new style for your portrait or wedding day
• Wear natural make-up; we will take care of normal touch up.