But what should I wear?

Clients ask me at nearly every session what I would recommend that they wear - or not wear. My answer is very basic: no graphic tees (unless that's a look you're going for intentionally) and no super busy, small prints (hello, moiré). Those are the basics. My next suggestion is for the central person for the session (hi, mom!) to pick their outfit and then dress everyone to coordinate. I also recommend letting children try their outfits on ahead of time to avoid surprise “it’s itchy and it pinches!” moments.

If you want to get super detailed about color, you can check a handy dandy color wheel. The color wheel is a tool that artists use to help understand relationships between colors. Colors directly across from one another on the wheel are complimentary colors. We recognize these in our lives - red and green for Christmas, for example. These pairings are bold and familiar and strengthen the overall color scheme in a work of art or photograph. Colors next to each other are analogous, and offer a more calming, subtle feel.. There are lots of other types of color pairings, but these are the two I use most often.

It’s important to think about your location and the season. Are we outside? Are the leaves yellow-green, dark green, or warming up for fall? Are there a lot of flowers and what color might they be? Are we shooting with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the back? Figuring out the most dominant color of the scene helps me determine the most impactful color for my clients' clothes, and depending on their style, I know whether I want complimentary or analogous colors - calming or bold?

Really, the most important thing is to pick something that you feel great in - and then make sure it’s ironed! Planning to have your picture taken? Let’s connect!