We would like to give you some suggestions that will make your portrait a success and so you can enjoy the experience. We cannot over-emphasise the effect these factors will have on your final portraits and would be happy to discuss any questions you might have for your individual or family portrait needs.
Clothing
In general, we want to make the people dominant in the photograph, rather than their clothing. Apparel and props should be secondary, so they contribute to the mood of the photograph instead of detracting from the subject.
Consider bringing props that reflect your personality or lifestyle such as musical instruments, hats, sports equipment or uniforms, etc. We can have lots of fun with accessories and make your portrait as unique and interesting as you are!
Generally speaking, clothing which is simple in design, even though it may seem boring, will make your portrait more powerful and not look dated in a few years. Strong, exciting colours and patterns will tend to dominate and take attention away from the person in the clothes. Also, strong primary colours, such as bright red, can be very dominant and detracting unless you have had your colours done and particularly suit them. It is best to use subdued tones such as burgundy instead of red, and brown or rust instead of bright yellow. Cooler tones, like blues and greens, can be particularly universal and attractive if you are in doubt about your best colours. This is because those colors tend to recede into the background more, and give the skin tone a warmer glow in portraits. Blue jeans are always popular, and actually photograph quite well.
Here is an example of cool tones used well in this successful portrait.
We suggest you choose tones that are at least slightly darker than your skin tone, no matter what colour you choose. Lightest areas generally attract attention in a low key (dark tone) portrait, so if your clothing is lighter than your skin, it will compete for attention and because it represents a larger area in the portrait than your face, it will become the dominant element.
Here is an example of a low key portrait and clothing that is appropriate for it.
If you are looking for a special effect like high key, where the tones in the portrait are all white or very light, all of your clothing and accessories should be white or very light so the emphasis will be on the skin tones.
To summarize, choose plain solid colored clothes and wear subtle darker muted solid colours unless you want a special accent or effect. Dress according to the style of portrait you want - formal/casual, sophisticated elegance/character study, indoors/outdoors, etc. Long sleeved garments photograph best and are more flattering and slimming on most people. Sweaters, turtlenecks, cardigans and jackets can be used very effectively as well. V-Necks can have a slimming effect and conversely, a wide-open neck can make the neck appear too wide in photography. Know what clothing styles suit you to make you look your best. If in doubt, ask us for suggestions.
Small Children
Children can wear colours and styles that are stronger than adults can, successfully in portraits. Generally, children under one year of age should wear lighter pastel shades or white. Also, consider bringing toys or props that have a special meaning. It will give extra security to your child in a strange environment as well as personalize the portrait. To prepare the child for the photography session, just tell them you are going to the _________________ (fill in the location) and it’s going to be lots of fun. Sometimes if young children are told they need to be good and smile for the camera - they can feel pressured. Then if they don’t smile just right, or produce a fake one (common in 2-4 year olds) and you’re unhappy they feel they’ve done wrong and may misbehave. Just let the photographer do their job and make the smiles come out naturally because the session will be fun, so enjoy it as a family.
Groups
Plan clothing style, colour and tone very carefully. If a group dresses in dark, cool blue tones and one person in that group dresses in a bright warm colour like yellow - the yellow garment will dominate and distract your attention when viewing the final portrait. It will make that person stand out, and they will also look more prominent and larger, which no one typically wants.
Try to keep the colours for the group in the same colour family. That is, either warm earth tones or the cool tones as mentioned. The colours need not be identical like uniforms, they should simply coordinate, not clash, to make your group portrait successful. For really large groups like extended families, you can even go as far as have each individual family pick a different color. For example: let’s say you have the grandparents, and 4 of their children who each have their own family. Let’s say the grandparents wear black, family #1 wears navy, #2 wears dark green, #3 wears dark brown, and #4 wears burgundy. Then if you choose to have each family photographed separately they have their own color scheme and the large group will have a very unique look.
Don’t mix style within the same group - keep it all formal, or all casual. Always dress from head to toe - meaning think about your socks and shoes too - dark or black is usually best. A good way to see if clothing coordinates is to lay the articles on a bed, side by side. If one piece stands out, it will be evident to you with this direct comparison and you can replace that piece.
As well as colour family, try to keep the tonal range of light to dark similar. For example, a very dark brown and a light beige are in the same colour family but opposite in tonal range. Generally, the larger the group, the more difficult it may be to fully coordinate. If some in the group are reluctant to cooperate or want to stray from the plan - try to impress upon them how they will stick out like a sore thumb (not in a good way likely) and these suggestions are to make them look better. It is very much worth the effort to buy or borrow an article of clothing in the right colour for your portrait if you don’t have it in your wardrobe. Beautiful posing, lighting and artistic composition cannot correct poor clothing selections.
Outdoor or Home Environment Portraits
Choose casual styles and colours appropriate to the environment. Denims and leather styles are excellent outdoors. Pastels can suit a similar environment in your home very beautifully. Simple sweaters, jackets and scarves photograph very well. Remember coordination for couples and groups.
Here the white shirts help this group stand out against the dark trees in the background.
Hair Style
Hair should look natural. Avoid hairstyles that would be extreme or out of style in your portrait in a short period of time. If changing hair styles of getting a cut, it is recommended you do so at least a week prior to your session. This way you have time to get used to it, or correct it if the cut or style isn’t to your liking. Make hair style appropriate to the style of portrait - EI if it is a formal portrait, wearing suits and long gowns - perhaps a fancy up-do is appropriate. Outdoors in jeans and white t-shirt, hair down and natural or pulled back would be more suited.
Make-up
Above all, skin should have a natural, smooth, clear appearance after make up has been applied. Avoid oil base make up that will give your skin a shiny look. Enhancing the natural structure of the face by emphasising the cheekbones with highlight make up and naturally blended darker tones will slenderize your features, but be careful not to go too dark, or attempt this if you don’t normally do this type of make up. Use a touch-up stick to cover blemishes, be careful not to overdo it. If you plan to use a coloured eyeliner or accent, apply it very lightly, as this type of make up will luminesce when photographed and look much brighter in your portrait. You can use a stronger make up treatment for a black & white portrait than for colour. Careful high quality make up can be a great asset in getting outstanding results in your portrait. Get your make up professionally applied if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself and tell they you are going for a photo session. Generally though, if you don’t wear any or a lot of make up, just do what you normally do - otherwise it won’t look like you in the photos.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
©2009, Mike Guilbault, MPA
