HEATHER'S PORTRAIT TIPS
Occasionally people ask me what to wear and not to wear in a picture. Here are a few of my tips and of course I'm not an expert but a few of these might help:
COLOR: Solids work best. Stripes, plaids or busy clothing distract and take away from the person's face. Simple is best. Whites, blues, blacks and tans are my top favorites. Basically if you stick with solids you'll be fine.
FOR THE STUDIO: Of course solids are still good. If you want the black on black look you should bring or wear a long sleeve solid black shirt. Also white on white is cool too. If you are bringing props you might want to color coordinate with your props. You are welcome to bring changes of clothes to get a total different look to your pictures. I would recommend if you are bringing change of clothes to do an opposite color or style from the other. This will change the picture dramatically.
TOPS: Short sleeves and long sleeves are better than thin strapped tops. However if you have the body and right style thin strapped tops can be good especially for a close up portrait.
BOTTOMS: Pants usually look neater in a picture such as tan slacks or bluejeans. Shorts are okay depending on the style and color. Skirts are fine but may limit certain poses so skorts normally work better.
GROUP PHOTOS: The same color scheme makes for a better looking picture. However as long as you stay on the same style you shouldn't have to worry about everyone having matching clothes. Don't be overwhelmed in the differences in everyone's clothing. Remember: simplicity is better. The worst thing to do in ruining a good group photo is busy clothing. You can have a perfect setting and lighting and ruin it by everyone with stripes, patterns and/or totally different color schemes.
HAIR: Natural shiny hair is great. To me, the hair looks better down and without bows, ribbons, and/or clippings. Some instances of little girls with hairbows and ribbons are pretty especially if they have long hair. Just be careful in choosing these items.
GLASSES: Shed 'em. Glasses can really cause a glare in your photos. It's nice to do without them unless you feel uncomfortable. If you happen to have an extra pair without the lenses that would work better if you plan to leave them on. If you're planning to take them off I recommend to leave them off a while before you get the picture taken because of the dents glasses may cause around the eyes and I've noticed that shows up in pictures especially when it's close up.
MAKE-UP: Again, a more natural look the better. It's nice to have a smooth looking foundation to cover blemishes but if you overdo the lipstick and eyeliner you can ruin your picture. Heavy lipstick is distracting just like a busy outfit. If you darken around your eyes with heavy eyeliner and/or eyeshadow it will hide your eye color and shape. Be light on the eyes and lips. Just go for the darker foundation if it's not blotchy or has an orange cast. If you are doing more of a fashion shoot put the make-up on dark and different but be careful you don't look scary instead of fashionable. It all depends on your type of photo shoot. For fashion shoots wear something drastic or very formal this is the only way you are going to define it's fashion. High heels nearly a must, a nice hairdo, shiny lips, long dresses, tuxedos, long lashes, hats, jewelry, etc. are suitable for fashion designs.
SHOES: I love the "no shoes" pictures but that is not always the case. So for the "shoes" photos please make sure they are clean (even on the bottom). Certain poses for shoes showing the bottom can be disturbing if they are rather dirty. High heels look nice in a picture for the ladies. Tennis shoes are almost a no-no depending on your type of session. Unless it's sport related I don't see a need for tennis shoes. If you're wearing dark clothes your shoes should be dark. If it's formal your shoes should be formal. Your shoes shouldn't be busy like a busy outfit or shirt - simple is best. Also some pictures will show socks be careful in choosing colored socks. White socks will show so be careful.
Again these are only a few of my tips. It's your picture make it your own!