Clothing & Accessories

Clothing Choices
My objective when shooting portraits is to direct attention to the subject’s face and the emotion involved. Everything else is secondary to the face. (Or belly, as the case may be…) Clothing, hairstyle, backgrounds & props should not distract from the face.
I recommend clothing in medium to dark tones – blacks, browns, deep reds & blues are lovely, but light colours draw attention to themselves and away from your face. In all cases, be sure to avoid flesh tones such as beige, tan, peach, light pink, white and yellow as well as bold stripes, plaids, busy prints and licensed characters. Not only do they not photograph well, but they date your images and it’s my goal to provide you with images that will remain classic and that you won’t tire of.
Keep your clothing as simply styled as possible while still maintaining your personal preferences.
Tops
Subtle V-necks are always flattering, particularly on women, and it’s important that any top you choose does not hide your neck. Turtlenecks are appropriate, but cowl neck tops are not. Consider choosing long sleeves so that your bare arms don’t overpower your face.
For family or group sessions, ensure that you choose clothing in similar tones. You don’t want to be carbon copies of each other, but it’s important that nobody stands out because his or her clothing is lighter or brighter than that of the rest of the group.
Bottoms
Mid-tone to darker denims and khakis are classic and always photograph well.
Accessories
Classic, subtle jewelery photographs nicely, and engagement/wedding rings are obviously an important part of many portraits. Avoid anything too bulky and you may want to consider forgoing the charms that can easily move around in to places you don’t want them.
Hair & Make-up
Though it’s very nice to have your hair & make-up done by your stylists before your session, it’s certainly not necessary. If you choose to do your own, be sure to take a little bit of extra care and have someone check the back & side views for you. Ensure your hair is styled with appropriate products and sprayed well if necessary. Make-up should be slightly heavier than normal, similar to what you’d wear for an evening out on the town. Feel free to bring along any products you may require for touch ups if you wish.
Props
Please feel welcome to bring any props that you’d like incorporated into your session. During your consultation we can talk about some options. Please carry hats to your session so that we don’t have to contend with hat hair.
The sky is the limit, but here are some options to consider:
Maternity: booties, baby’s name plaque, baby’s blanket, wrap-style baby carrier, your favourite pregnancy book(s), Newborn/Infant: cloth diaper, blocks, crocheted hat(s), favourite toy(s), blanket, sentimental gift, booties Children: hat, sunglasses, boots, umbrella, bubbles with wand, favourite toy
If you have any questions at all, please feel welcome to contact me. No question is off limits!