Looking Your Best — Hints and Tips
- Clothing — family images often look best if everyone is in coordinated, not matching, attire. Choose two or three colours that flatter everyone and work those tones into each outfit in some way.
- Stick to simple, large prints or solid colours and clothing with no logos. A timeless, classic look will keep your photos fresh and appealing for years to come.
- Head switching — for big groups in particular, where head switching is often required please refrain from wearing intricate patterns and lines and stick to solid colours instead.
- Simplicity is best — cool, colourful accessories like scarves, boots and hats can be fun for an outdoor session.
- Children’s clothing should be fitted to size, with no overly long sleeves hiding little hands. No oversized items and preferably sized smaller for photo shoots.
- Add texture and interest by incorporating a nubby sweater, a scarf, lace top, or a tulle skirt.
- Men should tuck in dress shirts and make sure they are fitted to their figure to prevent any over-sized look. A loose dress shirt not tucked in will create a boxy look. A form fitting sweater will help if a shirt is intended to be worn untucked.
- Once you’ve chosen an outfit try both sitting and standing in front of a mirror to ensure you have an appealing, comfortable fit.
- Footwear — shine your shoes! I find that bare feet look best, but if you decide to wear shoes, please make sure they are clean and that the socks match your pants. Heels can help by enhancing your posture and creating longer lines but make sure you can walk comfortably in them.
- It is suggested to wear non-transitional glasses as transition eye glasses will look like sunglasses in the light.
- Accessories — it’s best to pick only one statement accessory so please limit yourself to ones you love. It’s even better if the accessories are sentimental or meaningful in some way. Limit the scaled down versions of adult accessories on children — they’re best as their natural selves.
- Makeup — Consider using a foundation without added sunscreen for your photos. It’s a little known fact that foundation with sunscreen can react to lighting and cause your face to appear a different colour. Keep makeup a bit bold but still within your comfort zone. Eyes look their best with lighter, more defined makeup — dark, smoky shadow may cause your eyes to look sunken. Be cautious with false-eyelashes during your session. If you don’t normally wear them they may irritate you and cause you to blink more than usual. Powder is your best friend and it will eliminate shine!
- Hair — keep it natural. The ideal for hair is to have the very best version of your natural, everyday look. Consider treating yourself to a blowout. For kids, pick a simple style that will last through the session without too much fuss. Show off your best features by pulling hair back with a clip or headband.
- Maternity and Newborn — Moms-to-be, please wear whatever makes you feel gorgeous and highlights that beautiful life you hold inside your tummy! Newborns are best photographed in their birthday suits when they are between 5 and 10 days old. That’s when they’re the most physically flexible, and they also tend to sleep more, so that we can get those wonderful, bendy, cozy images that you’re after. It is a good idea to book your Newborn session in advance; I can hold a date that we can move around your delivery. A good tip is to book your Newborn session for two weeks after your due date.
