Session Details

We say “fit, flatter, and flare.” Please take a look at the galleries here for ideas of outfits that worked well. As a very general guideline:

• Consider skipping sunglasses for a week or so prior to your portrait session to avoid squinting in your images.
• Ladies, wear much more makeup than usual. Mascara, concealer, blush/bronzer, and lip balm are musts. False eyelashes can add a lot of drama to your photos.
• Consider having professional hair and makeup done if you aren’t as experienced with styling.
• Work with your hair, not against it. If you have wavy hair like me, don’t fight the curl in the humidity. If you have straight hair, trying to curl it can result in the hair falling limp. So work with what nature gave you and enhance your beauty.
• Ladies, consider high heels if possible for a nice long line on the legs. If not, boots, attractive flats, or dressy sandals/wedges can work well. Both men and women should avoid inexpensive foam flip flops.
•  Make sure the nails on your fingers and toes are clean, neat, and manicured if you would like.
• Don’t try to “match” your partner exactly, such as everyone in the group wearing khaki pants and white shirts. Instead, come up with a color or two, and everyone coordinate around those selected colors.
• Avoid solid white or solid black shirts if possible, and choose a color that makes you feel wonderful!
• It’s important to feel confident in your outfits, so pick something with the best possible fit – no gapping or bunching, and remember to match the undergarments to the outfit as far as style, color, support, etc.
• Make sure your clothing is ironed if needed. Avoid the sun in the days before here in Florida – I ended up with a bad sunburn right before a portrait session once!
• If you plan to wear glasses and the session will be outside, avoid the lenses that become sunglasses or shaded outdoors, as I will not be able to see your eyes.
• For many women, dresses and skirts photograph very nicely.
• Many people want to camouflage their upper arms, therefore, I recommend long sleeves if you have a concern about this area.
• Remember that you will be sitting, walking, jumping, moving, picking up your children, and having fun, so you need freedom of movement. Skirts and dresses rise up when sitting and necklines can plunge, so try on your outfits in front of a mirror before buying and make sure everything you want covered stays covered! If the outfit is great but you can’t sit in it, wear biker shorts/Spanx underneath to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.
• Avoid clothing with large logos across the front.
•  Some empire-waisted gowns and tops have a tendency to make the wearer look bigger at the waist, so you may want to skip these or cinch them with a belt. These outfits do work wonderfully for maternity shoots to show off the bump!
• Use diaper covers over disposable diapers for the youngest portrait subjects if not using cloth diapers.
• For men, make sure that your hair is neatly trimmed, especially around the neck and ears.
•  Show your personality with great jewelry or accessories!
• Check the link here for Amazon outfit ideas and here for other boutiques!