What to wear for a photo shoot can be stressful. PICKING OUTFITS FOR YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE INTIMIDATING! Here I help you come up with photoshoot outfit ideas.

These are my 9 tips on making dressing for your shoot a success:

1. Decide what color family you want to work with, and get going from there. What colors best suit you? What style do you gravitate to the most? What is the color you feel MOST confident in? Wear THAT color!

2. Avoid clothing that is “well worn”. It may be your favorite shirt, but does it show signs of wear such as pilling, holes, stains? The camera sees BETTER than the human eye and it will show up in your photos!

3. You probably have some good pieces to work with already in your closet. At the very least you will get an idea of what could work that you already have. Start there and once you have 80% of the wardrobe selected, then consider shopping for accessories or other pieces that will give interest, texture and shine to create that wow factor. Or just go shopping! There is something euphoric about wearing a brand new outfit and you get to associate those feelings with the photography session you are having. “Oh I love that outfit, I wore that to my photo shoot” and then you can show off the photos of you in that outfit.

4. It helps to visualize! Once you have at least one outfit picked start bringing in other articles of clothing to get started on what to wear. I suggest laying out the clothing on a flat surface (such as a bed) and see how each outfit works together, then create these categories: "possibles”, “yes" and  "absolutely nots". Be savage! Just “ok” isn’t good enough. Keep eliminating until you get some harmony going with the clothing choices.

5. Source inspiration from Pinterest (I created some great pins about outfit ideas), Tumblr, or Instagram, but don't copy. Use these images as a guide--it's not about copying, as much as it is using that imagery to create a look that is unique for you.

6. Look to the past. Do you have a photo you took in an outfit you love that still speaks to you? Or did you see another person's style in a photo that you admire? Take a good look and ask what is it that really worked in the photo and what about it you would change.

7. Try everything on. This may sound excessive, but I can assure you that if you try everything on BEFORE your shoot you will have less anxiety and INCREASE YOUR CONFIDENCE which is a huge part of being in front of the camera. This also gives you the opportunity to figure out how well everything fits as well as decide if you should go shopping for anything that will enhance the clothes you will be wearing.

8. Take photos of yourself. The next time you are feeling great in an outfit, TAKE A PHOTO OF YOURSELF and make sure you can see every element of your outfit! In fact, create an album on your phone “FAVORITE OUTFITS” so that you can reference them easily. It will make it SO MUCH EASIER to get dressed when you can reference a photo of the entire outfit: the jewelry you wore, the shoes you had on, how your hair was styled.

9. Get it tailored. The fit makes all the difference and also make sure everything is clean, ironed and ready before the day of your shoot. It's all about the details!

Share this post with someone who needs some outfit inspiration!

Warmly,

KIMBERLY...but you can call me KIM

For information on setting up your own professional headshot or portrait shoot send an inquiry or call 352-682-7311