What to Wear

I know it's something that we all think about when getting our pictures done..."What should I wear?!". Today I asked my best friend and sister Sara Dean to guest post about what to wear for portraits. I've always looked up to her in the fashion department and thought she would be the perfect person to write this post! Sara has become such a big part of my photography especially in being my assistant during shoots as well as with all the "behind the scene" things of starting a photography business! I hope everyone enjoys her advice today and finds it helpful for future photo shoots!

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Hey everyone, this is Sara doing a guest post for Hanna Caldwell Photography on what to wear to your photography session. When it comes to portrait or family photography sessions a lot of people get caught up on what to wear. While there are no hard and fast rules, some clothes generally photograph better, so I thought I’d share a few tips so you can look great the next time you decide to have some photos taken!

First and foremost, BE YOU!  Think for a moment what your family is like. Are you casual, spunky, modern, playful?  The clothing you decide to wear should allow you to be yourself and reflect your family’s personality. Also, what is your living room like? Where will you be hanging the pictures? Consider the location of your session as well. Now, with that said…here are some ideas to get you started.


#1: COLOR
Pick one color and wear different shades of it or pick a couple of colors and have different coordinating shades on everyone. The key is to complement each other, not look identical or too matchy-matchy.  The colors you choose can be bold or soft depending on your preferences and what fits your family best. However, don’t be afraid of choosing bold colors. Bold colors help your photos pop and help add color to your face.

#2: PATTERNS
Patterns are a great way to living up your photos. So if you've found a pattern you like use it! No need to stay with solids. But don’t use too many busy patterns, throw in some solids or real simple stripes to balance it out. Also try and avoid logos and contrasty patterns. Logos tend to date relatively quickly, and busy and contrasty patterns create too much visual noise and distract from the main subject on the photo – you.

#3:  ACCESSORIZE
Another option is to add a little pop of color. Choose clothes with simple colors, like black, tan, or even gray, then add a pop of color or personality with colorful hats, jackets, shoes, scarves, necklaces or other accessories – whatever you love, anything that’s unique to you, your family, your kids. Also for children’s portraits, feel free to bring a couple of their favorite toys. Not only are they a great prop for your kids portraits, but it will also helps children feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

#4:  COMFORT
Comfort is key! If you are comfortable you’ll feel more confident and it will show in your photos. So, look nice, even dress up if you like, but don’t wear something if it makes you self-conscious or you know you’re going to have keep adjusting it during your shoot. Again the most important piece of advice I can share is to just be yourself. The above are all great tips, but for an engagement or any portrait/family session, the focus is YOU and you want your personality to shine through.


Also remember you don't have to go buy the whole family new outfits in order to get the perfect look for your photos (although it is always nice to have an excuse to go shopping). If you are still having trouble coordinating what to wear try starting with picking one member of your family's outfit first then build around that.

For more ideas about what to wear to your photography session check out "What to Wear For Portraits" on pinterest here.