Preparing for Portraits | Client Resources | Billings, Montana Birth, Newborn & Family Photographer

"What should we wear?"

"What about shoes?"

"Do these colors go together?"

"How do we get a certain vibe to our images?"

The posing and how I utilize the light, what cues I give you and my shooting and editing style are A LARGE piece of the process when it comes to portrait sessions, however, what you bring to the table and how you present yourself and/or your family is crucial as well. Here are some helpful hints, tips and things to be mindful of as your portrait session draws nearer.

Clothes. The outfits you select for your session should fit with the overall vibe you'd like to be reflected in the final images, (example: if the desired outcome is classy/elegant and the client shows up in a ratty old T-shirt- prrrrobably not gonna happen, right? We'll still get killer shots but the "feel" likely wouldn't be what the client hoped for) If your portrait session involves more than one subject, outfits should complement each other. Solid colors are better than patterns, but patterns are totally acceptable if kept to a minimum and on the same color pallet, with no clashing patterns in anyone else's wardrobe (ie. plaid on one person, polka dots on another). The image above is a wonderful example of appropriate use of plaid. Avoid logos if you can. Keep it simple. For myself and my fam, I tend to lean toward an earthy tone color pallet, which I'll share an example of below, along with a few other color pallets for reference. (and NO, you don't have to rush out and buy new outfits for everyone, you could very well be able to piece most of it together with what your family already has and maybe pick up a couple new detail pieces like a scarf or hat. But- personally, I'll use any excuse I've got for a trip to target! haha!)

Shoes.

This one seems pretty easy right? That's cause it really is. Your shoes should "make sense" with your outfit and be practical for the location we'll be shooting. If you know we're in for a little bit of a hike or will be on any kind of uneven terrain, wear appropriate shoes for that and save your 4" heels, slippery sandals or what have you to change into once we begin shooting. If it's slick outside, wear shoes with traction. Safety is #1.

The little things.

It's all in the details. Double check that your nails are in good shape (trimmed and filed, freshly done if you do acrylics, gels, etc, without chipped paint if you use nail polish, you get the idea.) If you don't want your bra strap to be visible, wear the correct style of bra for your outfit. Blow your nose. It's not cool to expect your photog to edit out bra straps, fix your nails and photoshop out your boogies- yes, this has seriously been an issue. Unless the issue really is your photog's fault (not sure how it could be with these examples? but hey, weird things happen right!?) you can expect an additional cost per image for these types of advanced corrections. (of course, If I notice your booger situation while we're working together- I'm not just gonna leave you hangin' -so to speak. I'll hook you up with a tissue!)

Hair + Make up.

It's so true that you get out of a photo session what you are willing to put into it- both on my end of things and on yours. To alleviate some of that worry for my clients, most of my packages now include a single complementary hair + make up application. (You're welcome). One less thing to worry about and let's be honest, it feels good to be pampered.

Time Management.

If your session includes hair/mua, as mentioned above, please be on time to your salon appointment, wearing your outfit (or 1st outfit) for photos with clean + dry hair and skin. Other than that, if you're in the chair on time, you'll be out of the chair on time, which means you'll be on time for your session with me. Of course you and I both want to ensure we're able to fully utilize our session time- as opposed to racing against the clock as we lose out on our ideal/available light, punctuality is the name of the game.

Communication.

Feel free to shoot me a text or message me or send me an email and I'm always more than happy to help/offer advice on any of the above, send me pics of what you're gonna wear if in doubt or hey! maybe you've got everyone else's outfits handled but yours and you need some inspiration- I am your friend and I care about your photos. We're totally a team in this process!

(psssst. if your session is for family portraits and you're worried about how your children might behave, check out my previous blog entry that addresses that specifically, with more helpful hints and tricks right over here.)

Happy preparing!

Tiffany Edwards