Matchy-matchy families all dressed in black? How about kids buttoned-up and miserable? I don't think so!
What I'm talking about is the proverbial question we, as photogs, get asked a lot. "What should I/we wear?" And the answer is whatever makes you feel comfortable and makes you feel like you. Now if that is white shirts and blue jeans, well by all means wear them; however, keep this in mind when you book one of our portrait sessions they are anywhere from two to three hours which gives you plenty of time for at least one other outfit change.
We need to step away from the norm and the conformity that the fashion industry and those big chain photography studios' have pushed upon us. Sorry, it the artist in me that is coming out and the struggle to make my own rules. When it comes to the arts there are guidelines and techniques that should never be ignored and then there are those guidelines and techniques that can be bent and even broken. I'll get off my soapbox now and get back to the blog.
When it comes to choosing the perfect wardrobe for you photos, don't panic and think all you can do is go out and buy everyone a black button-down shirt or polo and think black goes with everything, because it doesn't. Neither does white. As location photogs, the entire metro area is our backdrop full of wonder full colors and textures. And what better way to make use of them with colors and textures of your own.
Lesson time. Now as a graphic designer, color theory is something I took very seriously and studied constantly. The wrong color combo could lose the job. Here's a very basic color lesson about complementary colors. These are the colors that are across from each other on the color wheel and make their compliment color pop. The basic pairings are Blue & Orange, Yellow & Purple, Red & Green. Have you ever wonder why a brick building surrounded by trees set against the sky really stands out and yet looks like it belongs there. The answer is in the bricks. The reddish-orange serves as a compliment to the blue sky and then to the green trees. This whole theory then works on clothes as well. Forgive the long drawn out explanation, but it could be helped.
Another piece to the puzzle is texture. Everything has some sort of texture and this gives us our depth and sense of our three-dimensional world. Thus in turn, gives a photo dimension. Make your photos standout and want to be admired. Leather, linen, cotton, denim and silk all have something to bring to the table. Don't be afraid to bring multiple outfits to the shoot, we'll help you pick out the best ones.
One final thought in the marathon post, is layering. Teens and tweens are already doing this and so should mom and dad. It doesn't have to be anything to extreme, but polo or button-down with the top two buttons opened and showing a t-shirt will do just fine. Be bold. Be daring. Be you.
Whew, I think this is the longest post I've done to date. Hands are cramping, so if you have any questions, please ask and as always thank you for reading.
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