"How snobby of someone to tell their clients what to wear..."
... was a real thought I had when I heard a friend tell me their photographer sent a 'style guide'. Why would someone tell their clients what they can and cannot wear?
After a few years of doing photography, and 2024 marking my first full year, I realized that
their photographer wasn't telling clients
what to wear because they're a sad beige person.
Not only does a seasoned photographer have to worry about what lighting looks good for that specific location, it's also what outfits compliment the environment around their clients.
By wearing clothes that compliment your environment, it simply allows you to be the main focus of your images.
As it should be!
yOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING,
"Ok, so what do I do with this information?"
Let's add some action and make sense of it all:
know that There's a color for everyone.
Figure out your undertones
This sounds silly, but truly! Hang on here - understanding what colors reflect best onto your skin is such a major key. Many people might not realize how the wrong color can wash them out. A quick Google search for 'skin undertone chart' could be exactly what you'd need to find out.
muted colors, all day!
If you can't get on board with wearing more neutral tones, muted colors will be your best friend!
Steel blue, dusty pink, or even a muted olive green are all awesome colors to build your outfit on. I have examples of colors below, take a peek!
colors to go easy on + why
Colors I recommend sprinkling into your outfit and not making the main statement are red, bright blue, maroon, black, yellow, purple, and gray,
While these are all great colors, they do cause a colorcast onto skin, especially if we're taking photos in harsh light. These colors often clash with most people's skin undertones which can cause the focal point of the images seem off.
Maroon + red tend to bring out people's pink undertones, causing blush or uneven skin tone to be the focal point. If you have any kind of hyperpigmentation, red will bring it out.
Gray + black typically colorcast onto skin - and the main concern here is your beautiful face! Again, in different lighting scenarios where more filtered, soft + even light isn't available, we'll really fight these colorcasts.
FOrgiving colors that compliment.
These are just a few examples of muted, more neutral colors.
I know, I know...
Figuring out what to wear for yourself or a whole family can be a daunting task.
And no, I won't sit and whine if you show up to our session in clothes that aren't apart of this color scheme! I'm here to capture you, but I also want my clients to be informed, and to get the most from your images.
I have really learned that color theory isn't an excuse to wear neutral colors; it truly does affect your photos and their final outcome!
Stuck on what to wear?
Begin with a pattern.
Whether it's your husband's shirt, or your dress. Start there.
Build your outfit + color scheme based on that pattern.
It will help you tremendously and make this process a lot less daunting!