Where Will Your Portrait Be Used?
To decide on a style of clothes for your portrait photographs, you need to think about where they are going. Are they for the wall, an album, social media, a gift or something else?
If your images will be on the wall or in circulation for years to come, then you may want to go for a more classic look because clothing can really make or break an image. This is particularly important if you think these are the only professional photographs you will ever have done.
If you want to capture who you are right now and the images will only be for social media or to go on your walls for a few years, then just choose the clothes you love the most. Having a record of who you are at different stages of your life is wonderful! For instance, you just turned 40 and your friends have been bringing out old photos from when you were 21…. Our clothing say so much about us.
You can always have more photographs done when your style changes and you want to capture a new era of your life!
If you like the idea of a more glamorous photo shoot, go for it! Have your hair, make-up and nails done to match the outfit.
You can choose whatever style you like, however, there are some basic guidelines that will take your portrait photographs from good to incredible!
Fit
Fitted clothing, not too tight and not too baggy, helps to give you shape and it’s the shape that creates interest. Wearing something too tight will make you feel uncomfortable and the fabric will look stretched, both of which will show in your final images. Clothing that’s too loose will make you look bigger.
Suit jackets can really look fabulous. It’s something you can work with, but keep in mind that the jacket will work better for standing rather than sitting poses. Jackets also make you appear slightly broader.
If you’re worried about your arms looking big in your photos, then wear something at least elbow length. Our eyes are drawn to the brightest part of the image which we generally try to make the face. Because your arms are, near enough, the same colour as your face, they’ll compete for attention if they are exposed.
Plain Fabric
Try to choose clothes of plain fabrics, without a pattern. Patterns draw attention away from your face, which is usually the soul of a portrait.
However, if you have a big bold look you want to create or for the image to be about the dress or suit you absolutely love, then go for it! Portrait shoots are about you and if part of your identity is shown through your choice of fabrics, then get them into your portrait!
Colour
Colour is a very personal thing.
I wear a lot of neutral colours because I don’t like to stand out too much. Others loves big, bold colours and it goes with their personality – they brings life into a room!
A lot of photographers advise you to go for neutral colours because it helps them get reliably good results. Neutral colours go with each other and just about every other colour. They have a timeless, classic feel to them. You may look amazing in your bright green suit, but if it doesn’t work with the background or props in the image, then the photograph won’t work.
Remember, it’s not necessarily about whether or not the outfit suits you, but rather whether it works in the image you’re making. If neutrals really aren’t you, don’t wear them! But and this is a big BUT: You need to restrict the number of colours and how light or dark they are. Your skin, hair, jewellery, painted nails, hair accessories and the background all count as colours. I would suggest wearing no more than 2-3 different colours and they should be of similar saturation and light or darkness.
Colours to Compliment Your Skintone
The colours you choose should complement your skin tone and hair colour.
I have brown hair and a pinkish tone to my skin. Greens and blues work quite well with my complexion because they make my skin appear more golden, but yellows and oranges make my skin look a pale and yellowish.
How we pair colours has a massive impact on how we see those colours.
Black and White
Everyone looks good in black or white, but choose one or the other. If you’re self-conscious about your weight steer away from white and paler colours because they will make you look bigger. Black and darker colour have the opposite effect and are therefore slimming so if you’re self-conscious about your weight in this direction, black will make you look smaller. If you go for white, choose something slightly off white because it’s usually better than a very stark white. White reflects a lot of light so it can dominate the image.
Textured Clothing
Textures make an image feel touchable – lace, chiffon, tulle, velvet and beading/sequins all add depth to clothing. I’m a huge fan of lace and chiffon fabrics. Shiny fabrics reflect more light which can detract from the face, but it can also be incredibly beautiful if you want to draw attention to the fabric.
Jewellery and Accessories
Jewellery is quite a personal thing and your decision on how much and what kind of jewellery to wear will very much depend on the feel you want to create. On the whole, I’d suggest going for minimal jewellery and accessories because sparkly things draw attention away from your face.
Where jewellery is important, you’ll want to make sure your clothing, hair and make-up complement the pieces you choose.
That Dress You Only Got to Wear Once
Wear it again!
Do you have something really fancy or that you adored but have only worn once? Using it in a portrait session is a great way get more value from it.
Formality
We don’t often get to wear glamorous gowns or 3-piece suits so a portrait session can be the ideal time to bring these out. You maybe even have a favourite dress you bought for a special occasion, that you don’t have a photo of yourself in that you like. Floating fabric from these dresses looks incredible in photographs. If you choose a formal outfit, remember that your hair, make-up and jewellery need to compliment your dress or suit, which doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be equally formal.
You don’t need to be formal because it’s what everyone else is doing though. Maybe you just love your street wear, so wear it! Just make sure your shoes, jewellery, hair and make-up compliment your clothes.
Shoes
Shoes aren’t normally the centre of a portrait. In fact, they rarely show unless you have a full-length portrait. Shoes should work with the outfit you’ve chosen, for example, if you’re wearing a gown, you’ll probably want to go for a high heeled court shoe in the same or a complementary colour. For women, high heels can help accentuate your beautiful curves and lines.
Occasionally, you might choose your shoes first and match everything else in the portrait to the shoes. They have to be pretty fantastic shoes to do this! You’ll need to consider everything we covered above and make it work with the shoes.
Shoes should work with the colour of the trousers. So dark shoes with dark trousers and light shoes with light trousers. The reverse would make the shoes stand out and, generally, we aren’t that interested in feet. Where trousers are a striking colour or pattern, the colour of shoes needs to blend in.
Iron
One of the most important things! You may have items of clothing that you can get away with not ironing in your everyday life. Please be aware that any little wrinkle will show. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure you iron it. Wrinkles, however small they may seem, really draw your attention in a photograph. Make sure your clothes are clean, without stains of any kind, and pressed. The only exception, is where wrinkles are an integral part of the look.
Nails
Although not strictly clothing, nails need to be in good condition before going to your portrait session. If you’re choosing a coloured nail, keep in mind that brightly coloured nails will draw attention. If you love your hands, you might want to draw attention to them. However, remember that it’s best to restrict the number of colours in the overall image. Your nails count as one of these colours so choose wisely. Nails can act as an accent colour amid neutrals or against another colour which can be beautiful. Where you don’t choose a natural or neutral colour, I would suggest talking with your photographer about the colours in your image before deciding.
Putting It All Together
You’ll notice that throughout I’ve talked about one element complimenting another, like making sure your nails go with your dress and your dress goes with your jewellery and so on. Assembling the different elements into an image is what will take your image from good to fantastic! It’ll be one you’ll want to share with all your friends and frame on your wall.
You may want to collect ideas on a Pinterest board.
There are so many different element to consider, but whatever you decide, wear something you feel good in. If you feel good it will show and the reverse is also true, so choose something you feel fantastic in!
I’m Natasha Grobler, a photographer based in Struis Bay, Cape Town. Please get in touch if I can help you put it all together to create a portrait you can’t stop looking at.
Natasha Grobler