The most common question I get asked is “WHAT SHOULD I WEAR FOR OUR PICTURES?” Whether it is maternity portraits or engagement photos or a family session my answer is always the same. It is up to you! Wear what makes you feel good. Wear what makes you comfortable. Most of all, wear something that suits your personality. If you feel at ease it will be reflected in the quality of your expression and body language in the finished product. That being said, here are some guiding principles to keep in mind when narrowing down your clothing choices so that you get the most favourable feel to your images:

• Choose a style and have all participants dress accordingly – formal, semi-formal, or casual.
• Bold patterns and large logos can be distracting in an image.
• Should participants match or coordinate outfits? Though it is personal preference I say YES! Matching outfits includes the classic white shirt and blue jeans or blue shirts with khaki bottoms. My recommendation is coordinating because it is less restrictive than matching. You can choose a colour scheme such as hues of brown with white. That allows freedom to wear khaki pants or brown cords or white capris. Or a fall colour scheme with warm, rich tones. Coordinating can also mean a theme or an era like Hawaiian or a vintage shoot. Coordinating offers a consistent, unified portrait with the attention on the subject(s) and not the clothing.
• Keep the background in mind when picking your clothes. For example, will you be in-front of a red barn? Red or pink shirt will either blend into the background or clash. Another colour choice will be better suited.

You might think this next one is common sense but experience tells me it must be said!

• Have everyone dress in the same season. We all know weather in this part of Canada can vary from day to day! Before you set out for the shoot make sure your posse looks like they are dressed for the same weather. An image looks awkward if one person is wearing a tank top with short and another is wearing long sleeves and pants. This happens most often with large family photos that span a couple generations.

In the end, it is about personal preference and knowing what you want to get out of your photo shoot. For my own family, we dressed in causal neutral colours because that is us :) If you are unsure what you want please contact me and I am happy to listen to your ideas and offer suggestions based on the specifics of your session.