What to wear to a photo shoot

The question asked before almost every session is not about the place or the time. It is: what do I wear? It is a fair question. After the background, clothing is the largest surface in a photograph, and the wrong top can shape an image more than the face above it.

The good news is that there are no fashion rules here, only camera rules. Most of them are simple, and they apply to a couple session just as much as to a headshot.

The five ground rules

1. Solid colours beat patterns

Small, tight patterns — fine stripes, houndstooth, small checks — make the camera sensor shimmer, an effect called moiré. On screen it looks like a fault in the file. Large, calm patterns such as a broad check or a chunky knit are fine. When in doubt: one colour.

2. Muted tones rather than neon

Strong signal colours throw light back. A neon green shirt tints the chin and neck green, and that is slow to remove in editing and never fully goes. Muted, slightly broken tones work well: sage, rust, mustard, dusty blue, cream, cognac, deep green.

3. White and black with care

Pure white blows out quickly in sunlight and loses all texture. Pure black swallows detail and turns a figure into a flat silhouette. Both can work, but off-white or charcoal is almost always the better choice.

4. Fit before label

The camera sees where fabric pulls, where a collar gapes and where a shirt is too loose. Wear what fits now — not what fitted two years ago or should fit in two months. In portraits, the neckline matters more than anything else.

5. Something you can move in

A documentary session involves walking, sitting, kneeling and hugging. Trousers you cannot sit down in, or shoes you cannot walk in for twenty minutes, show up in the photographs — in your face.

Couple sessions: coordinated, not matching

The most common mistake couples make is matching: the same jeans, the same white T-shirt. In photographs that quickly looks like a uniform. A shared colour family in different tones works better — a rust dress on one of you, a cream jumper and dark trousers on the other.

A practical rule: one person may wear the stronger colour or the pattern, the other stays calm. And the level of formality should agree. An evening dress next to a hoodie tells a story, just rarely the one intended.

The same goes for a proposal session, with one addition: the person being asked must not suspect anything. A dinner reservation is the best excuse there is for dressing up.

Family sessions: one palette for everyone

With four or five people in one frame, clothing becomes composition. What works:

• Choose two or three base colours and dress everyone in them, in different combinations.
• No more than one person wears a pattern.
• No logos, lettering or cartoon characters on children’s tops — they pull the eye straight to them.
• Children wear what they are comfortable in. A child in a scratchy shirt will not last fifteen minutes.
• Pack a second top for small children. It will be needed.

For a family session outdoors, the setting plays a part too: warm earth tones suit an autumn wood, cooler blues and greys suit water or a city.

Maternity and newborn sessions

For a maternity session the bump should be visible, so choose clothes that show it: a close-fitting dress in a flowing fabric, a knitted dress, or an open shirt over a plain top. Loose, straight cuts hide exactly what the session is about. The best window is between weeks 28 and 34.

At a newborn session the parents are often in the picture too. Soft, light, plain fabrics without buttons or zips are ideal — the baby lies on them, and skin contact looks better in a photograph than a denim jacket.

Headshots and professional portraits

The rule is simple: wear what you would wear on your first day in the role, then one notch more formal — not three. A banker in a blazer, a master craftsman in a clean shirt, a developer in a well-fitting jumper: all three are dressed correctly.

• Bring two tops, ideally one light and one dark.
• Mid-tones such as blue, grey or green work against both light and dark backgrounds.
• Watch the collar: in a head-and-shoulders frame it is the first thing anyone notices.
• Iron the night before and carry the shirt on a hanger.
• Glasses are no problem; anti-reflective lenses help.

When headshots are taken for a whole team, agree on a dress code beforehand, so nobody ends up the only one in a suit beside five people in T-shirts.

By season

In winter, red noses and hands show in photographs. Gloves between frames and a flask of something hot help more than any retouching.

Hair, make-up and accessories

Do nothing you have never done before. A new haircut three days before the session, a new hair colour or unfamiliar make-up is the most common regret afterwards. A hairdresser appointment a week ahead is ideal.

Make-up can be a little stronger than everyday, but it should not shine: mattifying powder matters more than any colour. Men benefit from a touch of powder on the forehead and nose as well. For accessories: one statement piece instead of five, and no smartwatch with a lit display.

Checklist for the day before

1. Try on the complete outfit, shoes included
2. Take a phone photo by a window and look at it
3. Iron or steam the clothes, pack a lint roller
4. Pack one spare top per person, two for children
5. Comfortable shoes for getting there, good shoes for the photographs
6. Water, tissues, a hair tie, powder
7. Empty your pockets — a phone and keys spoil the line of any trousers

If you are unsure, send us two or three photos of your outfit ideas before the session. We are happy to look, and the answer takes two minutes. Request your session here.