Tips for Everybody
Whether you choose formal, semi-formal or casual style clothing, we suggest that you wear clothing that is more traditional in style, at least for one of the clothing changes. If you want to wear something that is wild, crazy or super trendy, wear that as your additional change of clothing. Traditional clothing will look great for a long time and will not look “out of date” in just a couple of years. We also suggest solid colors, avoiding patterns like stripes, floral and plaids. Small patterns can sometimes cause a problem in the photograph, much the same way you may see a man’s tie or suit coat seem to “shimmer” or “jitter” on TV. Short sleeve or sleeveless can look OK for some casual poses, especially full length, but keep in mind that longer sleeves are more “thinning” and flattering to most people. Please bring extra clothing along with hangers and not folded or in a bag. Be sure that your undergarments are the proper color, especially if you are wearing light colored clothing.

Blemishes can be retouched to be totally invisible in your final portrait. Please do not try to cover them up with any concealing make-up. This can make the portrait retouching more difficult.

Glasses can and do reflect the light (even coated glare-resistant lenses). We can never predict exactly how your glasses will reflect until we actually place you in front of our lighting. If you have tinted glasses, you may wish to borrow a similar pair of “empty” frames from your optical dispensary before your portrait. Frameless glasses must have their lenses in place in order to appear normal.

Clean hair and skin are also very important. If you have shiny skin, you may wish to use a skin cleanser prior to the portrait session and a flat powder to reduce the shine. Ladies – choose your makeup color carefully and be sure to blend any make-up very well. Avoid glitter make-up. Clean shaven men with a heavy beard will want to shave just prior to the session to avoid any five o’clock shadow in the portraits.

Excess sun-tanning or sunburns can be retouched to a certain extent. Be sure to use moderation when tanning and of course, try to avoid burning.

Tips for Families and Groups
In family, or group portraits, your clothing doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but it should definitely coordinate well. Earth tones (tans/browns/rusts) work well, as do blues/grays/plums. Unless you have a definite theme (i.e. Go Big Red), avoid bold or bright colors like reds/yellows/oranges. Remember, the idea is not to draw attention toward your clothing. Your clothing should be secondary to the people in the portrait.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call prior to your portrait session.