Long sleeved clothing is a must! For casual portraits it is equally important to wear long pants instead of shorts. When arms and legs are exposed to the camera there will be more flesh in the photograph in those areas than on the face, itself. This is a major distraction.

White shirts and/or blouses under a dark jacket are perfect. A scarf loosely tied around the neck also helps to frame a face beautifully when a collarless blouse or sweater is worn. Neckties should definitely be toned-down in color and with a minimum of pattern.

Clothing for group portraits must be carefully selected to blend the bodies together. First, decide whether the basic tone of the clothing will be warm-toned (browns, etc.) or cool-toned (blues/grays/blacks, etc.) Then, make sure to follow all of the above instructions.

The most flattering neckline for anyone is something that comes up close to the neck. A wide-open neckline tends to thicken the neck in a photograph. On the other hand, a neckline that comes up to the base of the neck - a turtleneck or a v-neck top is the most flattering. It tends to slim down the person and frames the face beautifully.

Finally, lay out all the clothing onto a bed. Shoes, socks, stockings (dark hose is mandatory) - everything should be included...shoes, too! Then, take a careful look at the collection. If your eye goes to any one item in particular, you can be certain that the same thing will happen in a photograph. That item should be changed.

Clothing should not be too tight or too loose. Clothing below the waistline should be darker than above. Otherwise, even light jeans worn below a darker top could easily attract attention to the lower part of the body and away from the face.

For an outdoor portrait session it is a good idea to dress in casual clothing that will blend with the background. White, pink, blue , yellow, purple look lovely with spring flowers. White shirts and jeans work well with summer’s green grass. Autumn shades look great with the colors of fall foliage. Holiday red, blue and green are wonderful with pine trees. Still, remember to dress everyone in the portrait similarly. You have to blend the bodies of everyone together, so that the faces stand out. This is essential particularly in a group portrait.

Textures , small prints and plaids give dimension to the photograph. However, be sure to coordinate your groups so that most are wearing solid colors in la variety of light, mid and dark shades.

Hair styles should be simple and must be off the face. Hair falling down onto the sides of the face create distracting shadows. Bangs that come down too low onto the face will keep light from getting into the subject's eyes - the very most important part of the face. Eye makeup should be blended - no sharp demarcation lines between colors. Avoid white above or below the eyes. It does not photograph well at all. Too much color above and below the eyes attracts attention to itself. It actually takes attention away from the eyes, rather than attracting the viewer to the eyes. Foundation makeup should be blended at the jaw line, so that there is no demarcation between the face and the neck.

Eye glasses may or may not be worn. Non-reflective lenses, of course, are a big help. Better yet, sometimes it's possible to obtain a matching set of frames without any lenses. This is particularly helpful, if your lenses sometimes distort the outline of your face.

Stay calm at home and tell your child only that they are going to a fun place to play….bribing or threatening can lead to disaster. Feed low sugar snacks prior to the sitting, and be sure your child is well rested. Don’t worry if your child starts off crying or not being cooperative. That behavior is not unusual when coming to a strange place with lots of equipment and lights being moved around. Each session allows for plenty of 'wiggle time'. Props are welcomed, as are pets, favorite toys, anything to capture their true nature. Your child will pick up on your emotions, so stay loose and happy!

Worthwhile

You will feel rewarded when you view your photographs. All of your efforts will be worthwhile!