Getting ready for a session can be stressful. Add kids to the mix and just forget it, right? No one wants to get dressed, the shoes are uncomfortable, and they'd rather be watching Netflix. 

I found myself in this exact situation a few weeks ago as my fiance and I agreed to do a model call for a local photographer. I was excited and had been planning my outfit for days with different jewelry and shoes and having a total blast with the preparations. My fiance, however, still had not selected his clothes the morning of the session and had no plan to do so until after work - a mere 2 hours before the session was to start! As you can imagine, this sent me into full on stress mode. 

Then it occurred to me: this likely happens before EVERY session! As a photographer, I stress about different things before the session and, due to my always-behind-the-camera-never-in-front experience, I was completely unaware of something that was impacting my sessions before they even started. 

Well let me share something with you: this situation isn't unusual nor is it as bad as you think! Let's take a look at some of those people who seem to have it all together and figure out why that is. 

1. The Twitter Sisters! 

These ladies (who met online, became great friends, and finally met in person in Missouri, hence the nickname "Twitter Sisters") were some of my favorite people to work with! We had an absolute blast getting creative and walking around Historic St. Charles, shooting in some of this location's best nooks and crannies. They were a joy to work with and every single image of them looks amazing! But why? Of course, they are all absolutely beautiful, but let's take a look at their outfits. As you can see, instead of matching exactly, they compliment one another. In a portrait experience, the difference between "matching" and "complimenting" will make a significant difference in your images, regardless of posing or composition. 

2. Sarah + AJ

Forget what you've heard about black and white for portraits: there is no right or wrong color for portraits! I know, I know, there are complimentary colors for every skin tone and I'm not denying that, but black and white are perfectly good "colors" in which to dress for your session. The main thing you'll notice (and the reason it works here) is that the patterns are limited. Patterns are welcome in a portrait session but you want them kept to a minimum. Otherwise, what would be a soft, minimalistic portrait turns into chaos that confuses the viewer and quickly goes from "Let's frame it!" to "Delete all copies and pretend it never happened".

3. Jes + Caleb

Before worrying about where their lovely faces are (don't worry, you can oogle over thus adorable couple in my portfolio!), let's take a look at this wonderful pairing of outfits. This balance of color, patterns, and materials is a photographer's dream but it's not the easiest balance to achieve. So what makes it so dreamy? 

First, as we noted in the last example, the patterns have been limited to his button up. This is a perfect amount of pattern pop without becoming overwhelming and it keeps the viewer's attention. Additionally, everything is planned around the pattern. Notice how they are dressed in a blue color scheme but they aren't covered head to toe in the color? His button up gives the color and from there, they can dress around it - a solid navy top for her (the perfect way to compliment is to select a shade or two darker or lighter than the base color) and then a tulle skirt to give her a girly, fun look. The jeans and boots perfectly contribute to their rustic theme and just by dressing this way alone, we already know that their portraits are going to look crisp and clean while allowing the viewer to admire the couple without becoming distracted by their wardrobe. 

So now that we've spent this time looking at others' outfit selections and discussing why they work, I hope that you'll approach your session with much more confidence in your wardrobe choices. If you're still wondering how you can dress yourself or how you can pick a pattern, color, or another base theme for your outfits, worry no more! 

I am currently working on a Loud Sights Photography Portrait Style Guide and plan to have it finished by November 2017, just in time for the holidays! Once it is complete, every Loud Sights Client will have access to this guide when they book a session. This guide will detail how to choose your base and how to dress around it, how to approach hair and make-up, and other concerns clients have when they are preparing fir a portrait session. 

After all,  we all know how stressful portraits can be but we also know how important and meaningful they are. Let me help you make things easier on yourself and your family for your next session!