You Booked a Session

And now you get to decide what to wear. This is everyone's first question, and it's a good one. What you wear has a massive impact on the vibes of your session. Clothing can be distracting, pulling the viewers attention away from your beautiful face. It can ruin your mood if you accidentally wear something ill-fitting or take away from your ability to love the photos we take. That all sounds intense but why go through all this effort if there's a chance you aren't going to like the outcome.

So let's talk about a few general guidelines.

Color Coordinate-

To start, choose a color palette that matches the season your session is in (more on this later.) Next, coordinate between the people in the session. This doesn't mean matching unless you want to. Choose colors that work well together and a neutral.

Avoid Neon colors and solid black unless it's a thematic choice. Both of these are too saturated to blend well.

Patterns-

Solid colors are easiest but the right pattern can be good textural interest. Choose soft, subtle patterns. Low contrast, and in your color palette. If there are multiple people in the group, you can use a pattern to make one person stand out ie. Mom wears a floral dress and the rest of the family is in solids. Or if you choose to have 2 patterns double check that they don't clash.

Patterns can be super distracting. Tiny high contrast stripes can create a weird optical illusion, giant florals can sit weird or consume the focus of the shot.

Be Comfy-

If you buy new clothing for the occasion, make sure you are comfortable in it and with how you look in it. Make sure you have the correct undergarments for fancy new dresses, and shoes that match the tone of the outfit. If you have kids participating, prioritize comfort! Backup clothes are always a good idea.

Ill fitting clothing will make you uncomfortable and could show up poorly on camera. If you aren't having fun, it'll show!

Summer-

Summer greenery is richer and darker. The trees are full and grass is lush so there is typically a lot of green tones around. The flowers in bloom are typically bold and bright colored. I think the Summer color palette is best represented through warm earthy tones. They go well with the warm sun and greenery and blend with most bold flower colors.

Autumn-

True Fall colors here in Virginia are vibrant! The greenery gets more yellow that the trees are filled with yellow, orange, and red. The Autumn color palette is bold and dark to contrast the colors all around. Jewel tones rule, with light or dark neutrals depending on which feeling you are going for.

Winter-

Winter is the best time for cool colors. The greenery is mostly gone (at least here in Virginia), except in the evergreen forests. The palette is typically cool and dark, but light colors can be fun in the snow.