What to Wear to Your Photo Shoot
The goal of any portrait shoot is to direct the viewer’s eye to the subject’s face. All other elements should be secondary. Not sure what to wear during your photoshoot? Here are a few tips to help you and your family look your best!
Comfort Counts
Our goal is to capture the members of your family as they are today. Choose clothing they love to wear that accentuates their individual personalities. Consider that you might be sitting or leaning in different poses. You want to wear something that you feel very comfortable in and that will cover any areas you do not want to show in the images.
Be Timeless
Clothing can easily date your portrait. For that reason, we often suggest simple clothing with a timeless cut and style. Long-sleeves take attention away from the arms and keep it on the face, therefore, they work great for most portraits. Jeans can be timeless and casual. Darker clothing recedes in the image and can appear slimming.
Coordinate with the Whole Family
Family portraits are an occasion to look your best. Coordinating your outfit is a major component of creating a high-quality photo. Bold patterns and bright colors can detract from a portrait, but if it’s your style you may want to consider pairing bold patterns with solids.
This is especially important for family and group photos. Try getting everyone to wear variations on the same color or a similar style of clothing for a cohesive look. It generally looks great when everyone’s clothing works well together. The emphasis then becomes the relationships and faces of those in the portrait, not the clothing you’re wearing.
Accessorize
Scarves, hats, bows, bow ties…they can all add a little ‘fun’ to your photos. Accessories are also a great way to coordinate looks, and props can help express your family’s unique personality.
Layering
Layers not only provide more visual interest in your photos but will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses. Layering also lets you easily and quickly vary your look: simply add or remove a sweater, jacket, or hat and you have an entirely different look.
Shoes
Coordinate your shoes with the style of your overall look: formal-casual and that they match your chosen color palette. You can shoot barefoot if you prefer.
Make-Up & Nails
Make sure your make-up & nails are camera-ready. You should arrive ready to shoot, so please prepare your make-up ahead of time. For your nails, consider visiting a nail salon if necessary.
Touch-Ups
Consider bringing a brush or comb, hairspray, lipstick, etc. to the shoot with you. In the event that you need a touch-up mid-shoot.
Please Come on Time
Make sure to plan out your travel time to arrive in time for your shoot. Most of our shoots will be one hour long. If you would like to schedule a longer shoot, we would be happy to discuss options with you, before your appointment.
Family Photo Backgrounds
We offer a wide variety of backgrounds to fit your photo style and particular needs. Consider coordinating outfits with specific backgrounds in mind. You may choose a small assortment of backdrops, usually 2 or 3, for your photo session. Below is a sampling of some of our backgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we Include Pets in our Family Photo Shoot?
At this time, Better Biz Works is not offering family photography that includes pets for our studio sessions. We are open to discussing family shoots at a local park or other outdoor location, in which pets may be acceptable.
How Long is a Typical Family Photo Session?
Generally, our family photo packages include 1 hour of shooting. If you would like to schedule a longer shoot, we would be happy to discuss pricing options to meet your needs. We can discuss your priorities are to ensure we work quickly and efficiently and get the shots you want. If working with extended families, you may want to add extra time to the session to allow for a variety of family groupings.
What Will I Receive?
We will send you a selection of photos after editing them. You will receive digital copies and/or physical prints depending on what you would like to purchase. Digital copies may take 7-10 business days after the photo shoot. Physical copies of photos may vary based on the package you select.