What do I wear for a professional photo shoot?

You’ve taken the leap and scheduled a branding photo shoot for your business! First of all, congrats on making such an important investment in your brand! I’m so happy for you.

You now realize that your photo shoot is in two days and you haven’t picked out an outfit to wear for it yet. Maybe you were subconsciously procrastinating because you didn’t want to deal with it, or you don’t think it will be that big of deal. Girl, you couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Your outfit(s) is extremely important and should be planned out at least a week before the day of your branding photo shoot. There are many reasons for this - the most important being that you don’t want to stress and scramble last minute. Also, what you think may look awesome on you, may not in fact be the best choice - and figuring this out a day before your photo shoot may place unnecessary stress on yourself. Your branding photographer is the expert on this subject, and I highly advise asking his or her opinion on your outfits before you choose them.

In the mean time, to help you with this very important subject, I’ve come up with several tips to make your life easier.

Choose outfit colors that represent your brand.

Did you ever use that Instagram tool that shows you what your color palette was for the past year? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry. Basically I want you to consider colors that people associate your business brand with. For example, my brand colors consist of pastels: yellow, blue, purple, pink. My logo is pastel blue. These are the colors I would consider for my personal branding photo shoot. Take a look at your logo, your website, your email signature and pay attention to the colors that you have chosen. If you are not consistent with any color and haven’t chosen a palette, please consider doing so. You want to create consistency throughout all facets of your brand so that people recognize you right away.

Wear something that fits you well and comfortably.

This is extremely important! Too many times have I seen photos of others with outfits that are too small or too baggy. You want to choose an outfit that fits you just right and is comfortable. A shirt that is too tight might not spare enough room for you move around and feel confident in. A dress that it too baggy can make you appear larger and not compliment your figure. To prevent this from happening, try on a few outfits that you are considering a week or so before your photo shoot and wear them for the day. This will help you figure out if you really love the way you feel in them or not. If you are planning on buying a new outfit for your branding photo shoot, don’t rely on that one time you tried them on in the dressing room. Wear them a few times to break them in. You might change your mind after wearing it again!

Avoid white shirts and dresses (white pants are okay).

Unless these are bridal portraits or it’s your wedding day, please stay away from white. White can be okay for certain situations - darker solid backgrounds, wearing white pants with a solid-colored top that is darker, or wearing a white shirt underneath a colorful blazer or jacket. However, I usually suggest avoiding white. The reason being is because white is extremely “highlight-y.” I personally edit my photos on the lighter side, so with the combination of already light and bright photos, adding white into the mix would make you blend into the rest of the background. If you really want to wear white, layer something on top of it (like a jacket or blazer as I previously mentioned), or choose a shirt or dress that has a white base with a simple pattern (as discussed in the next tip). But overall, try to stay away from it.

Stick to solid colors or a simple pattern.

I always tell my clients that solid colors are best. People tend to want to wear a pattern that is extremely busy because it feels exciting and pretty! And I can’t disagree on that one because I personally love busy floral patterns! However, when you are having your photo taken, wearing a busy pattern can be a major distraction from you as the subject. We want YOU to be the main focal point of your photos, not your zebra striped pants. Solid colors are also more flattering on people - especially for curvier women. Just like wearing baggy clothes can appear to make you look bigger, so can busy patterns. So please reconsider that paisley dress!

Did that help? If you’re unsure of an outfit that you’ve chosen for your branding photo shoot, please feel free to send me an email and ask! Or better yet, always ask your photographer’s opinion. To make it easy for my clients, I send them an outfit cheat sheet that has these tips and more! If you’d like a copy, send me an email at michelle@visionbalm.com!