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What To Wear To Your Classic Portrait Session

What Do We Wear?

This is the most common question people ask before a portrait session!

Think about how you can co-ordinate outfits through colour and style. This is different to matching outfits - you still want to show YOUR identity in the photos.

Our studio is a very natural and white space and we have found that soft colours and neutrals photograph the best.  If everyone is in the same tonal range then you will all look connected. 

 

Our goal is to focus on your expressions and your connections – without being distracted by your clothing. 

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Think About Your Home

Think about where your portraits will be displayed and how.

 

If you are planning a feature piece for your home, think about the colours you like to be surrounded by. 

 

For example – timeless white or neutrals will look great in most homes, but if you have a certain colour accent in your décor – you can achieve a real WOW effect by tying this in with your clothing.  

Stick To A Similar Colour Pallete

Try to stick to a similar colour palette and tonal range. This will not only look great in the end result but it ties your family together nicely, too!

 

A simple trick is to take one outfit - say Mum's - and pull different colours out of that outfit and match them to the others.  Then, lay all the clothes together on a bed and see how they look together. You'll quickly see that Dad’s bright red tartan shirt is going to clash horribly with that pastel purple polka dot skirt you were going to wear! 

 

Hint: agree on one common colour theme - shades of blue, for example - and ensure that each family member has something that matches in with that colour (not matching outfits though).

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Accessories, Layers and Texture

You can also tie outfits together with accessories. A bright yellow scarf, pink headband, blue jewelry, orange heels, etc to match in with each other. (Don't worry guys - that bits just for the girls!)

 

This is not only a great way to have a pop of colour - but also a great way to show your personality as well.

Layers are also great  - especially if it means we have more to work with outfit-wise and we can mix it up a bit in photos!

 

You can also add in some texture such as lace, crochet, cable-knit, ribbons and ruffles. 

Do's and Don'ts

Avoid logos - you don't want your family portrait to be a branded advertisement for Nike. 

 

Avoid big printed patterns on tee-shirts - try to go for plainer options if you can.

 

Avoid stripes - these can create an optical effect.

Stick to the same style of clothing - casual or formal, jeans or pants, shoes or jandals. It can be a bit of crazy photo if you are dressed as though some are off to work, others to a BBQ, and others to a ball.

Take the time to choose your outfits carefully and it will make a dramatic difference to the end results.

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Hair and Make-Up

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Ashleigh Jane
021 373 282

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Renee Hay
021 116 0818

Once you have everyone's clothing organised - the next thing to consider is hair and makeup for Mum. 

Is there a more perfect reason to pamper yourself and have professional hair and makeup done than when you are about to be photographed for a family portrait that will be displayed proudly on your wall for many years. 

We work with a small number of Hair and Makeup artists and highly recommend booking them for their services. Not only are they some of the most experienced in Canterbury, but they also know the light in our studio and our style of work – ensuring that you will look glamorous and gorgeous not only in your portraits, but also should you use this opportunity to book a night out afterwards.

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