THE PORTRAIT SESSION STYLE GUIDE
Getting Started
I’m so excited for your portrait session! Whether I’m photographing your sweet family or your graduating senior, or doing a session to celebrate a special moment in your life, like your wedding anniversary, a pregnancy or a newborn baby I want you to know that I’m honored to be your photographer and humbled that you’ve trusted me with the responsibility of helping you create memories you’ll look back on and cherish for a lifetime.
My goal is simple: for your session to be as fun and stress-free as possible! That’s why I’ve created this guide just for you! The following pages will help you get the absolute most out of your photos. By the time you’ve read through it, you'll have all of your questions answered and feel ready and prepared for your session!
This guide is packed with my best tips, tricks and insider secrets for styling your portrait session. Your only job is to be yourself, laugh a lot, have fun and let me do the rest! I can’t wait to get you in front of my camera and I’m so excited to see you soon!
Planning Your Time
When you’re planning "getting ready" time before your session (scheduling your hair, makeup, etc.) please give yourself a lot more time than you think you'll need. Make sure to account for things like traffic, getting lost and parking, so you can prevent unnecessary stress, arrive a few minutes early to your session and be ready to start on time. I’m only able to shoot when light is still in the sky, so we’ll want to take advantage of every minute we have together before the sun goes down!
Number of Outfits
Wondering how many outfits you should plan? I’ve got you covered!
Changing outfits during a session always takes more time than expected, so in order to maximize shooting time and give you the highest number of photos possible, I recommend the number of outfits (as follows) to keep stress low and the number of photos in your final gallery high:
Family Sessions - 1 Outfit
Maternity/Anniversary/Couples - 1 or 2 Outfits
Senior Sessions/Headshots - 2 or 3 Outfits
Styling Your Session
If you want your portrait session images to look and feel a little more editorial, I recommend bringing a few small, simple props with you, like fresh flowers to hold or a blanket to sit on. If you want to set up a picnic or incorporate another special element into your session, just let me know! Maybe you have access to some larger props that have a real “wow” factor, like a boat, classic car, vintage bicycle or hot air balloon. This is the time to dream a little bit and decide what really feels like you! Props aren’t a must by any means. Some families love them and go all out. Some pick one or two items to bring. Others stick with just their outfits –– and that’s great, too! The most important things you need to bring to your session are love and laughter. I'll take care of the rest.
STYLE TIPS: FOR HER
Dress It Up
Have you been eyeing a gorgeous dress, but just never had an occasion for it? This is your chance to do it up! Remember: there’s no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your portrait session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun! If you don’t want to spend a ton of money adding a new permanent piece to your wardrobe, check out Rent the Runway. You don’t have to spend a lot to feel like a million bucks. Plus, you can send the outfits back when the session is over! Or maybe you have something in your closet you have been dying to wear. Whatever works for you!
Say Yes to the Dress
There's nothing more romantic than a long, flowy dress. Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter the female body — which is probably why the red carpet is always full of so many dresses and not very many pantsuits! I recommend choosing long, flowy dresses or skirts because they’re flattering on all body types, look amazing on camera and bring extra movement and dimension to your photos. Maxi (or floor length) skirts and dresses will give us the best “twirl factor,” add more romance to your walking photos and look especially gorgeous when juxtaposed with nature, like the desert, forest, fields or beach. Cute, shorter cocktail-length dresses or midi skirts photograph beautifully as well. My clients who choose to bring two dresses will sometimes choose one of each! I recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session, and saying yes to a dress (or skirt!) or two! You won't regret it!
Flattering Your Features
In my experience, every woman (regardless of her size or shape) has an area of her body that she’s self conscious about. Recognizing the areas you’re self conscious about when selecting your outfits is key. Choosing flattering silhouettes and colors that complement your natural features is the best way to ensure you’ll love the way you look in your photos. Three-quarter length sleeves create an awesome slimming effect on all arms, so be on the lookout for an option with a longer length sleeve. If your dress has shorter sleeves (or no sleeves) consider bringing a cute jacket, blazer, cardigan or pashmina to incorporate into your look. Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on arms on camera. For most women, skinny straps actually make arms look BIGGER. So I recommend avoiding those whenever possible if your goal is slimmer-looking arms. If it’s colder outside, I suggest bringing a warm coat (the longer, the better!) to wear when we’re not shooting so you don’t freeze in your dress.
For shoes, keep in mind that heels elongate women’s legs and force constant tension in the calves –– which makes them look more toned. Closed-toed heels, in particular, look great on camera because they carry out the line of your leg all the way down to your toe. You can never go wrong with a pair of neutral pumps! If your toes are showing in a peep-toe heel, you might want to schedule a pedicure before your session so you don’t regret letting your toes show. If your shoes don’t show at all in the dress you’ve selected, you could always choose neutral ballet flats to make your session more comfortable. Lastly, make sure to bring a pair of flats/flip flops to wear when moving from place to place. Your feet will thank you later!
Make a Statement
Pairing an accessory or two with your outfit can really help bring some extra dimension to your images. Whether it’s a necklace, belt, bracelet, earrings, hat, or scarf, bringing an accessory or two can bring great visual interest to your photos, so choose one or two that don’t compete for attention when paired together. For example, if you go with bolder earnings, you might want to choose a more humble necklace, or maybe even no necklace at all. Fresh florals in a crown or bouquet can be a really romantic touch as well!
Go Pro: Hair & Makeup
Professional hair and makeup is on the top of most of my women’s portrait session checklists because it looks amazing on camera and removes the stress of getting ready on your own. You’ll have these photos forever, so this is the time to pamper yourself! Whether it’s lash extensions or blown-out hair, professional hair and makeup will give you an extra boost of confidence in front of the camera, and it always photographs like a dream. If you’re working with a makeup artist, have her apply your makeup in natural light (if possible) so that it looks fresh and not too heavy. Plus, that’s the type of light we’ll be shooting in, so it’ll give you the best expectation of how it will translate on camera. You may feel like your makeup is “too much” at first, since it’s more than you may wear on a normal day, so if you feel that way at the beginning, don’t worry! Good makeup artists know how to get it just right for the camera. If you need a recommendation for hair and makeup, I work with the best in the business and have a go-to team! They’re sweet as pie, talented as heck, unbelievable professionals and wonderful people. You’ll LOVE them! Just let me know and I’ll send you their information. I know they’ll take good care of you!
Skip the Spray Tan
Although it might seem counter-intuitive, I recommend that you do not get a spray tan before your session (even a few days prior) because it tends to photograph orange even when it’s applied subtly and by a professional. Your actual skin tone will photograph most beautifully.
Choosing Colors
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting neutral tones or more muted shades. Bright, bold or neon colors are distracting and take the focus away from where it should be: YOU! And how much you love each other. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with colors like cream, taupe, camel or light gray. However, keep in mind the colors in your home. After all that is where you will display your images! Check out my breakdown on color theory HERE to help get you in the groove!
CREATING THE LOOK
How to Mix All the Colors
The goal for coordinating a family’s outfits is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not all wearing the same color on top and bottom (like everyone in blue jeans with white shirts). The more you can mix it up, the better! I encourage you to think about planning each outfit with “dominant colors” and “accent colors” in mind. A dominant color is the color that you see the most in an outfit, while an accent has a smaller piece of visual real estate. When you’re planning each family member’s outfit, if you can aim for each person to have a different dominant color, and then tie in and vary the accent colors, it’ll look great all together.
For example, if you’re wearing a blush dress, soft blue earrings and nude heels (blush being your dominant color), then your spouse could wear a navy coat with a white button-down and gray pants, paired with brown leather shoes and maybe even a blush pocket square (making navy his dominant color). Your daughter could wear a soft blue top with a white tulle skirt (making a soft blue her dominant color) while your son could wear light beige pants with navy suspenders and a white button down (making white his dominant color). Now each person has their own dominant color while still incorporating a few touches of the other colors that will pull all the looks together. This will visually break up all the colors and highlight each person and their individual personality. Most of my moms choose their dress first, and then build the rest of the family’s outfits based on that.
Coordinating the Looks
As you’re coordinating your outfit with your family, keep in mind that your outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match.” In fact, I recommend that you avoid thinking about “matching,” and instead think about what “fits” together. This will create more visual interest, and allow each personality to shine through.
Mixing Up the Pieces
If you have multiple children, don’t feel like you need to put them all in the same type of outfit. For example, if one of your daughters wears a dress and flats, the other can wear a skirt and boots, if that’s more of her style. If one of your sons wears a bowtie, the other can wear suspenders. Mixing up the wardrobe pieces will bring even more visual interest to your photos.
Having trouble deciding on colors? Click HERE to learn about color theory and coordinating outfits! You’re going to LOVE this break down!
FASHION TIPS: FOR HIM
Tops & Bottoms
The same way that a dress is the most flattering silhouette for the female body, a blazer, sport coat or jacket has the same flattering effect for men. You can’t go wrong with a dress shirt, slacks and a blazer.
Long sleeves are more flattering than short sleeves on men, so we’d recommend steering clear of polos, and instead opt for a long-sleeve button-down. The other benefit to long sleeves is we can roll the sleeves up for a slightly more casual look, which gives you two looks with one shirt.
For colors, I recommend neutrals. When selecting your pieces, I recommend choosing a different “weight” for the pants and coat. So for example, navy pants (darker) and a heather gray blazer (lighter). Or gray pants (darker) with a soft powder blue shirt (lighter).
When selecting an outfit for photos, the most important part isn’t the price. It’s the fit. For men, it’s important to have a jacket that fits snugly (but not too tight), and pants that are the correct length and don’t have too many breaks. Just like high heels make women look taller than they are, bunched up fabric stacked on top of a man’s shoes makes him look physically shorter than he really is.
Layered Looks
The next time you walk by a store like J. Crew or Banana Republic, you’ll notice the male mannequins and models are always wearing several layers at once. Layers on men look great on camera! Don’t be afraid to get a little creative.
It’s All in the Details
Long pants with closed-toed shoes is the most sophisticated and masculine look for a man. They draw attention away from your legs and feet, and place it where you want it: on your face! So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts and sandals at home. Dress pants, colored pants or nice dark-washed jeans work best. Brown leather dress shoes or boots complement almost every look, whether you’re wearing slacks, colored pants or dark-washed jeans. As opposed to athletic shoes, dress shoes, help elevate your photos and will give them a more editorial look.
How to Prep Your Man
Even though taking photos might not be his favorite thing... YOU ARE! Most men aren’t overly excited to take photos for two hours, mostly because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to you, which is why I recommend sitting down together for fifteen minutes to educate and empower your man. Tell him why you chose me and my style of photography. Show him your three favorite sessions that I’ve done, explain why you love the photos so much and express to him how much this session means to you. Trust me, if he loves you, he’ll bring his A-game and light up the camera for you! The most common thing I hear from guys before portrait sessions is this: because of a bad experience in the past, they don’t like taking photos or don’t feel like they’ll be good at it. By the time the session is over, though, most guys can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!
FALL & WINTER SESSIONS
When seasons change and temperatures drop, sometimes it’s just too cold for a dress and heels by themselves (no matter how warm your coverup overcoat is). So I have some suggestions for late fall and winter that will still help you be fashion-forward and keep your color tones camera friendly.
First, let’s talk about color palettes. Just like in warmer weather, I recommend muted hues over bold, primary colors. During fall, warm neutrals like camel, taupe, cream, champagne, and gray are still going to look great. If you’d like to incorporate color, choose sophisticated jewel-toned versions of bright primary colors. Here are some examples: mustard over yellow, crimson or burgundy over red, camel over orange, sage or emerald over green, and powder blue or navy over blue. These jewel tones will photograph beautifully in ANY season.
Cold Weather Tips:
Add a peacoat, tights, scarves and heeled booties to a form-fitting cocktail dress or paired with a cute skirt and sweater!
OR
Statement coat with a beanie, scarf and gloves or a warm, oversized, snuggly sweater with tall boots and a hat.
PHOTO DELIVERY TIMELINE
1 Week - Sneak Peek
In the week following your session, I’ll post a sneak peek of one of my favorite photos from our time together on my Facebook page –– so keep an eye out for that! I’m so excited for you to see how beautiful you look through my eyes.
2 Weeks - Blog Post
About two weeks after your session, I’ll post a blog with some of my favorite highlights. I’ll be sure to let you know when the blog post has been made!
4 Weeks - Full Gallery
One month after your session, I’ll send you a link to your online gallery with all of your final, retouched, high-resolution images. You can share the link with your family and friends, post to social media and more! I recommend changing the lock screen on your phone first :) Also, don’t forget! Your gallery comes with unlimited downloads (before being archived) for you and anyone you share the link with, as well as the option to purchase prints from my professional lab and have them drop-shipped straight to your door. If you prefer, you can also upload the digital files to the retail lab of your choice (I recommend Nations Photo Lab for that!) and print them there.
ONE FINAL NOTE
I know I just gave you A LOT to think about! Don’t panic :) Just take it one step at a time. Below I’ve provided a Portrait Session Checklist for you to help you stay organized and on top of things! But if you have any questions at any point, please know I’m here for you! If you’re deciding between two dresses and can’t commit, no problem! I’m here. If you love two locations but can’t make up your mind, no worries! I can help with that, too. If you need a recommendation of any kind, I’m on it! Remember, I’m just one email, message or call away.
At the end of the day, though, the location you choose and the outfits you wear won’t matter nearly as much as the fun we have together and the memories you make. The style choices you make will definitely enhance your photos, but the most important accessory to bring with you is joyfulness –– which is the one that makes the biggest difference in your photos anyways. You don’t need to have prior experience in front of the camera. Just show up with a smile and I’ll take care of the rest!
I’m so excited! See you soon!
XOXO,
Portrait Session Checklist
1. Email kaleighfischerphotography@gmail.com or connect through social media to schedule a date, time and location
2. Schedule hair and makeup appointments
3. Review Style Guide for outfit inspiration
4. Choose your outfits (drop off at dry cleaner if needed!)
5. Get your nails done
6. Pack a bag with:
- Flats or flip-flops for walking between photo spots
- Outfit two (including shoes and accessories)
- Touch-up makeup
- Props
- Water bottle
- Coat or cover-up (for colder sessions)
- Snacks for little ones
- Small eye-catching toys to grab little kids’ attention