Photo Shoot Style Guide

Photography Tips & Tricks

Whether you’re a photographer or gearing up for your own upcoming photo shoot, today’s style guide post is for you!

I have been looking for ways to streamline my workflow while improving support to my clients. A win/win situation, if you will. Recently I was spending a lot of time researching what to wear to a photo shoot & providing that info to my clients so as to ease their mind when preparing for our sessions. I was sending them links, writing emails, and putting in my own two cents.

Then it dawned on me! I could create my own photo shoot style guide & provide it to my clients firsthand! Eureka! The idea didn’t stop there. I decided to pull together this guide in collaboration with a fashion blogger and a graphic designer I would find through the Rising Tide Society FaceBook group. I reached out to Madeline at StyleMeThrifty.com (my favorite local fashion blog), found a designer via the RTS, and we were on our way!

Maddy and I came up with tips to help my clients prepare looks for their photo shoots: five from the fashion perspective and five from the photography perspective, to hopefully give well rounded consideration to photo shoot wardrobe woes. Our designer, Chelsea of Chelsea B. Designs, took our tips, added design elements straight from my website, & created a beautiful PDF I’m proud to share with my clients. It was so wonderful to work with such talented & creative professionals! Major thanks to these ladies for bringing this vision to fruition!

I am so excited to share a few of my tips with you today! I hope these are helpful if you are planning a photo session, and if you’re a photographer, send this post to your clients to help them plan what to wear for their shoot. For some fashion focused tips,  head over to www.stylemethrifty.com!

Photo Shoot Style – What to Wear in Three Tips

Prepare for a close-up: Let’s not sugarcoat it & get straight to the point here: splurge on a manicure, lather dry skin with lotion, (tastefully) wear a little more makeup than normal, shave your legs (haha!), & do a flash test at home to make sure your clothing isn’t see-through in bright lighting.

I love capturing details at my photo shoots! Make sure you’re proud to show off your sparkling engagement ring on manicured hands & nails, and make your features pop by outlining them with a little extra makeup.

(I like how I chose two photos including cupcakes to illustrate this point! Sweets on the brain much? haha)

This goes for men too – moisturize those hands!

Wear your best: Everything shows up in photos, so make sure you’re wearing your best, fade free, non-pilly attire that has been ironed & lint rolled. The newer & fresher your clothes, the better they will look in the photos.

Look dapper in your brand-spanking-new well-pressed suit.

Pick clothes that move well: A photo shoot is a dynamic environment. You want to be able to move around, pose differently, & have fun with it, so being comfortable is key. Wear something that looks fresh & is flattering, but will also allow you to move. And if your shoot will involve a lot of walking, bring a pair of flat, comfy shoes you can wear between shots or locations.

When those spontaneous moments occur, you want to be able to hop on a piggy back ride or get dipped for a kiss!

Thanks again to these creative professionals who contributed to the creation of the Rachel E.H. Photography photo shoot style guide:

Madeline Van Tassel – www.stylemethrifty.com

Chelsea Burkholder – www.chelseabdesigns.com

And to the Rising Tide Society for continuously encouraging & facilitating creative collaboration. #communityovercompetition.