Color

When choosing color(s) for your outfits, I recommend selecting soft, light tones and muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your face(s).

The camera loves soft pastels and neutrals like peach, lavender, blush, sky blue, sage green, golden yellow, heather gray, creams, tans, leather, denim, and soft white. This soft color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments.

**Black, though slimming, becomes very shapeless in photos. Avoid black if you can, but if you must wear it, black pants are fine.** 

Fabrics & Prints

Fabric selection has the power to add positive interest or negative distraction to your photos. 

For women: A solid-colored fabric is always a winner, but if you don't want to wear (or don't have) a solid-colored dress, shirt, etc., select a print that is minimalist and understated, rather than bold and design-forward. Think calicos, dainty florals, repetitive geometric motifs, checkered patterns, or small stripes.

​Another way to add visual interest is to opt for texture like lace, seersucker, linen, denim, chiffon, or tulle.



For men: Long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are a very sophisticated look for men. They draw attention away from his legs and feet and place it where you want it: on his handsome face. Fitted dress pants or fitted solid-colored pants work best on camera. Denim looks great if it's nice denim. Pinstripes and plaid patterns tend to distract the eye. I also recommend staying away from graphics and logos. 

Accessories

Pairing an accessory or two with your outfit can really help bring some extra dimension to your images, and also be a nice tie-in when you’re coordinating with a group.

Big statement necklaces bring a lot of pop to the photos, while the smaller, delicate ones are not as noticeable on camera. Belts, bracelets, and earrings bring great visual interest, so choose one or two that don’t compete for attention. Fresh florals in a crown can be a really romantic touch for the ladies. Ties, bowties, pocket squares, colored socks, belts, tie clips, suspenders, vests, watches, and statement rings are sharp complements to any outfit for men and boys alike.

1) START WITH A "THREE CORE COLOR" PALETTE OF NEUTRALS & NEARLY-NEUTRALS



Before you go unloading your whole family's dressers and drawers, you can simplify this process with a plan. And the plan is to pick a palette. Start by selecting a base plus 2-3 colors from the neutral and nearly-neutral swatches below and build most of the outfits using those 2 to 3 colors.

Note: black becomes very two-dimensional and blob-like in photos, so if you want to incorporate black, keep it to a minimum and keep it on the bottom half of the outfit if you can. 

2) ADD ONE OR TWO ACCENT COLORS

If you want to add a bit of variety, or if you can't find a complete outfit from your 3 core colors, add in one or two accent colors, to be used less frequently than the core colors.

These colors should complement the neutrals and nearly-neutrals that you're already using. 



Finish off by adding nonessential clothing items such as wraps, sweaters, hats or statement accessories such as watches, bow ties, bracelets, hair bows, and jewelry that fits the core and accent colors.