What to wear for senior pictures (and any portrait session)

Start with the outfits

Pick two to four. That's enough variety for a gallery and not so many that we spend the good light in the car changing. The rule I give everyone: one dressier, one casual, and one that is completely you.

Dressier means what you'd wear to a nice dinner, not a prom. Casual means the outfit you'd actually leave the house in on a Saturday. The completely-you one is the jersey, the letter jacket, the band shirt, the boots you never take off, the cap and gown. If you play, bring the instrument. If you ride, bring the helmet. That outfit is usually the photo the family frames.

How many fit depends on the package:

• The Essentials: 2 outfits
• The Classic: 3–4 outfits
• The Signature: As many outfits as we can fit

If you're stuck between two, bring both. Deciding on the day takes thirty seconds and I'd rather you have the option than wish you did.

Colors that hold up outside

Most of my sessions are shot in the last hour or two before sunset, and that light is warm. Colors that already sit in that range look rich: cream, tan, rust, olive, mustard, brown, denim, deep green, burgundy. Muted colors in general photograph better than loud ones. Navy, charcoal, and soft blues work well too.

Pure bright white is fine in a shirt but can blow out in direct sun, so pair it with something darker or save it for the shadier spot. All black works for one outfit, but if everyone in a family photo wears black, the group turns into one shape. Mix it up.

What fights the camera

• Tiny busy patterns. Fine checks, thin stripes, small houndstooth. They shimmer on camera and pull the eye off your face. Bigger, softer patterns are fine.
• Big logos and words. Anything you can read from across the room becomes the subject of the photo. A small logo is nothing. A chest-wide one is a billboard.
• Neon. Bright pink, lime, and highlighter yellow bounce their color onto your skin, and the tint under your chin isn't fixable in a nice way.
• Very thin or very shiny fabric. Both do odd things in low sun. A satin top will show every fold as a highlight.
• Brand new shoes with white soles. They glow. Scuff them a little or bring the pair you actually wear.

Fit and wrinkles

Fit matters more than price. Something that sits right on your shoulders and doesn't need pulling down every two minutes will beat a nicer piece that doesn't fit. Try each outfit on the night before and move around in it. Sit, raise your arms, crouch. If it rides up or gaps, swap it.

Steam or iron everything the night before and hang it up. Then bring it on a hanger or folded once, not stuffed in a bag. Wrinkles are the one thing that shows in every single frame, and fixing them in editing never looks as good as not having them.

Shoes

Shoes are in more photos than you think. Full-length shots, sitting on steps, walking frames. Bring a pair that goes with each outfit, and make sure at least one pair is comfortable to walk in, because we'll walk. Heels are fine for the dressier outfit; bring flats for getting between spots. Clean them. Dust on black shoes reads instantly.

Layers

A jacket, cardigan, flannel, or denim over a plain top gives us two looks from one outfit with no changing. It also adds shape, which helps if you feel awkward with your hands. Sleeves you can push up, a jacket you can hold over your shoulder, a scarf in fall. Layers are the cheapest variety you can bring.

Accessories

Keep them simple and keep them yours. A watch, small earrings, a chain you always wear, a hat if hats are your thing. Skip anything that clinks, flashes, or takes attention from your face. If you wear glasses every day, wear them. Sunglasses can be one frame, not one outfit.

Hair, nails, and skin the week before

• Haircut: a week or more before, so it settles. Not the day before.
• Color: same, give it a week. Fresh color usually comes out stronger than you meant and settles after a few washes, and a week leaves time to fix it if it went wrong.
• Nails: hands are in a lot of frames. Clean and trimmed is enough; a neutral polish or a plain manicure is nice if that's your thing. Chipped polish shows.
• Skin: don't start a new product or treatment this week. Drink water, sleep, and skip the tanning bed. A sunburn or a tan line at the sleeve is hard to hide.
• Makeup: a little more than everyday, a little less than a wedding. Matte over shimmer, since shimmer catches the light as shine. Bring what you need for a touch-up.
• Shaving: the morning of, not right before we start, so any redness calms down.

Every photo you get is retouched: blemishes, stray hairs, the bruise from practice. So don't stress about one bad spot the day of. It goes.

What to bring

• Your outfits, on hangers or folded once, in the order you want to shoot them
• Shoes for each outfit, plus something you can walk in
• A lint roller
• Hair ties, a brush or comb, and a small mirror
• Touch-up makeup and lip balm
• Blotting papers or a tissue for shine
• Water, and a snack if it's a longer session
• Anything for the completely-you outfit: instrument, ball, jersey, jacket, cap and gown
• A towel or blanket to sit on if we are in grass
• For the dog: leash, treats, and a second person to hold them

What not to worry about

Posing. That's my job, and I'll tell you exactly where to put your hands. Looking natural. Nobody feels natural for the first ten minutes and it never shows in the gallery. Being late on a decision between two outfits. We'll pick together in a minute. The weather. If it rains we reschedule at no charge, and we talk about a backup date when you book. A breakout, a scratch, a bruise. Retouching handles it. The only thing that's really on you is the wrinkles, and a steamer solves that.

For parents

You're welcome on the shoot, and honestly it helps. Come if you want a say on outfits or angles, or drop them off and I'll text you the plan. A few things that make the day go better from your side:

• Let them pick the outfits, then add one you love. They'll wear yours for a few frames if it isn't a fight, and you'll get the photo you wanted.
• Handle the steaming and the hangers. It's the one prep step that gets skipped when it's left to a teenager the night before.
• Bring the family in for the last few minutes if you want a group shot. Coordinate colors loosely with what they are wearing, and no matching shirts.
• On the day, stand behind me. The best expressions come from a parent making them laugh over my shoulder, not from me.