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Clothing Tips &
Suggestions
Memorable portraits take careful planning, and the clothing
you choose is very important to your portrait's success.
When one or more people are to appear in the portrait, or when a special
stylistic effect is desired, clothing and prop choices can
make or break a portrait. These guidelines will help you to
make important decisions about your clothing and style of
your artwork.
Clothing for individuals
The
goal of any fine portrait is to direct the viewer's eye to
the face in the portrait. All the other elements should
be secondary. For individuals, simple long-sleeved garments
in medium to dark tones of brown, gray, burgundy, green or
blue are pleasing choices when photographed against a medium
or dark background.
 
Clothing for Small Groups or Couples
Couples
or small groups should choose simple garments within the
same tonal ranges. When subjects appear in a mixture of
light and dark tones together, there is a visual confusion -
as the light color comes forward, and the dark color
recedes. When this happens, (see the example of couple
below), one person becomes dominant and appears heavier than
in reality.
Clothing for Families
In a
family group, proper clothing coordination is critical. When
decorating a home, a major concern is to coordinate the
colors and tones of the walls, carpets, drapes, and
furniture. Similar coordination is necessary when selecting
clothing for a group portrait. Choose clothing in the same
tonal ranges so that no single member of the family stand
out because the clothing is too light or bright as compared
to the rest of the group.
Creating Style and
Personality
Our
goal is to create portraiture as individual as the subjects
we photograph. Our tools include various styles, techniques,
and settings that make each portrait a unique artwork.
Skin
Tone Considerations
Whether working with light or dark complexions, the
objective always is for the face to dominate the portrait.
Accordingly, skin highlights must be the lightest, brightest
or most intense areas of the portrait. So when a medium to
dark background is used, all subjects photograph best in the
medium to dark tones, whatever the skin tone.
Other
tips for preparing
-
Turtle necks or V-necks are flattering provided that neither
is exaggerated in style. Avoid very wide or particularly
deep V-neck garments or bulky cowl neck sweaters that
completely hide the neck.
-For close-up portraits, long sleeves are essential for
teens and adults, as bare arms call attention to themselves
and will overpower the face.
-Women being photographed in full length should wear long
skirts, pants or dark stocking in order to keep the eye from
being directed toward the legs and away from the face.
-If feet are to show in the portrait, assure that shoes and
stocking are in the keeping with the visual intent of the
portrait.
-Men should be clean shaven or facial hair should be
carefully groomed, with their hair cut about one week before
the portrait session. Women should be photographed whenever
they are happiest with their hair in relation to the time it
is styled.
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