Portrait Tips. Here is a list of things to consider when having a portrait done which you may not think about. They cover anything from clothing and color selection to what to think about or be prepared for. These are just suggestions and things to think about -- nothing is a firm rule. Later, I will be adding more along with sample pictures to show why some things work well and some do not.

• Think about what types of portraits you want
• Head and shoulder, 3/4 length, full length?
• Are you looking for traditional portraits, casual, romantic/boudoir, a mix?
• Are there any particular items you want with you that express your life/interests such as musical instruments, sports items, family picture, Miss America tiara & sash?
• What is your best feaure? Would you (or a significant other) want a picture of your legs for example?


• Beware of red marks on your skin
• Items such as glasses, watches and other tight fitting jewelry or clothing can leave red marks on your skin which can take up to an hour to disappear. Please be sure you remove them at least an hour before showing up for your appointment.
• If doing topless, open top, semi-nude or nude portraits, this also applies to tight fitting clothing including socks, under garments or anything with an elastic band.
• Remember the clothing you will change into and what may suddenly be seen. An off the shoulder or spaghetti strap outfit will expose your shoulders too while some pants may sit lower on your waist than others and show waist lines with certain tops.


• Clothing Colors and Styles
• There are special considerations for traditional portraits where we want to focus attention on the person's face. Other visible skin and skin-tone colors may detract from the face. These guidelines do not always hold true for other types of pictures such as boudoir where more skin and plunging necklines may be acceptable.
• Simple clothing usually looks best. Do not wear anything with a loud pattern, excessive feartures, bold strips or plaids.
• In general, traditional portraits are done against a dark background. Medium or rich tones of the following colors will work best: blue, brown, teal green, burgundy, purple.
• Darker colors are slenderizing and therefore more flattering.
• Lighter and bright colors overpower the face or drawn attention away such as: orange, red, white, yellow, pink, peach, tan and beige.
• Light colors or an all white outfit may be appropriate against an all white background or pastel background.
• Oversized turtle necks, lapels or overly plunging necklines do not photograph well.
• Wear long sleeved shirt instead of short sleeve or sleeveless. The added skin draws attention away from your face. Children are the exception to this rule.
• The same applies to legs. If going for a full length portrait, remember to wear a long skirt, pants or dark stockings.
• Clothing should have V necklines where possible. Rounded and scoop necklines can add weight and make you appear shorter and wider than you are.
• For boudoir portraits, leg openings in panties and other items should a high cut style, French cut, to make your legs appear longer and more attractive. Also please bring pantyhose that is sheer to the waist with no dark areas or panels.
• For couples, families or small groups, do not wear different or clashing colors. Try to stay with the same colors/tones, such as all wearing mid blues or dark suits.
• Backless tops and outfits seem like a good idea, but in practice are difficult to work with. When a subject is turned even slightly, their front appears fully covered, but then there is a slight patch of skin showing from their back. This skin detracts from the appearance of the portrait and if there are many straps, it may make a subject appear to have bulges of skin between the straps. This does not apply to backless or low cut and strappy outfits if you want a picture specifically from the back, perhaps looking over your shoulder.
• Black. Matte black clothing is hard to photograph well. Some may, but it depends on the finish, bulk and backdrop used. Skin tight black outfits will show better than bulky black sweaters where all detail, including your arms and figure will be lost in the darkness. Please include a variety of colors in your wardrobe and do not bring only solid black outfits.
• There are few color rules for non-traditional portraits. In these more casual, romantic or boudoir shots, where the attention does not have to be focued entirely on the face, just about anything can work, however, the guidelines for patterns, oversized turtle necks, backless outfits and groups considerations should still be observed.


• Makeup and Hair.
• If you want this to be a portrait of you, not a portrait of someone else's interpretation of you, then do your makup. See other people's portraits from Glamour Shots to understand why. It is not that having a professional do your hairstyle and makeup is wrong, but is the resulting look 'you'?
• Use a bit more foundation than normal, carefully blending it from your face down to your upper body. You do not want your face to be one color and your upper body another.
• Your eye makeup should be as you would wear it to a formal occassion in the evening. In other words, using a bit more than you would during the day.
• Eye shadow should be a lighter color rather than darker to bring your eyes forward.
• Blush and lip color should be heavier than usual. Blush should be evenly blended and lip color should be a shade darker than usual avoiding light colors and especially anything that looks frosted.
• Most importantly, use enough powder for a matte finish. You should have a solid foundation of powder. This matte finish is very important to avoid shiny reflections of the lights, called hotspots.
• Hair should be fixed in a natural way.
• These guidelines are for general portraits and boudoir shots. They do not necessarily apply to other types such as active wear or swim wear.
• Bring your makeup, hair items and powder with you to be able to adjust your makeup as needed.


• Miscellaneous
• Come for your portraits awake and relaxed. A good night's sleep before hand and a relaxing bubble bath may do the trick. Allow extra time to get here so you are not frantic or pressured.
• Jewelry should be coordinated with each outfit you bring. A nice assortment of simple jewelry will give you some options during your session.
• Consider unusal ideas for non-traditional portraits. Especially for romantic shots. It is not necessary to only think of 'bedroom' attire for bouroir photography. If doing this for a special someone, think of things of 'his' you might use. Try some of the following: an evening dress, high heels, 'his' uniform or favorite shirt, body stocking, leather jacket, vest, cutoffs, a bath towel with wet hair, silk boxer shorts, t-shirts with holes, anything thin or transparent, a halloween costumes, anything fishnet, flower petals, a mini skirt, an off the shoulder top, tank tops which are too tight or cut off too much, sunglasses, scarfs, lingerie, stockings, anything funny or outfits which you would never wear outside.

As you can see by the picture below, it is not important to always follow these guidelines. The picture above was a romamtic shot against a black backdrop, not a traditional portrait where we would want to focus attention exclusively to her face. For this reason, we were able to use white sleeveless dress. Ask if you are not sure of something you would like to use.

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