2 min read

Photography Session Color Guide for Clients of 222 Photography

Updated: Apr 20, 2021

Or informally titled: "Ahhh!! What the heck do I wear?!"

First things first: let’s talk about your outfits.

Before we talk about what we should wear, let’s talk about what we should try to avoid: black. Black is fabulous (and it also happens to be my favorite color), but by no means is it great for photography. Black has a tendency to lose texture and depth, and it’ll also dominate your photos—you want the attention to be drawn towards your faces and not just a blob of black. See that picture of me up there? Great color, but my shape is completely lost in it. There are a few exceptions to this, like lace, patterns, and layers. If you wear a dress with layers and it has a slit (I don't know about you, but I'm picturing a gorgeous bride on top of a cliff), black could work for you. The layers would get broken up by the wind, and it won't look so...solid. Here's an example of when black could definitely work for you:

Other shades to avoid are neons and super bright colors (salmon, turquoise, orange) as they can create a color cast on your skin, and no one wants that (not to mention color casts are hard to correct in post-production aka when I go in to edit). So if you're going to go with a questionable color (like pink) please text me! I will let you know whether or not your chosen shade of pink will clash with your skin tones & our editing style.

The best tones to photograph are jewel and earth tones; these tones compliment everyone 100% of the time. Think burgundy, plum, olives, dusty blues, pale pinks, creams, and browns. Metallics are also great for accents; never underestimate the power of cute necklaces or bangles. Here are some samples:

The other exception to black: fitted pregnancy dresses. When we have colorful backdrop to work with, positioning/posing mom-to-be's are a breeze as long as their dress is very form-fitting like the momma above.

Patterns and textures can also add depth to your photos. When wearing patterns, you just want to make sure it isn’t clashing with the rest of the outfit (my mother would wear leopard top with cheetah bottoms—are you cringing yet?).

Lastly, think about your location. If we are shooting in the forest, the last thing you want to do is wear all green. With that said, avoid blues that would blend in at the ocean and the same shade of brown in the desert.

If you still can’t decide, check out Lulus.com. If you find something you like, let me know! I will send you a $20 coupon from them. Oh, and of course guys can never go wrong with wearing a suit, but if he won’t bite, a nice button up is great too. If you’re unsure of colors, a burgundy dress looks 500% fabulous on EVERY skin tone.