It’s that time of year I am fortunate enough to be able to sit and reflect on a lot of things, including how to improve the client experience. It also happens to be the time of year that I finally can get in those beloved portraits of my own daughter. She loves to model, which is great, because I wanted the perfect opportunity to show you all some ways to improve your sessions.  (And I would never make an example of one of my clients, so I get to exploit my daughter’s fashion “sense” instead.)

In my previous post, I talked about displaying your portrait art in your home, and the considerations you should make when planning your portrait session.
Fact: I want you to love your portraits; love them so much that they are everywhere in your home.  And let’s face it, we’ve all had our portraits taken, then looked back a month, a year, a decade later and said, “WHY did I wear THAT???” So, I thought I’d help you all out with the planning, and show you some examples of the right way to do it, and the wrong way to do it. I often get asked, “What should we wear?” and while I give my basic color recommendations, I want you to delve into it a little further.

Some of the things you need to consider when planning your portrait session:

Location: What will my surroundings be like?
Home decor: Where will these portraits be displayed?
Mood: What is my goal for the overall feel of the portraits?
Size: What space do I have to display these portraits

I know you’re looking for some good examples, so here we go. These photos were taken this week of my daughter. I did a round of minis, of sorts, with her. She’s great at taking direction, so I let her run with it. I also allowed her to choose her own outfit, knowing that her style is a bit, um, busy. Eh, I don’t have to be nice…it’s my kid…her style is LOUD. And bright. And very cute on the playground, or at home, or in school. Not so great for what I usually have in mind for her shoots, and not so cute on the wall ten years from now when I’ll be saying, “Why did I let her wear that shirt?”

OK, let me backtrack a bit…it’s 100% OK to let your personal style shine through in your portraits. I don’t want to imply that at all. But make selections that will complement those bullet points listed just above.

Anyway, as you can see, my girl selected a bright green and white striped shirt with a BIG pink heart on it, and her signature riding boots. Totally “her”. But not necessarily what I want to shine through in her portraits. I would rather focus on her eyes, her freckles, her expressions. But as you can see, her attire is quite distracting, despite the “look” I am going for. In this first set, I asked her to be sweet, cute, and smile a lot, like a really good friend would do. Obviously, she nailed it, but the shirt is pretty distracting, as are the boots. This would have been much better with a neutral sweater, and a skirt, or a dress. Something sweet, flowy, and girly to match the mood. (and which also would have gone along with her style.)

Verdict:
Cute, but as the client myself, definitely not going on the wall. There’s too much distraction in her outfit, and it’s not going to look timeless in a few years. Not to mention the white in the shirt blends closely with her skin, she’s so fair!

Now, compare to a similar set from just a few days before, in which she is wearing a muted sweater dress that is classic and complements the surroundings (in this case, blending with the colors, though sometimes a good contrast works equally as well!) It will also work well with our understated, neutral, contemporary decor in our home, or with any future changes we may make.

Verdict:
Now THAT is a series of canvases I can’t wait to hang on the wall, and will love for years to come!

Next set, I asked her to be gloomy, and pretend she was lost in the woods. (Confession: I may have been scouting for a concept I have planned for a future shoot with her.)  And again, she nailed every pose and look I had hoped for, but that silly shirt was so distracting!!!

Verdict:
Try again with the costume I have planned for her. (And proof that you can’t just convert an image to black and white to make it “better”.) A solid light colored shirt would have improved this image drastically. The playfulness of the outfit contrasts to the mood of the portrait (which is another side of my little sweetheart).

These are the “moody” shots from the other day. Again, it just works better because of the clothing choices. There is just enough texture to her sweater that it lends depth to the images without overpowering.

Verdict:
LOVE these, and the emotion I sought shines through, without the distraction of the clothing.

So, maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “OK, got it. No stripes on the kids.” The stripes are just one example. She could have been wearing the same sweater dress but in a bright pink in the second set up there, and it wouldn’t have pulled the photograph together as well as the gray. What I want you to consider with clothing, location, even hairstyle and accessories: “Do they complement each other, my home, and my goal for this session?”

Let’s talk some scenarios. Maybe that will be helpful as well.

Client: A newly-engaged couple
Location: Downtown and urban
Style: Their home is contemporary, clean, with muted colors
What I would suggest for them:
Keep it neutral, timeless, and sophisticated. Contemporary, but classic.
Nothing too frilly or flowing for her, which would contrast with the urban landscape. Perhaps a pencil skirt, tights, boots, and a simple blouse with a scarf. For him, you can’t go wrong with jeans and a navy blazer. (Skip the tie.) The colors I would love for this are navy blue, charcoal grey, and cream. Maybe a pop of color in her accessories, such as yellow or red.
For the session, lots of kisses, stolen glances, touching hands. Expressing their love. Celebrating it.

Client: A small family of three, with a preschooler (cough cough)
Location: The beach
Style: Their home is lived in, comfortable, with lots of DIY touches (a la Pinterest)
What I would suggest for them:
Fun, but simple. Colors to pull from the sea.
Blues, creams, teals – but nothing too matchy. Dad in jeans and a sweater (winter) or shortsleeve button-down shirt , untucked (summer). Mom in a long maxi-dress or skirt in a solid color. Child in an outfit to compliment mom or dad, depending on gender, without being perfectly matched. All of them barefoot.
For the session itself: play in the surf, lay in the sand, and just smile a LOT.  Connecting and laughing.

Client: A family of six, with 4 children ranging in age from 5 to 18
Location: A wooded park in autumn
Style: Their home is sophisticated, with lots of rich colors and woods, textures in fabrics and leathers.
What I would suggest for them:
Classic poses as well as casual moments. Rich jewel tones, like deep blues, browns, and burgundies. The kids shouldn’t match, but complement each other. (No, I don’t mean the same exact shirt in different colors. Think one in a blue sweater, another in a blue and cream striped shirt, blue tights on another, etc.) For the session, we would mix it up with various groupings, sitting and standing poses, and a variety of family interaction.

I hope that gives you all some food for thought. I don’t intend to make the process more difficult, but rather make the end result exactly as you’d envisioned. If you’re still having difficulty planning for your portrait session, please don’t hesitate to call me! I’ll even come over and go through your closet, measure your walls, or help you dress the kids. (I’m serious!) Professional photography is a lifelong investment, so you deserve to have portraits that you will cherish for a lifetime.  With just a little bit of planning, it is easy!