The question I get most before a session is “what should I wear?” Here is the honest answer: wear what you would wear if you knew you were going to run into someone you wanted to impress, on a Saturday, in good weather. Then bring two more options.
Three outfits, three jobs
One that is you. Jeans, the top you reach for, the shoes you actually wear. This is the outfit your friends will recognize, and ten years from now it is the one that will look like your senior year instead of a costume.
One that is dressed up. A dress, a blazer, something with a little structure. It does not need to be formal. It needs to feel like an occasion. Lyla’s white top against downtown brick did exactly this job.
One that says something. The team jersey. The instrument. The FFA jacket. The hoodie from the college you are headed to. Props are fine when they are real.
What photographs well
Texture: denim, knit, linen, leather, corduroy. Movement: skirts, loose layers, anything that catches wind. Solid colors and small patterns. Earth tones and soft neutrals love golden-hour light. Deep colors (navy, rust, forest green, black) look rich in a field.
What to skip
Big logos and words across the chest, because your eye reads the shirt instead of the face. Neon, which throws color onto skin. Brand-new shoes that hurt, because you will be walking. And anything you feel like you are wearing for someone else. It shows.
Still not sure? Send me photos of the options before your session. I would rather help you decide on Tuesday than watch you change your mind in a parking lot on Friday.