A Complete Style Guide for your Photo Session with Brynne

Choosing what to wear for your photos can be *literally* the hardest part of the whole process. It definitely makes me stressed when I’m choosing outfits for my own photos, and trying to find something that looks good and makes me feel good can be a challenge. I’m usually a pretty simple jeans & a t-shirt kind of girl, so if making specific outfit choices is really out of your comfort zone, you’re not alone (but I can help!).

Most important – You need to feel like yourself. 

Ultimately, these photos are for *you* and to document *your* life, so although we all love a beautiful aesthetically pleasing outfit, please make sure that you’re staying true to who you are and what feels good for you, first. Anything that I suggest in this guide is simply what will photograph technically well, but shouldn’t dictate how you show up as yourself.

Consider Season & Location (Environment)

You’ll want to look as though you belong in the environment, so choosing an outfit that “fits” the season and location or our chosen activity is key. We are most likely going to be photographing outdoors, so thinking along the lines of where we might be walking, sitting, etc. will be important. For example, barefoot on the beach is a fantastic look, but high heels in a field is not realistic and would be super uncomfortable. We’ll also want to be prepared for different temperatures and weather, so bringing layers is key! Consider our adventure or activity and how you can add some cute style to it.

Movement & Comfort

This section is the most important for your overall confidence in the shoot! When it comes to fit, I generally recommend clothing that doesn’t fit skin-tight or grip you all over. This is because I want you to be able to move in it, and something with a bit more “flow” is generally more flattering and more comfortable. Clothing that might be blown by the wind or move with your body can take on organic shapes that are often quite beautiful and flattering, and a looser fit allows you to move naturally and not feel restricted. Now, that doesn’t mean don’t wear anything tight, just pair it with something else a little looser that allows you to move easily.

If you can’t walk naturally in your shoes, can’t sit down easily in your pants, or are constantly pulling a piece of clothing back into place… these are probably not good choices. It’s hard to be candid and have fun when you’re constantly fixing your clothes, right? So, what I suggest is to make sure that you’ve tried on everything you plan to wear at home first, and make sure that you can comfortably walk, sit, jump, run (maybe?) in what you choose and that you feel good doing it. 

Colours & Colour Theory

We’ve made it to the nitty gritty for outfit choices – colour and colour theory! Colours impact the final outcome of your gallery more than you’d expect, both in visual aesthetics and the mood they convey. For example, if you’re wanting your photos to feel romantic and soft, you’ll probably not choose a punk rock theme, you know? 

I generally suggest aiming for neutrals and earthy tones, and opt for muted tones instead of bright primary colours. Variations of primary colours can be great (forest green, mustard yellow, rusty red), but stay away from overly saturated tones (think more of rich greens and blues you’d find in nature and less primary-school red, yellow, and blue paint). 

If you’re coordinating outfits with a partner or your family, don’t try to “match”. Think of it more as complementing one another. If one of you is in a more solid colour, the other could be in something more neutral, patterned, or layered. 

I generally suggest avoiding too much black, as it can turn you into a walking silhouette without any detail. But, if black is your safety net, try to pair it with something a different colour to soften the heavy contrast that it creates. 

For groups, try to keep your colour scheme limited to 4 colours. Colour wheels are helpful for making good colour decisions in your outfits, and complementary colours are the ones we love – they tend to sit across from each other on the colour wheel. 

If you’re not sure how things look or you need some suggestions, please ask me! Although I am *not* stylish by any means, I can definitely help you pick out some flattering outfits for your session! 

Indoor vs Outdoor

A quick note about indoor vs outdoor locations. When we’re indoors, we’re likely working with a lot less natural light than we’d have if we were outdoors. In this case, I typically recommend staying on the lighter side of tones with neutrals and very soft colours to help us reflect back any available light. That being said, there’s definitely a time and place for darker, more moody tones, and that will impact the final gallery also. 

Special Note for Newborns

If we’re photographing a newborn, I highly recommend avoiding dressing baby in bright/saturated reds/blues/purples or pure whites. Often, baby skin can take on a variety of darker purple tones and dressing baby in these similar colours only highlights that. For babies especially, soft earthy tones are excellent. Having a few outfit options for newborns especially is a great plan, as we always want to be prepared for a last-minute outfit change! 

Patterns, Textures & Logos

Generally I suggest avoiding loud, demanding patterns as a whole. They tend to draw the focus away from anything else – especially the emotion of your photos! Too loud of a pattern (or multiple conflicting patterns) can make a photo feel hectic and overwhelming, so if you do choose a pattern, ensure that it’s subtle and that your partner is wearing something solid. Buffalo plaid or similar is not recommended, but a soft plaid or earth toned floral print or muted pattern can add a gorgeous extra pop to your photos! 

Texture is a great way to add some dynamic elements to your outfits. Natural fibres like linen, knits, or denim can offer some really beautiful and subtle interest to your photos! 

Regarding logos, try to avoid them if possible (unless, of course, they’re important to the adventure or session). If you want to rock your favourite band T because that makes you feel like you, go for it! But, we aren’t running an add for Nike, so keeping things as vague as possible is best.

Accessories, Props & Pets

Accessories can be super fun!! In terms of clothing accessories, any hats, scarves, jackets, beanies, jewellery, layers etc. are welcome! They tend to add a level of personalization and confidence, and are a great way of making sure that you feel like you. 

Props are also super welcome! I don’t mean things like cheesy signs (I said what I said), but more things that are representative of you and the adventure/activity we’re going to do for our photos. For example, if one of you regularly plays the guitar and that’s part of how you spend time together, please bring it! Anything that fits into your regular life and is part of your story together is a great thing to consider adding if it fits naturally into the rest of the photoshoot elements (location, time of year, etc.). Consider blankets, picnics, flowers, instruments, books, food/cooking, vehicles, campfires, etc. 

I am a huge animal lover and pets are always welcome, as long as our location and activity is suited for them! Keep in mind that we’ll likely want to put them away somewhere safe for a part of our session so that we can be fully present and get some photos of just you, as pets can be distracting if they’re running loose, tied and barking, or otherwise a challenge to manage.

Hair & Makeup

I’m sometimes asked about hair and makeup for sessions, and the answer is: do what feels best for you. I think a more natural look generally photographs best, so I don’t recommend full coverage/glam makeup or a fancy updo. We’ll likely be outside and embracing the natural elements (sun, wind, rain, whatever!), so please keep in mind that your hair will be embracing those, too (and it will look great, I promise)   😉 

You can always consider switching up your hair through the session, from down and loose to up in a pony or something else. Allowing for some movement with your hair (from wind or your own movements) always photographs super well!

A Note for Pregnant Mamas 

All of the above still applies, but especially for you we want to focus on comfort. Sometimes, mamas feel they need to dress a certain way for maternity photos and while that’s absolutely welcome and encouraged, consider first how you want to remember this time. If you’re more comfortable in casual clothing, please rock that! We’re documenting this as a moment in time and I want you to look back on these photos and feel like yourself. Maternity photos do not mean that you need to stand with a hip popped and a hand on your belly – there’s so much more we can do and I’m happy to help you come up with an activity and wardrobe that feels comfortable.

Final Tips

Overall, we want everything to look good together without looking the same, with a variety of colours, textures and tones. Adding in movement with natural fibres and loose layers helps to create more emotion in your photos, and using props to creatively personalize your session will really help it stand out. Feeling good (or bad) in your chosen outfit(s) will impact your entire photo experience both during the session and when you receive your images. 

Some last tips: 

• Iron anything that holds wrinkles (they’ll definitely show in photos!) 
• Bring options to your session in case the weather changes or we need to make a quick location change (or you spill your coffee on the drive over)
• The biggest thing that will impact your photos is how you feel, so always use that as your guide for choosing what to wear 

If you have any questions or you aren’t sure what will look best, please do reach out! I’m happy to help!!