What to wear? You want a timeless image that presents you at your best, so there are two considerations to keep in mind:  Clothing that best presents you in a photograph and clothing that avoids fashion trendiness.

It's usually best to wait until arriving at the studio before changing clothes. Wrinkles will show in the photography. Please do not begin changing your child before being directed into the dressing room. There is time to change before and after you’re sitting.

Clothing That Best Presents You  The goal is to focus the viewer on you and your relationship with each other.  Patterned or revealing clothing creates unpleasant distractions—we strongly urge you to wear solid colors.

We recommend clothing of solid colors that fully cover your legs and arms.  Separates should match or closely coordinate in color and tone, and so should the clothing of everyone in the photograph.   Avoid yellow or green as they can adversely affect skin color.  Shoes or socks should be in key and at the same level of formality as the clothing.

If the overall tone of the picture is dark, the clothing should be dark.  If the overall tone of the picture is light, the clothing should be light.  This helps direct the attention of the viewer to your faces and your relationship with each other.

Timeless styles that avoid trends  Trendy clothing goes quickly out of date.  It is better to wear styles that have remained “classic” over the years.  

For women, gowns or coordinated separates of a satin-type material of deep colors like burgundy and emerald photograph especially beautifully.  

For men, dark suits or coordinated dark slacks and a shirt—perhaps with ties that coordinate with the color of the women’s gowns—work particularly well.  Your colors don’t have to be identical, but should coordinate closely.  

If you prefer a more casual look, again go with darker, solid colors in classic styles, such as denim jeans and long-sleeved shirts.

Interestingly, you can also achieve timelessness by going to a specific period look.  Our Classic 40s portraits use the style of pose and lighting reminiscent of Hollywood glamour portraits of the 1930s and 1940s. Some people may want to go back even farther to looks reminiscent of the Victorian era or the romance of even earlier times. 

These are all considerations we will discuss in the initial consultation.  We want to work together to achieve a result that reflects who you are, that shows how you relate to one another and that will please you for decades to come, never becoming dated or obsolete.

Hair, Makeup, Eyeglasses  Wear your hair in a style you're comfortable with.  Have about a week of "experience" with a new cut or style before your photography session.  If you are comfortable with your eyeglasses, don't be afraid to wear them--we know how to handle glare problems that confound some other studios.  

Ladies, wear natural-looking makeup.  A good foundation smoothes the appearance of the skin, but be sure the shade matches the skin of your neck to prevent a line where the foundation stops.  Men, the camera can exaggerate five-o'clock shadow, so a fresh shave is wise. 

Be sure to get plenty of rest before the photography session--if you're tired, it will definitely show in the photographs.