I have been promising and planning for this post for a long time now, and I am so pumped to finally share it with you all! Senior portraits are something I am so passionate about, and one of my favorite parts of my business! Getting together your looks for your senior portraits can be overwhelming! There is so many choices and it can be hard to put together outfits that best represent you! Part of my job as your photographer is to relieve as much stress as possible before the day of the session arrives, so in this post I’m going to give you some tips to help you put together your outfits for your senior portraits.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR YOUR SENIOR PORTRAITS | NJ PHOTOGRAPHER
May 9, 2019
Choosing what you will wear for your senior pictures is a huge part of the experience! It’s so important because if you wear something that isn’t flattering on camera or that you dont feel comfortable in, then it can make the experience less exciting! So, here are some of the best ways to choose what to wear:
1. Be comfy!!
If you don’t like tight fitting clothing, or you feel like flowy shirts make you lose your shape then leave them at home! If a piece of clothing makes you feel self conscious or you are constantly pulling the item or readjusting it, it may not be the best choice for your senior portraits! You want to wear pieces you are comfortable and confident in so that you can focus on having fun, rather then how you look! Also we will be sitting, laying and walking around to capture the best images so keep that in mind when picking your outfits.
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2. Wear Colors that compliment!
On camera, solid black + white can make skin tones look very washed out and unflattering. So, when choosing outfits for your senior session, especially your shirt, chose colors that compliment your hair + skin tone! Colors that photography beautifully are jewel tones like emerald green, orange, purple and pinks. Also the primary color, red, blue and yellow look great as well! It’s important to think about what colors look best on you! Like for me, I love yellow and mustard tops, but with my hair color and skin tone, it is just not flattering so I steer clear of those colors, especially on camera! In these photos below, Casey is wearing Royal Blue and a white dress, but that white dress works because it is broken up by beautiful pink flowers that compliment her skin and eyes!
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3. Don’t Forget Accessories
Details are everything!! During your senior session, don’t forget to plan out and add in accessories. Bangles, necklaces, scarfs, earring, hats, fun shoes, statement pieces and any other fun thing can make your outfit stand out! I’ll often have you pose with your hands and bracelets and other items can add texture and fun dimensions to your images. Also don’t be afraid to over-accesorize, either…it’s always better to have more than not enough, we can always take some pieces off if it is coming across as too much on camera! As you can see in these images, Casey is wearing a necklace, earrings, rings, bracelets and cute shoes, it makes the outfits seem more put together!
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4. Add Layers!
In the fall this is super easy! You can add a flannel, jean jacket, vest, or cardigan to outfits to create dimension and give us more posing options! It’s so fun and beautiful to wear a sweater, add a gorgeous jacket, throw on a scarf and wear earrings! That outfit says so much more about you then just a plain sweater! Even in the warmer months you can still add these layers + dimension by wearing a tank top with a cute kimono or adding denim vest over a dress!
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6. Mix it up!
When planning your 3-4 outfits, make sure that you have a variety of looks! I think its best to choose from these categories: casual, cozy, dressy, school-related, future plans, sports-related, preppy or edgy. I always recommend choosing 3-4 of those categories and finding outfit inspiration from them. This gives you a huge gallery of so many different looks and it can showcase all the special parts of senior year!!
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BONUS INFO:
A few other tips that don’t have to do with clothes but also play a big part of your senior session:
– NAILS: Don’t neglect your nails! For your senior portraits try to avoid chipped nail polish, or patterned nails. French manicure or light natural nails are best, even no nail polish work great too!
-HAIR AND MAKE UP: I recommend getting professional hair and make up if that is in your budget, I recommend this because they are professionals, they know how to give you a look that will be gorgeous on camera, it also is one less thing you have to stress about, and lastly who doesn’t love a good excuse to be pampered. Getting you hair and make up done by someone else can be a huge confidence booster.
*If hair and make up aren’t apart of your budget, I totally understand! But when doing your hair and make up keep in mind that you want to wear a little more make up then you are used to, I also say emphasize the eyes and the lips. This doesn’t mean wear a crazy bold purple lipstick and a black smokey eye, but a lipstick that flatters you skin and some wispy fake lashes look gorgeous on camera.*
Some make up artist I recommend if you aren’t booking the hair and make-up package:
Hair dressers:
