Style Guide

Shoes. I am biased, but shoes can really take an outfit to the next level. Keep in mind our location, though. A stiletto hell is gonna sink into the dirt if we are out in a field or even in grass. You’ll have a helluva time walking and doing prompts during the session if your heel keeps sinking in the ground. Try a wedged shoe instead or bring another pair of sandals or flats to change into for shots where we won’t see your shoe as much. If you guys are super chill & earthy, going barefoot for part of the session is so darn adorable. Plus, it gives a much more laid back look to your photos.

Take the season into consideration and choose colors that compliment the scenery. It was spring in this photo to the right, so they skipped having any wardrobe with a lot of green so they wouldn’t get lost against any greenery in the background.

Layers & textured or detailed fabrics bring more interest and dimension. In the photo to the left, the plaid with the textured vest bring dimension and had that “umph”. Imagine if he wore a plain red shirt and she didn’t have a vest. It would be lacking a little bit of something extra.

Patterns help break up outfits & people. Having one or two people wear a pattern or print breaks up the solid colors & also adds dimension and layers.

When choosing colors, keep the color wheel in mind. I know, I am making you go way back to sixth grade art class, but complimentary colors are so appealing to the eye.

Another color wheel option is to choose the same color in a different tone, tint or shade.

You read that right: the lady should choose her wardrobe first and then work her partner’s outfit around her’s. Most of the time, women are the ones wanting the photo session, so it only makes sense they should feel good about what they are wearing; that doesn’t always happen when she is the last to get her outfit together and is working it around what the guy has picked out.

Neutrals are always a great place to start when you’re stuck. Gray, cream, brown, denim/chambray — they’re all great to build from.

Earth tones, jewel tones and muted colors work very well with my editing style and location choices.

I LOVE the way flowy, long dresses and skirts photograph for women. It brings movement to photographs and also is a beautiful feminine touch. Check out the photo below. She has on a beautiful patterned maxi. The slit helps create movement when she walks and also lets us see her legs which breaks up the dark colors. This is always my first suggestion to women who don’t know where to start.

So, dresses aren’t really your jam. No worries! A flowy blouse with a skinny pant is a way to bring movement into clothing when you want to skip a dress or skirt. Both in the top photo & in the photo to the left, the ladies went with an oversized chambray button up and a fitted pant with boots because that was more their personality and style. It’s super cute and photographs well while flattering their figures.

Accessories polish off an outfit. Jewelry is an easy way to add a little “umph” or pop to your wardrobe. Hats, scarves, watches, an antique hair accessory, belts, bracelets, suspenders on boys etc… are all examples of accessories that can pull an outfit together and add a bit more detail to give dimension to the photograph.