Comfy, everyday clothes suit a casual portrait.
A successful portrait session requires pre-planning, including deciding in advance what clothing your subject will wear.
SUBJECTS SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH THEIR CLOTHING
Subjects should be encouraged to wear clothing they like - an outfit in which they are comfortable, suits their tastes and makes them look and feel their best.
A CHANGE IN MID-SESSION IS OKAY
A change of clothing in the middle of a session can sometimes result in a new look and feel. Grad students, for example, may want to don comfortable casual wear for an informal picture after being photographed in their formal wear. If there is uncertainty about the effect of a particular outfit, encourage a clothing change that will produce a different look, even if it as small as changing to a different tie.
OUTFITS SHOULD COMPLEMENT THE SETTING
Although formal wear can look just fine in a garden setting, it can appear unnatural in a rugged outdoors setting. Similarly, cut-off jeans don’t belong in a fashionable boardroom or the lobby of an opera house, unless of course the subject is wearing them to purposefully contrast with the setting, perhaps to make an obvious nonconformist statement. Bear in mind that portraits that reveal the subject’s personality and distinctive personal characteristics - the subject’s persona - have great impact. Choice of apparel can contribute to this objective.
APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES MUST LOOK NEW
Clothes should appear to be new or at least, should not show signs of wear or damage. They should be pressed to eliminate wrinkles and creases. A lint brush is a handy accessory for a photographer's kit bag.
FIT IS IMPORTANT
Clothes must be well-fitting. Clingy, tight-fitting clothes may reveal the ridge lines of under-clothing. This is unsightly and should be avoided. If the subject must wear something curve-hugging, it may be appropriate to suggest a quick break for the removal of undergarments that will otherwise disrupt the look and unbroken line of the outfit. If you are shooting with a digital camera, you may want to show your subject an image you have just taken that reveals the effect of the undergarment ridge lines to encourage correcting the problem.
OVER-WEIGHT? CHOOSE SOMETHING LOOSE-FITTING
Baggy clothes can be fashionable, and give a relaxed look while concealing the over-weight figure.
SLEEVE LENGTH?
Long-sleeves, in general, are preferred – for men and women.
NECKLINE
For most women, a high neckline emphasizes their faces better than a more revealing one.
SIMPLICITY WORKS
All things being equal, clothing should be simple but tasteful, with no distracting bright colors, stripes or bold graphics to draw attention away from the subject’s face, unless a particular costume must be worn because your subject is known by such clothing, or unless the portrait is meant to identify an occupation or activity - a chef, an actor in character, a football player, etc. (See Costumes.)
Sometimes a person may have a flamboyant personality and be well known for wearing dramatic styles or outlandish clothing, and should not be discouraged from dressing according to their tastes and wishes, not the photographer’s. In such cases, your challenge is to capture the “person” in spite of their distracting apparel. Keep in mind, though, that some performers may not want a personal portrait that is revealing of their true character. They may be seeking a portrait that shows their performer side, the persona that they want to be known by. In such cases, outlandish apparel, accessories, props and even an unusual setting may be just what the doctor ordered for the portrait to succeed.
COLORS
Bright-colored clothing is generally preferable, but darker hues may be more suitable in some circumstances. For example, a business suit is generally darker than a casual summer outfit.
If clothing color matches the color of a subject’s eyes, it will accentuate the eyes, particularly if they are a deep blue or brilliant green. Similarly, if your subject wears brightly-colored lipstick or eye make-up, an outfit or accessory, such as a scarf, hair band or jewelery in the same shade can provide balance, keeping the subject’s lips or eyes from looking too garish, overpowering or out of place. Colors that sharply contrast with your subject’s eyes or that clash with other colors in the scene should be avoided. Balance among colors is important to maintain harmony and avoid contrast.
Colors of separate items of clothing should complement each other. Remember the adage that red and green should never be seen together, for example (except, of course, at Christmas time). For more information on color in photography, you may wish to view Light and its color.
MATERIAL
Some material used in clothing can be highly reflective and should be avoided, particularly if you are using flash. Other fabrics, such as felt and velvet, are known to "absorb" light, and may not show the material's texture, curves and folds. This can sometimes be an advantage in apparel, but generally it is not, since the clothing may appear to be a solid block, without form, in the photograph.
CONDUCT A FINAL CHECK
Check for clothing details that need correcting before shooting. Make sure no buttons are missing, that stray threads that stick out are snipped off, that a tie is properly tied and wrinkles are smoothed. Also, look for things on the clothing that may detract from the portrait and should first be removed, such as dust, dandruff, a loose thread or lint. Make-up can sometimes accidentally be transferred to a collar or sleeve, and should be concealed if it can't be cleaned off.
PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOULD DRESS APPROPRIATELY, TOO
Finally, your appearance is important, too. As the photographer, you should dress in a manner that will put the subject at ease. Casual clothes that are clean, tidy and simple are usually appropriate for most situations.
|
A high neckline places emphasis on the subject's face
Unusual, bright or striped outfits are fine on a striking model, but generally detract from most people's portraits
Subjects should be comfortable with how they look in their clothes
No one said your clothes have to perfectly match for you to feel comfortable in them
A princess is a princess, no matter what era her clothing is from
Twinkling eyes and a bright smile make a happy portrait of this warmly-dressed subject.
|
