Portrait Tips

General Tips

Drink lots of water and be well rested (so your eyes will not have dark circles)
Your skin might not look it's best after drug/alcohol use. Try to abstain from these before your shoot

Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you look great
Make sure your jacket and shirt fit you well. A poor fitting jacket or shirt will be obvious in the photos (especially around the neck)
Don't overdress
Turtlenecks are almost always a bad idea
Clothes should be neatly pressed and should look new or like new
Avoid busy patterns and large lines/stripes
Blue/green/turquoise shirts/blouses or accents can help emphasize blue/green/hazel eyes

The standard business look is a suit jacket, dress shirt and tie
A casual business look is often a jacket and open dress shirt, shirt and tie (no jacket), or dress shirt on its own
Polo shirts are a good look for some businesses. Be sure the shirt is in good condition and fits well
For a no-jacket casual look, bring colored shirts – ideally darker than your skin tone
A white dress shirt by itself is a bad idea – unless you plan to wear it underneath something (jacket or sweater)
Bring a few different jackets, shirt colors and ties so you have options during the session

Avoid big prints and busy patterns
Different necklines will change the apparent shape of your face. Bring a variety different shirts/blouses to see what works best
For a no-jacket casual look, bring various colored blouses – ideally darker than your skin tone
Be stylish and fashionable, but remember the picture is about your face and not your clothes or jewelry
Sleeveless tops/dresses can draw attention to your shoulders/arms. Consider bringing items with a variety of different sleeves

Remember: Select and wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. Select something that makes you look and feel good.

Keep jewelry extremely simple – small is better
Avoid jewelry that would distract from your face or that looks dated
The picture is about your face, not your jewelry
Consider if facial piercings or multiple ear piercings are appropriate for where your photo will be displayed

Make-up should be clean and natural
Wear a heavy layer of translucent powder – your face will appear flawless in photos. Shine disappears, pores seem smaller, skin looks even, and blush is smoother
Line lips before applying matte lipstick, then reline. Don't overdo it. Dip a cotton bud in powder and run along lip line to prevent color from bleeding
Avoid shimmers or products with lots of sparkle or shine
Avoid frosts or overly-bright colors
Don't get a new hair cut just before the shoot (you may want to let it grow-in a bit or get used to styling a new cut)
Do not try/use any new product on your hair, face or body the day before or few days before your shoot. In case you have a bad reaction to the product