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You know as a wedding photographer, I am constantly asked questions about what to wear and what not to wear to a variety of shoots. So I decided to blog about it.   Now of course there are too many rules to confine them to one post so instead there are two posts focusing on the “do’s and “don’ts of portraits. This week we will focus on Engagement portraits and next time we will focus on Bridal Portraits. So be sure not to miss it by subscribing to my posts below.

As you pick out your wardrobe for any shoot there are some hardcore, unbreakable rules as well as some fallible rules. Any experienced photographer will agree and tell you the same. So let’s get started!

Rule #1 – No Patterns

Patterns are like your kids, loud and distracting. The whole point of your engagement portrait is to bring focus towards you and your fiancé! Loud patterns will do the opposite! Patterns are known in the photography world as being attention hogs. They will easily pull the focus away from your face and towards itself, being your clothes. Plaids in particular can cause problems.  They can cause what we call moiré patterns.  For some reason plaids can confuse the camera’s sensor giving a weird HD effect to your shirt giving it the feeling the lines are coming off the image.  See below for an example.

how to dress for a photography shoot

On the other hand, if you are determined not to wear a solid color or colors, a soft print can be absolutely lovely when you have an experienced photographer taking your picture. So remember:

Loud patterns and plaids are a no-no, while

Soft prints are a go-go!

Rule #2 – No Bright Colors

Bright colors are similar to patterns when I say that they distract from your face! Now what may I ask is a bright color? A bright color is any color that will stand out. For example, Red, Black, and White are all considered bright colors because they will stand out in the picture. These colors will stand out and drag the audience’s attention away from your lovely face in your beautiful engagement portraits.

But are rules are bendable, if not breakable. Many photographers have allowed White and Black to escape from this label! This rule was a traditional rule and as times changed so did the rules. Black and white is now considered acceptable to wear in engagement portraits, family pictures, and any other snapshot of your life!

Rule # 3 -Color Coordinate

It is extremely important to dress in accordance to your fiancé! If he is wearing a bright red shirt (which breaks unbreakable rule #2) and you are wearing a bright purple, your picture together is going to look a bit awkward if not funny. There is only so much that even a talents photographer can do if you two are not matching! Now this does not mean that you should both wear the exact same shirt and shoes but it does mean you need to plan ahead and make sure you and your significant other match.

Now there are three ways that generally work out the best within engagement portraits.

The first typical way to make sure that you and your fiancé look great and fashionable within your portrait is to dress in opposites of the same color instead of trying to match the exact same color. It is extremely difficult to find the exact same shade of blue or orange in two shirts and if they are not the exact same shade then it will be extremely noticeable in the picture. For example, if your husband is wearing a navy blue shirt then the main color in your outfit could be sky blue or baby blue. The navy blue and the sky blue will accent each other and bring out not only your faces but each other as well.

The second way that I suggest is to coordinate colors so that you and your fiancé match. For example, if you are wearing a pretty dress with a soft print that has a noticeable orange color within it; your fiancé could pull out that color by wearing an orange polo shirt.

The third and less obvious way to make sure that you and your fiancé’s portraits come out looking stylish and adorable is not to match but instead to wear complimenting colors. Create a theme for your portrait. One family I had shot a while back had organized an autumn theme for their Fall Portraits. They dressed in browns and yellows. The finished product was amazing! I remember their shoot to this day and it is still one of my favorites!

Now I know this is a lot of information on simply the wardrobe of the Engagement Portraits but rest assured, you’ll be glad you heeded the rules when the finished portraits print and instantly become your favorite photos! Remember to subscribe below so you can get all the details, tips, and hints within our future blogs!

Next Time: Bridal Portraits- Everything You Need to Know!

engagement photographers raleigh nc

engagement photographers raleigh nc

engagement photographers raleigh nc

engagement photos