Wednesday, July 27, 2011

What Should I Wear? - Outfits Should Go, Not Necessarily Match


It’s hard enough for people to decide what to wear in a shoot when it’s just one person in the frame. People can really get overwhelmed with two or more! I’m here to help! I have done an example wardrobe for an imaginary shoot. For this shoot, I imagined two sisters shooting at a lake or pond with a dock and lots of greenery around. I stuck with the colors turquoise, pink, yellow, white, and tan. Notice that every color is not in each outfit! It was just a starting point. Keep reading for how you can select a wardrobe for your shoot that looks good, but isn’t matchy-matchy.

Select a palette for your wardrobe. When multiple people are in the shot, their outfits do not have to match and be the exact same thing or the exact same colors. It’d be wise to pick about 4 colors to make your palette for your wardrobe. Make sure one of them is a neutral (khaki, grey, black, white, etc.)! You can check out ColourLovers for some premade palettes if you’re really stuck.

Keep the same casualness level. This one sounds simple, but you’d be surprised. If one person is super casual in jeans and a t-shirt, then the other people in the shot should be similarly dressed. Pay attention to the material that the clothes are made out of. A cotton dress would look fine if the other person had on, say, dark jeans and a cotton t-shirt. If one person had on a silk-looking shirt, the other people in the shot should wear items that are just as fancy.

Pay attention to where you are shooting. If you are shooting in a more woodsy, green, nature-esqu location, please, avoid wearing green! You don’t want to blend in, you want to stand out! Make sure that the colors you choose go with green. Neon yellow probably wouldn’t look the best in some green grass. Neutrals, soft colors, and earthy tones tend to work well in nature. Just think, if you could find the color naturally in the world (flowers, water, sky, etc.), then it’d probably work for a shoot in a nature location. Now, if your shoot is somewhere more urban, like downtown in a city or lots of concrete around, you want to think bold. Rich colors that stand out against the dull background work best. Bring blacks, dark jeans, and jewel colored items if your shoot is more urban for the best pictures.

It’s better to bring too much, than not enough. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: When in doubt, bring more! I’d rather have tons of options and help you put an outfit together than have you show up with a limited selection.

I’ll post more examples of wardrobes that ‘go, not necessarily match’ in the future!

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