What to Wear

You're Ready to Take the Perfect Portrait.
You've got the family together, you're picked the date, maybe you've even picked the photographer. But you're still missing something that can make or break your experience. What on earth are you going to wear?

The Big Ones Before we go into the details, here are some of the most important points for portraits: Mixing light and dark clothing means that the family won't look good on any one background. Keep to a tonal range and make sure none of the clothing stands out from the rest. Also, try to keep to one tonal range between pants and shirt; a dark shirt and light pants might not look right in a portrait. Patterns and bright colors make it especially easy to clash an draw attention away from your face. Try to stick to solid colors that are mellow or neutral. Long sleeves add a touch of class to a portrait and keep your arms from drawing attention away from your face. Don't restrict yourself to a traditional studio sitting. Mystic Images can go on location for a small fee. Outdoor portraits or ones taken in your home are classic and timeless, and can make it easier and more relaxing for little ones. Be sure to notify the photographer if you are considering black and white photography. We photograph all of your portraits in color and convert them to black and white digitally; however, certain backgrounds look better with black and white than others, and to produce the best portrait possible, we need to know in advance. Be especially careful not to mix formal and casual clothing in a portrait sitting. When in doubt, give us a call!
How do you want to portray your family? Are your clothing choices going to weather the test of time? What is the purpose of the portrait? The most important thing to keep in mind when you're choosing clothing for a portrait is the personality and qualities of your family. Are you more laid-back, or would you like your portrait to reflect the more formal side of your family? What is the purpose of this portrait? Is it for casual Christmas cards, or are you going to hang it on your wall for generations to enjoy? If you're thinking about purchasing a wall portrait, choose simple clothing that won't go out of style.
	Where would you like your portrait taken? Where are you going to hang your portrait? Is the room dark or light? Location really is everything. If you have a specific location in mind, be sure to choose clothing that will coordinate with that location. If the boys had worn blue instead of fall colors, it would have clashed with the fall foliage behind them. In the studio we can match the background to you; we don't always have that luxury with on-location photography. Also keep in mind where you intend to display the image. Is it in a bright living room, decorated in pastels? A dark bedroom decorated in jewel tones? As with any piece of wall art, a portrait looks best in an environment it coordinates with.
Simple Is best! Patterns, lace and very bright colors can draw attention away from the subject, which is the last thing we want to do in a portrait. The more people you have in a portrait, the more vital it becomes to avoid bright colors and patterns that might clash with the clothing of other family members. Also keep necklines and sleeve length in mind. Long sleeves provide a more formal look and focus attention on the face. The best idea is to try several changes of clothing on in front of the mirror and select the look that is most classically flattering on you. Remember, if you question your choice, bring a spare! You'll be glad you did.
	Don't forget the details! When preparing for portraiture, it's easy to overlook the details. Jewelry Shoes Ties Scarves Hairstyles Makeup Glasses or Sunglasses Headphones or Ear buds and Cell Phones or Wallets that might make a bulge in your pockets can all conspire to ruin an otherwise beautiful portrait. Also keep in mind that patterns are just fine in smaller accent items, like scarves and ties.
What does your family do together? Do you have clothing or items that carry specific sentimental value? The best portraits are often the ones that say something about you and your family. A variety of means can be used to achieve this: props, locations, clothing, even a family pet can say something special about who your family is. While the outcome can be rewarding, it becomes especially important that you coordinate with each other when clothing is meant to draw attention. Don't forget uniforms, either. Show your pride in your loved one in service to their country!
	Large Families With more people in a portrait, it becomes especially important that you coordinate both your efforts and your clothing. Simple instructions like "wear blue" can have disastrous results as family members come in casual, formal, dark and light. Try to make sure everyone agrees and can meet the standards; one or two people who drastically clash with the rest make a big difference in the quality of the final portrait. It also becomes important with large families to stick to simple clothing. Not only does it make it easier to co-ordinate clothing choices, but it keeps attention on your faces when they might be lost. A popular look lately is white shirts and jeans; if you choose this, consider on-location portraits. This looks wonderful outdoors. You can even bring pets!
To shop or not to shop? So you've scoured your closets and you can't seem to come up with the look you want. Here's some tips that might save you a trip to the department store: As long as your clothing is the same general lightness-darkness and it all matches each other, it's okay for the clothing to be different colors. Try thinking in schemes instead of specific colors: earth tones or jewel tones, cool or warm colors.
	To shop or not to shop? (continued) Or you could ignore color altogether and plan for black and white portraits. Be sure to notify the photographer that you would like black and white portraits and he will choose backgrounds that contrast well for black and white. It is still important that you match light and dark for black and white portraits, but color no longer matters.