| Clothing
Usually comfortable clothing that has even and harmonious colour
tones works best. Generally avoid very detailed patterns which tend
to be distracting to look at. Unless you are one of the lucky few
with a superb talent for style and colour, try bouncing your ideas
for clothing off someone else, or consider consulting a
professional clothing stylist or image consultant. If your stylist knows what they are doing,
then general rules can be abandoned and the freedom of making
deliberate statements can make for a superb portrait. |
Makeup Generally for portraiture there are a couple of simple guidelines: Apart from wearing makeup that suits your skin tones, use makeup that reduces the natural shine from skin oils. A well applied liquid foundation smooths out skin blemishes, but too much can make the skin look artificial, especially in close-up portraits. Use products that don't have a SPF rating (dont use titanium dioxide) as this can cause your makeup to appear inappropriately light in the photographs. If you will be using a makeup artist, talk to them about the purpose for your makeup, and about the style you will be aiming to achieve in your photos. For fashion photography, the makeup artist should be involved in the shoot, to check the effect of the makeup with each garment, and to support the style that the photographer and design team are working to achieve. |
| Props and Scenes These are visual cues that are used to add a dimension to the picture. Well chosen props can be as minimalistic as jewellery or a pair of glasses, or they can be as extensive as an office layout or shady river scene. Generally the principle of "less is more" works well, with props supporting but not dominating the picture. |
Photography There is a huge variety of styles created photographically. These vary from simple colour photographs of people the way they see themselves, to crafted styles using different angles, lighting styles, selective focus, perspectives, black & white, uses of colour tones, harmonies or discords and post production artwork. Most importantly, the communication and rapport between you and your photographer will have a significant influence on the final product. That is why I like to discuss your ideas and needs before we begin the photography, and why spending time with children before their portraits is preferred. |