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Suggestions and Tips for Executive/Professional
Portraits
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Clothing
- Clothing that does not attract attention to
itself is the ultimate goal, and can be the difference between
a very successful portrait, and just another picture. The goal
of a portrait is to have you look your very best. The focal point
of most good portraits is your face, so you don’t want to
wear anything that draws attention away from you.
- Dark clothing tends to Slenderize. Dark clothing
also tends to fade into the background more readily so that the
face is the most important part of the photograph. Light colors
give the appearance of additional weight, while dark colors tend
to slenderize the subject. Clothing colors should be toned down,
as bright colors tend to attract attention away from the face.
- Prints or patterns, no matter how small, tend
to become a distraction. Thus, solid colors are best for most
photographs.
- Avoid short sleeve clothing. Long sleeve clothing
is usually the best, although short sleeves that at least cover
the upper arms can sometimes work. Exposed upper arms and shoulders,
again, draw attention away from the face. Ladies should normally
wear knee length or longer skirts, or dress slacks, so that if
full length or ¾ length photos are taken the upper leg
is not exposed.
- White shirts and/or blouses, or other light
colors, are generally O.K. if worn under a jacket or sweater.
A scarf loosely tied around the neck also helps to frame a face
beautifully when a collarless blouse or sweater is worn. Otherwise,
shirts with collars are generally better for most people. Neckties
should be toned down in color and contain a minimum of pattern
to look their best.
- The most flattering neckline for most anyone
is something that comes up close to the neck. A wide-open neckline
tends to thicken the neck in the photograph. On the other hand,
a neckline that comes up to the base of the neck, a turtleneck
or a V-neck is most flattering, as it tends to slim down the person
and frames the face beautifully.
- Clothing should not be too tight or too loose,
both tend to be unattractive in photographs.
- In general, clothing below the waistline should
be darker than above, or at least the same tone. When lighter
tones are worn below it tends to attract attention to the lower
part of the body and away from the face.
- Consider your surroundings. The objective should
be to have your clothing blend somewhat with the background, or
at least not “pop out” from the background. In our
studio our background is usually a dark muted green or blue. Outdoors
or in other locations, the background by be lighter or even darker….wood
paneling to brightly lit trees or grass. Dress to blend.
Hair, makeup and glasses
- The best hair styles for photography tend to
be simple, and off of the face. Hair falling down onto the sides
of the face often create distracting shadows. Bangs that come
down too low onto the face will keep light from getting into the
subjects eyes – the most important part of the face.
- All makeup should be blended – no sharp
demarcation lines between colors – especially around the
eyes and the jaw line or neck. Too much color above or below the
eyes attracts attention to itself, and away from the eyes, rather
than attracting attention to the eyes. If in doubt, less makeup
is usually better in a photograph than too much.
- Eye glasses may, or may not, be worn. Some
prescriptive lenses can cause the face or eyes to look distorted
through the glass, and sometimes glare on the glasses is difficult
to deal with. Lenses which darken when exposed to light can often
be a problem. If you normally wear glasses, consider borrowing
a pair of matching frames, without lenses, from the place where
you get your glasses. While you have to plan ahead, virtually
all potential eyeglass problems are avoided.
Group Portraits
- Clothing for group portraits should be carefully
selected to blend the bodies together. First, decide what the
basic tone of the clothing will be -- warm tones such as browns,
etc, or cool tones such as blues, grays and blacks. Then make
sure to follow all of the other clothing suggestions from above.
While I have taken some great group photos with everyone wearing
a deep, but muted, red consider whether the bright colors may
distract attention away from everyone’s faces.
- Outdoor group portraits sometimes dictate lighter
colored clothing, so that the bodies might blend together with
a lighter colored background such as sunlit trees, bushes or grass.
A white shirt with beige pants is a very good starting point in
these kinds of situations. Still, remember to dress everyone in
the portrait similarly. You need to blend the bodies of everyone
in the group together, so that the faces stand out.
- If the group is large, or will be posed casually,
remember that your lower legs and feet may show. Wear appropriate
shoes (usually dark) and socks or hose.
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