What to Wear Guide

downtown san diego cudle in a busy street

A Quick Glimpse

Style helps express yourself and make you feel confident. But sometimes it can feel kind of daunting to pick what to wear for photos. Here are a few guidelines I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots so you can be sure to look great and be all over each other, while still making sure the images are focused on your connection, not what you’re wearing.

It’s not necessary to shop for new clothes, just bring stuff that’s already in your closet that you love and feel comfortable in. Ultimately, I want you both to look like yourselves. Don’t feel like if you don’t follow these guidelines that your photos will suck. The most important thing to me is that you feel and look like yourselves, so you can be as comfortable as possible!

Here’s a few guidelines to help if you’re feeling lost about what to wear

I always recommend to bring options. To get the best results, I’ll pick and pull from the options you bring for you to change into for each location we shoot at. This way I can make sure the outfits compliment the environment so that the focus is on you two, not on any distractions, which can be your outfits. All you have to do is make sure you bring stuff that you feel like a million bucks in that we can pick from.

torrey pines engagement photos standing between foam

Dress for the Location & Weather

Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it.

Most of my shoots will involve some hiking/walking so bring comfortable shoes.

Heels are tough most of the time, but if you’re really good at walking in them then go ahead!

Barefoot is the way to go if we are shooting on a sandy beach.

When it’s cold outside, bring layers and warm clothes and boots.

If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe. Be as comfortable as you can be!

windansea beach couple playing with the wave

Movement

Hooray for Wind!

Make sure that the materials you wear will keep you comfortable during the shoot not only for weather but also for being able to move around in. I recommend bringing clothes that are “broken in” so that you’ll be as comfortable as possible. I also love when couples bring clothing or accessories that can show movement by catching wind, because it adds energy to the photos and looks gorgeous!

Colors

Choose your colors

I typically recommend sticking with neutrals and earthy tones. Neutrals doesn’t mean just grays and browns, there’s neutrals of every color (mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue, burnt orange, etc). Stay away from bright, fluorescent distracting colors.

When choosing colors, it’s best to choose colors that will compliment each other as well as the landscape.

The standard rule for complimentary colors is to pick two colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel. And they don’t need to be exactly the opposite. For example, red would go well with not only blues but also blue violets, blue greens.

Complimentary Colors

In this case, maroon and navy are a perfect color set since they complimenting one another on the color wheel. Also in this situation, the maroon dress matches the yellow canyon and navy dress matches with the ocean and sky so they blended in seamlessly with the landscape.

what to wear guide - khoa photography - colors

Earthy & Neutral Colors

Earthy tones go well with most situations and aren’t too overwhelming to look at.

Knowing that we were going to be shooting in snow and sequoias, they picked a coat and beanies to match with the trees while stand out in the snow with contrast colors.

5 reasons why you should have engagement photos sequoia national park

Earthy & Neutral Colors

Another example of how the neutral colors work in a different landscape.

They color matched her dress with the cliffs and his shirt with the ocean so the couple and the location weren’t competing with each other.

5 reasons why you should have engagement photos big sur

Contrast Colors

Contrast colors add more dynamic and energy to the overall image. They can be black & white, red & white, black & blue, etc.

These colors make you stand out in the location and draw attention to your connection.

same sex couple khoa photography 12

Patterns & Logos

Avoid big, loud, chunky, crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your faces. If you’re going to wear patterns, make sure it is subtle and your partner wears a solid color to counteract it.

Also try to stay away from logos, especially if they are big and take up a large portion of the shirt. Logos can be distracting and take the attention away from the main subject, which is you.

I love when people bring hats, sunglasses, jewelry, etc because it’s nice to pair them with different outfit options. Just avoid wearing big and shiny watches so they don’t distract from your faces when I’m getting close up shots.

Props

Props don’t have to be cheesy! Done right, they can add more interest to the outfits and the session in general. Props could be a pizza picnic, blankets, a truck/car, a campfire, a bouquet, etc. If you have props you wanna incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!

la jolla cove sunset

Hair & Makeup

Wondering whether or not you should get your hair and makeup done by a pro? My answer is always “whatever will make you feel best, do that.” If you want your hair and makeup done, then definitely do it, because the most important thing is that you feel confident like Beyonce always. If you’re getting hair and makeup done, I recommend you schedule to be done at least an hour before you have to leave for the shoot so you aren’t late.

That’s all about it!

If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to let me know! If you’re still scratching head out about what to wear, feel free to shoot me a pic or two of what you’re thinking, I’m always here to help and give an input based on my experience. Overall, just wear what you’re comfortable in and feel like you in. You do you, and I promise the photos will turn out amazing.

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