One of the most common questions I get asked by my clients is, without question, “what should I wear to my shoot?” This is obviously an important question that can be answered in a fairly simple way.

Rule number one: stay away from the color white. White tends to wash a photo out, and I like it to be generally avoided. The reason for this is that whatever the lightest thing in a photo is, it usually demands the most attention. This can be useful for certain types of photography, but when shooting head shots and portraiture, it’s not a good idea. This is why you’ll see a majority of actor’s wearing dark clothes in well composed headshots. Darker tops like the color black are optimal for a shoot because it pushes most of the viewer’s attention up to the face, because skin is lighter toned. This creates a focal point on the face, and lessens the distractions of anything else, which is the whole objective of an actors headshot.

So what should you bring to the photo shoot? I always like my clients to bring in five or six outfits if we are going to be choosing two or three from the lot. I like seeing a wide variety of tops but more importantly different necklines. Solid colors always work best, and loud patterns are generally to be avoided, unless I’m shooting fashion. The clothes should always be the focal point of a fashion shoot, whereas the model should take a backseat.

Always make sure that you come to a professional photo shoot with your clothes pressed and on hangers. There really is nothing worse than a client pulling clothes out of a bag and consequently are not usable because they are wrinkled. If you’re lucky enough to choose the right photographer, they should own a steamer at their studio to salvage a great outfit.