Thursday, September 29, 2011

Family Portrait Photographer - What to Wear

A frequent question I get asked by my clients is, "what should my  family wear for our portrait session?"  It's a great question because while  I want to capture the personality of the family I also hope that everyone's clothing works together, not against each other.  There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to one's wardrobe.  But here are some general tips and advice that can help make your portraits  more visually appealing and cohesive.

The goal of any group shot is to direct the viewer's attention to the subjects' faces. No one family member should stand out or distract from the other family members. To accomplish this, it's important to put some thought into coordinating outfits. This doesn’t mean everyone has to wear identical outfits (which would be cheesy). Rather, the idea is to make sure one family member doesn't show up wearing shorts and a tank top when everyone else wears khakis and long-sleeved button down shirts.
  1. Coordinate outfits. Everybody in the portrait should wear items that compliment each other in style and color. It is not necessary for clothes to match, but they must make sense together. For example, if one person wears a suit and tie and another wears shorts and a t-shirt, the portrait may look unbalanced and poorly planned.
  2. Stick to solids and subtle patterns when possible. Bold stripes, large designs, logos, and polka dots stand out and tend to draw attention from the portrait's subjects. An eclectic mix of patterns can clash and reduce the quality of a portrait.
  3. Dress in timeless clothing for your family portrait. Let your age, not your clothes, date the portrait.
  4. Wear appropriate shoes and socks. Many family portraits are full-body shots, so if Mom wears sneakers with her dress she'll probably feel silly. If anyone plans to change clothes, bring shoes and socks to go with each outfit.
  5. Wear colors that translates well in photography. Color is critical when taking group shots. Avoid wearing very intense, bright colors.  This means that cousin Beth shouldn't be wearing her favorite neon pink blouse and fluorescent green mini skirt. Instead, have family members wear clothing with neutral tones, such as blues and browns.  Also, be careful not to mix light and dark tones together. Doing so creates visual confusion, as one subject appears to pop out of the photo while the other recedes.  Dark colors like navy blue, black and earth tones look especially nice outdoors. White clothing can get lost against a white background. Bright shades of yellow, red, orange and pink can alter skin tones and aren't ideal for photographs.
  6. Clean and iron all clothing before the portrait. If your clothes wrinkle easily, change just before the sitting. Bring wrinkle release spray and a detergent pen to the portrait site for last-minute emergencies.
Again, use this as a guideline not a hard and fast rule.  In the end, your family's personality, interaction and emotion will ultimately make the portrait.  The following photos are great examples of this.  

Mitchel Wu Photography - Capturing Life, Love and Laughter.  
Please visit my website to learn more about Mitchel Wu Photography

or email mitchel@mitchelwu.com for more information.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Westlake Village Inn Wedding: Ashli & Justin


Just a few days earlier it was 110 degrees in Southern California so when I awoke to a beautiful, cooler September day I knew it was going to be an amazing wedding.  The formula is actually pretty simple: Beautiful Day + Stunning Venue + Impossibly Gorgeous Couple = Perfect Wedding!  

This was my first time shooting at the Westlake Village Inn.  This venue exudes character and charm... a wedding photographer's dream.  One can literally find eye candy locations around every corner when walking the grounds of the Westlake Village Inn.  

Ashli & Justin were such a fun couple to spend the day with.  Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

Mitchel Wu Photography - Capturing Life, Love and Laughter.  
Please visit my website to learn more about Mitchel Wu Photography

or email mitchel@mitchelwu.com for more information.
























Sunday, September 11, 2011

Santa Clarita Wedding Portraits - Terri & Mark

I photographed Terri and Mark's wedding portraits yesterday, on 9/10/11. I've known Terri now for several years so this was a very special photo session for me. Terri's son, Kyle, is Angie's friend and classmate. Terri was an absolutely stunning bride. I've shot quite a few weddings - three this week alone - and I have to say Terri's gown and shoes are among my all time faves! I don't say this lightly as I've photographed some stunning (and stunningly expensive) shoes - Louboutins, Steve Maddens, Jimmy Choos, etc. Congratulations Terri and Mark... thanks for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day :)
Mitchel Wu Photography - Capturing Life, Love and Laughter.  
Please visit my website to learn more about Mitchel Wu Photography

or email mitchel@mitchelwu.com for more information.





Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Santa Barbara Engagement Photographer - Will & Kat

Here are a few photos from Will and Kat's weekend engagement session at Alice Keck Park in Santa Barbara. Both Will and Kat are incredibly cool, down to earth people. I enjoyed hanging out with them. Will builds custom motorcycles - works of art, really - and Kat is an uber- talented designer running her own design business. I can't wait to shoot their wedding next month in Santa Barbara... it's going to be a party!

Mitchel Wu Photography - Capturing Life, Love and Laughter.  
Please visit my website to learn more about Mitchel Wu Photography

or email mitchel@mitchelwu.com for more information.