What Should I Wear To A Photoshoot?

Today’s question is from Brian who asks:

Question: What Should I Wear To A Photoshoot?

I’m a portrait photographer and attended a friends wedding as a guest a little while back.

I couldn’t help notice that the videographer was dressed very casually,  cargo pants and a polo that seemed stretched and not ironed.

While the photographer was dressed all in black and on the back of his t-shirt had his company name.

Typically when I do my photo sessions. They are in the park with families so I’m wearing a t-shirt with my logo on it and jeans.  I’m usually rolling on the ground playing with the kids trying to get casual photos.

Everyone has a different idea as to what is acceptable dress code. So I was wondered what should we be wearing to a photoshoot?

In today’s episode:

We discuss:

• Comfortable clothes are key
• Match your clothes to your clients
• Branded  v non-branded clothes
• Good fitting clothes
• It’s not a fashion show

That is true. What is acceptable dress code? Because we all do different types of photography and photographing indoors, you’d obviously be wearing different types of clothes compared to if you’re rolling around in the park very similar to what you’re doing and what you’re doing when you do portraits of families.

I think that what you’re wearing is acceptable because you’re matching your clothes to your clients or the situation at hand here.

Now, I should say I’m not a fashionista. I have no if you call that fashion, right? I’m very boring when it comes to my clothes that I wear. In fact, what I do is I actually match my clothes to my clients.

If I’m actually going to a wedding, I’m actually going to wear very similar clothes to what a guest would wear.

I wear a shirt and tie and pants, obviously. I don’t wear a jacket because I use a holdfast camera strap ,which has two cameras attached to it and I can’t wear a jacket because it keeps on catching.

Matching your clothes to your clients or the environment I think is key. It just projects a bit of professionalism.

If I’m out photographing the young family, I’m going to dress smart casual. If they got young kids, I may wear some jeans because I may be kneeling a lot to get down to their level that type of thing.

Same thing applies if I’m going and photographing a corporate event. I photograph an event where it was a lunch and it was business people so with one camera I could go around and photograph using shirt and tie and a jacket.

I think it’s just common sense.

As to branding and non-branding, you know you point out that the photography here had his branding on his back.

I don’t know I mean that’s just a personal preference. Same thing applies if you’re just wearing all black. It’s simple. You got one outfit. You don’t have to think and some people expect people in the background. You’d often see roadies or sound engineers are all wearing black. People just expect that from photographers and I don’t know.

It’s just personal preference if you ask me but wearing good fitting clothes that fits you well, that are not too baggy. They don’t need to be expensive and of course it’s not a fashion show.

You’re not there to be the center of attention even though, yes, I know you’re directing people if you’re doing group photos and that type of things at weddings.

You’re not there to stick out. I think if people just think it sensibly and you don’t have to go overboard and buy expensive clothes because of the wear and tear in it especially pants if you’re kneeling a lot.

I think that if also if you’re a girl, wearing dresses I don’t know how that is but I would just imagine if you’re bending down or kneeling down it’s probably now an ideal to wear a short skirt. Pants would probably be ideal there but yeah look, I don’t know Brian that’s a good question.

I’m not really the person to give fashion advice but I just think common sense and if anything match your clothes to the people that you’re photographing.

I don’t know what the videographer was thinking because I know the photographer would have taken photos that the videographer would have actually been in. Taking wide photos that he may be and they may either be unusable photos or he may crop him out.