I get asked all the time "What should we wear to our photoshoot?!". It definitely gets ask at least twice a week, and while I'm not fashionista, I have shot hundreds of portraits and have a few ideas that might help point you in the right direction for what to wear to your shoot. Hopefully after a quick read you can find a few things in your closet that you're confident will help you nail your images. My job is all about making you look your best, but a few smart outfit choices can really help us get some killer shots. 

Color plays a huge role on our mood and how we feel about an image. Marketers and big companies get this, if you look at advertisements and what colors they use and how that relates to the image the company is selling and you'll notice a lot of themes with color. Heck, there is a whole psychology to color (see!), and we could spend a ton of time on it, but I have a few quick tips on color choices for you: 

• Choose a color palette or two, and have your family dress around that. Say blue or grey for example. This is great because then everyone can wear something they love that still works well with what others are wearing. Some easy options are blue, grey, green, purple, etc. 
• Avoid really bright, neon colors. These colors will create a color cast on your skin, that really isn't the most flattering. Nobody wants a bright green chin. 
• Spruce it up with an accent color or pop of something bold. While it's best to stick to something easy on the eyes and muted, throwing in a pop of color can really add some kick to your images. 

#2 Styling

Styling could be a whole book on it's own, and honestly you probably have your own unique style and I don't want to change that at all. Be you and wear what expresses you. There are a few quick tips on style choices that can help save you a headache with your images. 

• Avoid really fine patterns. Camera's hate really fine patterns. They just do. If you want more on this, just ask. But digital camera's hate super tight/fine patterns. 
• Layers. Layers look good on everyone. Have you ever noticed in movies, how everyone wears a jacket all the time. Even in Hawaii. That's because layers are generally really flattering and a well fitted jacket just works. 
• Sleeves and tanks tops. If you're concerned about your weight, avoid sleeveless shirts and strapless wedding dresses. 
• Be YOU. Wear your style still! Your portraits are all about you (or your family) and I want to see that. If you love something, bring it and let's shoot it. 
• Don't be all Matchy McMatchFace. If you're getting family portraits, don't all wear black shirts and jeans. Trust me. Just don't. Most of the time having everyone matching doesn't look great.

#3 Options

Bring options to your shoot. Sometimes one or two of the items you may want to wear might not work great. They might be fitting wrong that day (ugh, those days, we all have them), or it might not jive with the location we've selected or we might just have some extra time and want to shoot a few things. Generally I recommend you bring 3-5 outfits for an individual or couples shoot and 2-3 for a family shoot. That gives us some options to work with and it'll give you options in your final images as well. Options are always good. 

I mentioned this before. The most important thing to wear is things you love and feel awesome in! If you love your graphic tee's or loud leggings, then wear them. If you love that dress or those shoes, bring them. Confidence shows in your images, so wear what you feel your best in and it'll be prefect. 

If you ever have any questions, definitely ask away and I'm always happy to help! If you want a quick Do's and Don't list for wardrobe, check my list HERE. 

Thanks! 

Mike Johnson 

www.mikejohnsonphoto.com

This is a discussion I have with so many of my clients, that I thought it was time to finally write down my top 6 reasons for hiring a professional hair and makeup artist for your photo shoot. I totally understand the cost of hiring a photographer, buying your clothes (or wedding dress) and all the other expenses that come along with a photo shoot; but there are so many ways a good hair and makeup artist (or HMUA) can improve your results from our shoot. But before we dive in, I want to address the top reason I usually hear for why people don't want to hire a hair and makeup artist. 

"I want my makeup to look natural and I don't trust a hair and makeup artist to do it how I like it"

I'm a guy, but I totally get it, you know your face better than anyone and you know how you like your face to look. But there are a couple really important points to think about, that a hair and makeup artist can really help out with. At the end, we'll look at a few tips for how to get the most from your hair and makeup artist. 

Ok, let's be real for a moment, how you FEEL on your shoot probably the biggest determiner of how you'll like your images. If you're feeling cool, confident and sexy (or handsome for you guys out there) then we can see that in the images. Confidence is key. A good hair and makeup artist is going to make you look your absolute best, and when you look your best you'll feel your best. This is so huge. As we head out on your shoot I want you to be excited and ready for the killer shots we're going to make, and not having to stress about how you look is gonna make things rock. 

*side note: even for men, a light touch of makeup from a professional is going to really even out your skin tones. 

This point is really similar to reason number one, but it really needs it's own discussion. Getting ready for a shoot is stressful, you're spending a fair chunk of money, you've been planning for weeks or months and you're worried about your clothes, your hair, your makeup, the weather, the traffic, your kids, your acne, your smile, everything, I get it. Taking one or two things off your plate (for you women, a big thing or two) can reduce that stress level immensely. Stressing out over your shoot is one of the easiest ways to hurt your shoot. My photo shoots are designed to be fun and relaxing, and I don't want you worrying about anything. Take that hair and makeup stress and throw it at someone else. 

Alright, I'm a dang good editor. I'm not in the class of 'professional editor, makes all the monies from photoshop', but I'm decent. I've spent years working on getting better because let's face it, nobody's face is every completely free from acne and blemishes. But, a professional hair and makeup artist can do way more than I can to make you look naturally perfect. The thing with editing is that no matter how good you are, it's always a little obvious it's been retouched. It just is. If you want to look your best but you also want to look natural, then hire a hmua. Trust me, their blending and blemish reduction will be better than any photoshop that can be done. Also, you'll get way more images back from your shoot because I won't have to spend as long on each individual image, thus allowing more time to edit more images. 

I've worked with a lot of hmua's in my time as a photographer, and some of them are truly experts. The ones I credited in the images are all trusted experts who know skin and skin care. They understand color theory, blending, how to hide blemishes, how to make your eyes pop naturally without making you think 'wow, that makeup though!'. If you want someone who can look at your skin and know how to best blend and smooth, then get a hair and makeup artist. Trust me on this, they're called professional for a reason. 

HMUA: Jessica Nelson

Pinterest. We all have it, love it or hate it. We all have that board that's like 'omg this bridal shot, I want that'. Well, if you bring those shots into your hair and makeup artist they can help with those dream shots and looks. That beautiful braid you love but have tried a thousand times and can't nail, well they do it all the time. That gorgeous blended contour or highlight that you have watched 30 YouTube tutorials for and can't get right, they can take that vision of yours and make it happen. I have worked with a few hmua who I can throw anything at and they can make it happen. That is cool, and that is totally worth having for your once in a lifetime shoot. 

The way your makeup reacts to a camera's digital sensor and the way that sensor renders color and makeup is different than how your eyes see it. Experienced hmua's know how this works, and they've learned how to make you look best on camera. If I add a light or a reflector to a shot, they know how that's going to affect your makeup and they've prepared for that. I find that a lot of new hair and makeup artist aren't as experienced with this and while their makeup will look amazing in real life, as soon as we shoot a photo of it, we have to make a few minor changes to make it work best on camera.

I think there are a number of great reasons to hire a hmua, and while I understand it may not be in the budget for everyone, a solid hair and makeup artists usually only costs around $100, which is going to give you a lot more from your shoot for only a bit more money. I definitely think whether you hire one or not, you should definitely consider the impact it can have on your shoot.

HMUA: Carrie Purser

• Prepare a mood board or look list of images you love that you'd want to use as inspiration.
• Communicate with your hmua about what exactly you want.
• Relax and trust them that they'll know how to make you look your best.
• Arrive on time so they have plenty of time to work with you and make any corrections you may want.
• Start moisturizing your face and lips at least a few days before the shoot and exfoliate your face 24 hours before the shoot. 
• Arrive with no makeup on and your hair clean and dry

If you've have any other tips or ideas for working with a hair and makeup artist, drop them in the comments below! 

Thanks, 

Mike Johnson

www.mikejohnsonphoto.com