Elle Lavon - International Personal Style + Brand Specialist

With my 15+ years of experience styling people all over the world - combined with Jason’s 12+ years portrait expertise on what does and doesn’t work on camera - these recommendations will set you up for success on the day of your shoot.

Style is an extension of our identity... a way in which we show up and express ourselves in the world each day.

There are endless ways in which you can visually translate your personality into a look that tells your story.

What should I bring with me?

Probably THE MOST asked question is “how many pieces/ outfits should I bring with me to the session?”

The best thing you can do is to bring A LOT of options. How many is a lot? This is what I’d recommend so we are spoiled for choice.

4 Hour Session

• 10 - 15 tops - we want a wide variety of colours, patterns, textures, structures, necklines, sleeve types, fits, etc…

• 3 bottoms (skirts/ dresses, pants/ slacks/ jeans, etc.)

• Maybe 1 or 2 pairs of shoes - I rarely shoot you full length so we don’t see shoes too often. One example where we might is if your sitting with your legs crossed…

• 5 or so necklaces and pairs of earrings - go for a variety of sizes, lengths, colours, etc. Not just your favourite.

2 Hour Session

• 5 - 10 tops - we want a wide variety of colours, patterns, textures, structures, necklines, sleeve types, fits, etc…

• 3 bottoms (skirts/ dresses, pants/ slacks/ jeans, etc.)

• Shoes usually don’t matter in these short sessions

• 5 or so necklaces and pairs of earrings - go for a variety of sizes, lengths, colours, etc. Not just your favourite.

At the end of it all, we may have only used 2 or 3 outfits but we could have tried 8. We usually just start with our best guess and go from there. But at least we had the enough options on the day to make sure we can focus on the other stuff.

Two Strange Things You Need to Know About Clothes On Camera

#1  Certain things look TERRIBLE on camera that you would never expect until you get into the shot and test the outfit on camera.  

Sometimes it’s our most expensive, favourite, most confidence-inspiring pieces that just sometimes just doesn’t work up-close, on camera.  It’s weird and it’s really hard to pick beforehand.  

Here’s a good example of what commonly goes wrong:

• A lady came in a little while back with one of the most ‘boss’ suits I have ever seen.  She did a bit of public speaking and this was her very favourite piece. She said she felt like she had superpowers whenever she wore it.  It really was a beautiful suit; obviously expensive and very well made.

• We did a test shot and saw that the texture of it was terrible up-close, under lights, on camera. We both stood there… looking at the monitor with the test images…  and then back again at the clothes. Neither of us could believe how different it looked On Camera (terrible) vs. In Real Life (amazing).

Fabrics/ textures/ patterns/ fit & form heavily impact the visual outcome. It can sometimes be as simple as a neckline; or tighter/ looser knit. It could be the way certain fabrics hold their shape when you’re sitting or standing.  It could be any tiny detail normally imperceptible outside the scrutiny of up close portraiture. 

#2 Certain things look AMAZING on camera that you would never expect until you get into the shot and test the outfit.

Sometimes it’s “that old thing” you’ve worn for years... that piece that is just YOU. Your Go-To. You know the piece that, no matter what, you always feel most comfortable in your own skin when you wear it.  It works for almost any occasion and it just looks right in every way. I have a totally plain, collared dark grey shirt that is just…my shirt.  I’ve had it for years. It’s casual but dressy but simple. I wear it for anything and everything and somehow it just works.  If I were being photographed, it would come with me. 

Colours + Patterns

From behind the lens, there are some standard guidelines that have been tried and tested over the decades and proven successful.  My personal stylistic preference? The simpler, the better. It means less distraction from the expressions we spend so much time developing.

What do I prefer to shoot people in?

Any single, block colour is great. A bold colour or simple, dark shirt can be one of the most powerful ways to frame human expression.  Interestingly (and often surprisingly) White can be incredibly flattering on camera if that’s something you have.

Should I Wear Black?

Maybe. Maybe not. Black is not flattering for everyone... especially if you’re fair... and especially on camera. It can really drag you down and create a tired or flat look and make your skin lose its lustre.  If that’s the case for you, then consider Navy or Charcoal for dark neutrals that won't suck the life out of you. Or if you’re very fair, bring some lighter tones.

But Black is My Signature Look…

Yeah that’s cool. Just make sure to bring some other options along. People are often very pleasantly surprised when they see themselves in something other than black on camera. It’s the ‘On Camera’ thing that we are talking about here… ‘Real life’ is just different.

What About Wild Patterns?

If you genuinely express yourself with exciting/ interesting patterns (abstract, floral, etc), then definitely bring them along. They can be trickier to use because the ‘real life’ experience of you is a fluid one and isn’t the main focus when someone sits and interacts with you. But frozen on camera, some patterns can become overwhelming and distracting. I’m always happy to try it out and usually find a way to make one or two work. Just make sure that’s not all you bring so we have some ‘safe’ options too.

Style Tip: Make a statement

Bring one piece that surprises you or pushes you a little bit (more) out of your comfort zone. Something adventurous,  a truly bold expression of who you are.

We all have that one totally awesome thing in our wardrobe that we bought when we were feeling adventurous but somehow haven’t had the courage to wear. BRING THAT!

Just like all the other clothes, we’ll test it on camera to see if it works or not. And because we see all the images right away on the computer monitor we can make informed decisions with real feedback.  If it doesn’t work, we don’t waste our time exploring it further.  We just don’t use it. We just try something else and move on.