What To Wear, What To Bring, And What Nobody Tells You About Photo Day.

By the time you book a professional shoot, you've usually been thinking about it for weeks. By the time the morning of arrives, half of you wants to cancel and the other half can't remember what you were planning to wear. So here it is, everything I wish every client knew, written down once.

This applies whether you're sitting for a LinkedIn headshot, a magazine-style women's portrait, a brand day for your business or a family communion shoot. The fundamentals are the same.

What to wear: the only rule that matters.

I get asked about this more than anything else. Here is the answer, and you can stop overthinking it from now on:

Wear something you already own that fits you well, in a colour you feel good in.

That's it. That's the whole answer. Most of the wardrobe mistakes I see are clients trying to wear something they bought specifically for the shoot and have never tested in the wild. New clothes are stiff, ill-fitting and unfamiliar. They photograph as exactly that.

If you want a slightly longer answer, here are the four things that genuinely move the needle:

1. Fit beats style, every time.

A perfectly tailored black t-shirt will photograph better than an expensive blazer that pulls across the shoulder. The camera sees lumps, gaps and tugs that the mirror politely overlooks. If you're in two minds about an outfit, choose the one that fits cleanly.

2. Solid colours read better than patterns.

Patterns can work, but they take attention away from your face. For a primary headshot, I almost always nudge clients towards solid colours. Save the patterns for the second or third outfit.

3. Bring at least one dark option.

Dark colours photograph cleaner against most studio backdrops, and they hold detail beautifully. If you're bringing three outfits, make at least one of them charcoal, navy, black or deep berry. You'll thank me at the viewing.

4. Avoid the things that catch the eye for the wrong reason.

White shirts can blow out under bright lights. Tiny stripes can shimmer on camera (it's called moiré and it's no fun in post-production). Loud branding pulls focus. None of these will ruin a shoot, but if I'm choosing for you, I'd skip them.

What to bring on the day itself.

This is what I send every client in advance, in plain English:

Three outfit options, on hangers if possible. One you definitely want to be photographed in, one you're not sure about, one you wouldn't normally pick. The "wouldn't normally pick" one wins more often than you'd think.

Touch-up basics. Lipstick, blotting paper or powder, a small brush. Studio lights are warm and faces shine after twenty minutes. Bring what you'd take to a wedding.

The accessories you actually wear. Not the fancy ones from the back of the drawer. The watch on your wrist, the necklace your daughter gave you, the earrings you put on without thinking. These are the things that look like you.

A bottle of water. Studio sessions are surprisingly tiring. Hydrated faces look healthier on camera, full stop.

An open mind. Easier said than done. Most clients arrive convinced of how they should look, and leave preferring a shot they'd never have chosen themselves.

The night before.

Don't try a brand-new skincare product the night before. Don't eat anything that gives you puffy eyes (you know what yours are). Don't drink three glasses of wine "to relax". Get a normal amount of sleep. Drink water. Lay your outfits out before bed so you're not running around in the morning.

If your photographer is good, they'll have sent you a prep guide already. Read it. Most of the small details that affect how you photograph are in there.

The morning of.

Eat. A real breakfast. A hungry, jittery face is the hardest face to photograph. I've shot clients on empty stomachs and the difference between hour one and hour two of those sessions is night and day.

Leave time. Most studio sessions start with a quick chat. If you arrive flustered from a parking dispute, that tension lives in your shoulders for the next twenty minutes. Aim to be there fifteen minutes early, and use them.

Don't try a new hairstyle. Now is not the day to experiment with a fringe.

The mistake that catches everyone out.

Almost every client makes the same mistake at the start of a session, and I'll give it away here so you don't.

They overthink the smile.

They've decided in advance whether they want to smile or not, and they walk in committed to the plan. Then I ask them to drop the smile, soften their eyes, and just look at me. That's the photo they end up loving.

The smile, the laugh, the half-grin, those come naturally during a session if you trust the process. They almost never come on demand. If you spend the first ten minutes trying to manufacture the smile you've decided is your "good one", you'll get a tight, uncomfortable photo. If you let your photographer direct you and forget about your face, you'll get a real one.

What to expect after the shoot.

Depending on the type of session, you'll either receive your edited images digitally within a few days or come back to the studio for an in-person viewing where we choose your favourites together. The viewing session is genuinely my favourite part of the job. You sit, we relax, and you watch yourself on a big screen, in colour and black & white. It's where the surprised laughs happen.

And if you've made it to the bottom of this guide and still feel nervous, that's the most normal thing in the world. Almost nobody walks in feeling cool, calm and collected. Almost everybody walks out feeling better than they expected to.

See you at the studio.