Preparing For Your Portrait Session

Everything you need to know to prepare for your portrait session with Lea Rhea Photography - what to wear, color palettes, what to bring, and how to prepare your children.  

Preparing well for your portrait session makes a real difference in how relaxed you feel on the day, and how much you love the finished images.  This guide covers everything:  what to wear, how to coordinate colors for your whole family, hair and make up guidance, what to bring, and how to set your children up for success.  Read through it before your session, and reach out any time with questions.  You are always welcome to text photos of your outfit choices to 214-697-5898 and I'll weigh in. 

You will also receive several emails between the time you schedule your session and the actual session date.  Some are reminders and some are action items.  

The single most important clothing decision you'll make for your portrait session is choosing a color palette before anyone picks a single outfit.  When every family member works from the same palette, the portraits look cohesive, intentional, and timeless - without looking like everyone shopped at the same store on the same day. 

To build your palette:  start with the most colorful or patterned piece in your group, then pull the other outfits from colors already in that piece.  This is the easiest way to coordinate a group without overthinking it. 

What to avoid in your palette: 

• Bright white as the primary color - it blows out in bright Texas light and creates uneven exposure across the group.  Cream or ivory are better.
• Solid black on everyone - tends to feel heavy and flat.  One person in a dark color as an anchor works well; everyone in black becomes a uniform. 
• Neon or very saturated colors - they dominate the frame and pull attention away from faces and expressions. 
• Colors that clash between family members - if two people's outfits are fighting each other, it reads in the portrait.  When in doubt, text me a photo. 

Adults

Choose something that reflects how you want to be seen - polished, comfortable, and timeless.  A few guidelines: 

• Solid colors or subtle textures photograph better than bold patterns or large graphics. 
• Fit matters more than brand.  Wear something that fits well now, not something you're hoping fits.  Portraits are unforgiving about fit. 
• Dress one notch above your everyday casual.  Your portraits will hang on your wall for decades - they deserve a step up from a Saturday errand run. 
• Layers add visual interest - a jacket, cardigan, or scarf gives the portrait dimension and gives you something to take on and off for variety during the session. 
• Avoid clothes with logos, brand names, or large graphic prints.  They date your portrait and pull focus from faces. 

Children and Teens

Children's outfits are usually the anchor of the palette - choose theirs first and build the adult outfits around them.  

• Younger children:  simple, solid colors or small subtle patterns.  Avoid anything too fussy that they'll want to take off. 
• Tweens and teens:  give them some ownership within the palette.  Let them choose something they feel comfortable and confident in.  A teenager who likes what they're wearing will give you better portraits than a teenager who feels forced into an outfit. 
• All children:  confirm shoes on the morning of the session.  And always bring a back up top for young children in case of spills. 

Accessories

• Simple jewelry works well - it adds a finishing touch without competing with faces.  
• Statement necklaces and large earrings can overwhelm a portrait.  When in doubt, go understated. 
• Hats can work beautifully for casual or outdoor sessions.  Ask me in advance if you're considering them. 
• Glasses:  If you wear them daily, wear them for your session.  Let me know in advance and I'll adjust the lighting to minimize glare. 

Try this.  Lay out everyone's clothing together in the room where your portrait will live.  Replace outfits and add accessories until you achieve a fresh and exciting look for that room. 

Hair

The guideline is simple: wear your hair the way you would for an important event — polished and finished, but still recognizably you. If you straighten your hair for special occasions, do that. If you always wear your hair in a particular style, wear it that way. Portraits should look like you at your best, not a version of you that no one would recognize.

• Schedule any haircuts or color treatments at least one week before your session — not the day before. New cuts and fresh color need a day or two to settle.

• For outdoor sessions in Texas wind: consider having a backup plan — a way to put hair up if the wind picks up. Fly-away hair is distracting and takes significant time to retouch.

• Children’s hair: style it the morning of the session, not the night before. Bring a brush or comb and any necessary hair accessories to the session.

Makeup

Wear your normal, everyday makeup — the way you’d look for a nice dinner or an important meeting. Camera-ready does not mean heavier than usual. What it does mean is finished: foundation if you wear it, mascara, a lip color. If you don’t typically wear makeup, you don’t need to start for your session.

• Matte or satin finishes photograph better than very shiny or dewy formulas, which can create reflective hot spots under studio lighting.
• Consider having your makeup professionally done if this is a milestone session (anniversary, major birthday, extended family reunion). It’s worth it for portraits you’ll display for decades.
• Avoid very sparkly eyeshadow or highlighter under studio lights — they can read as shine rather than glow in photographs.

• All outfits for the session, on hangers and in a garment bag if possible — not folded in a bag where they’ll arrive wrinkled.
• An iron or steamer if your clothing is at all wrinkle-prone. We do not have these on site.
• A backup outfit option if you’re undecided between two looks. We can make the final call together at the session.
• A change of clothes for young children — always.
• Any props you’d like to incorporate (a special toy for a young child, a musical instrument for a senior session, etc.). Talk to me in advance so we can plan around them.
• Snacks for young children — a small, clean snack can make a huge difference in a toddler’s cooperation. Avoid anything messy or staining close to session time.

The most common reason a child struggles in a portrait session isn’t the photography — it’s arrival. They’re tired, they’re hungry, or they don’t know what to expect. A few things that consistently help:

• Talk to them about it beforehand — in age-appropriate terms. ‘We’re going to have our pictures taken. It’s going to be fun and it won’t take very long.’ Don’t build it up as a big production.
• Schedule sessions around nap and meal times — a well-rested, recently-fed child is a completely different subject than a tired or hungry one. We’ll talk about optimal timing during your planning consultation.
• Don’t threaten or bribe before the session — arriving with ‘if you behave you’ll get ice cream’ already on the table puts the session in a transactional frame that rarely helps. Let the session be its own positive experience.
• Toddlers especially: let them warm up — don’t expect instant cooperation from a two-year-old who has just arrived somewhere new. We build in warm-up time and work at their pace.
• Teenagers: give them some ownership — let them choose something about the session (location, outfit within the palette, a particular shot they want). When they have a stake in it, they show up differently.

• Arrive a few minutes early — not just on time. We have a set amount of time together and arriving flustered never helps anyone feel relaxed in front of a camera.
• Eat beforehand — especially children. Do not arrive hungry.
• Dress at home if possible — arriving already dressed reduces the scramble and gives everyone a moment to settle before the session begins. If you’re shooting on location, dressing at home is strongly preferred.
• Allow buffer time in your day — don’t schedule something stressful immediately before or immediately after your session. The more relaxed the arrival, the better the portraits.
• Tell me about any physical concerns in advance — injuries, mobility limitations, sensory sensitivities in children, anything that affects how someone can be posed or how long they can stand. I will plan around it.

Reach out anytime before your session.  You are welcome to text photos of your outfit options to 214-697-5898 and I'll give you honest feedback.  If you would prefer to talk through any of this, call or schedule a quick call and we'll sort it out together. 

The more prepared you feel walking in, the more relaxed and present you'll be during the session - and that is what makes the difference in portraits you'll genuinely love.