What Should We Wear for Beach Portraits?
Here are a few suggestions to make your beach portraits even better. First of all, relax! You are on vacation. Sessions are very laid-back and we want your family to feel as comfortable as possible and enjoy it!
Should We ALL Wear White?
The answer is whatever your family is most comfortable in. White is classic for beach portraits, and can be easily matched as white is pretty much the same and the sand will not show up on it.
However, we have had some wonderful images from clients wearing navy, black, brown and of course color. Our favorite is jeans and white. Just keep in mind that your eye will track to the lightest thing in the image, so if someone is wearing white, that will be the focus and you all need to be the focus.
Try and keep everyone’s outfit in the same tonal range. For instance: if your kids are wearing light colors or pastels, make sure you and your husband wear light colors as well. Try light blues, greens, coral and all pastels. Your family does not have to dress exactly alike in order to look connected. Try laying the clothes out on the bed to see how they look together ahead of time.
Some things to think about when shopping or planning your beach portrait session.
☼ Bare feet! ..but if someone does not want to take their shoes off it is ok. Just try and get them to wear light socks and light colored shoes if possible.
☼ Solids are best. Avoid patterns of all kinds. Even a single stripe across a polo can distract from your face and that is the most important thing.
☼ Keep your jewelry simple and classic. Bold big pieces can be very distracting.
☼ Try to avoid really trendy clothes, as they date your portrait. Think classic…these styles will stand the test of time.
☼ Sleeves on shirts and dresses look better on everyone than straps, strings, or ties. Bare shoulders can be distracting. Please watch your tan lines. If you have serious tan lines, you really need to avoid the spaghetti strap and strapless tops. These tan lines really show up on the beach and will cost you to have them blended or removed later in your portraits.
☼ Sit down in your dress or skirt and make sure you will not feel uneasy due to the length sitting in the sand. If you are uncomfortable or worried about your clothes, it may show in your expression. Tops that rise when you sit can make you feel uneasy as well.
☼ If you are wearing white or a light color, stand in front of a bright window and look to see if you can see though it. If so, wear a slip or undershirt. For those with little girls, slips can really make a difference in the portrait. Cartoon and themed underwear and diapers can show through white and even light colors, so think about bloomers or wearing white solid underwear.
☼ If you are wearing khaki or beige shorts or pants, lay them all out and avoid the darker ones as they will not blend as well with lighter shades. The same goes for jeans..choose jeans in the same color range.
Getting Ready for the beach portraits.
☼ Keep in mind that WIND is a constant at the beach and we usually have it everyday! Expect your blouse, or skirt to move and maybe choose one that will flow with it!
☼ For your hair, try and wear it up or pulled back for the shoot. This is especially important if you have shoulder length or long hair. It can drive you crazy in the wind. You can use hair spray, but it will still move with the breeze. For shorter styles spray it heavily...to the point of stiff....men too.
☼See my make-up tips below.
☼ Remove your sunglasses at least an hour before you arrive for the session, to allow your eyes to adjust to the brightness even for the evening sessions. You will be able to open your eyes more easily without squinting. It will also ease those red marks they can leave on your nose!
☼ Lotion is great, but put it on early enough that it will be absorbed into skin, so the sand does not stick so much. Also, we have gnats and even biting flies at the beach, so maybe one with a bug repellent would be a good choice.
☼ **Avoid anything with glitter or sparkle on your face…I know bling is all the rage however, the flash catches these tiny sparkles and bing… you have unwanted stars on your face or eyelids.
☼ Most of all, smile. Your family is going to have fun and you will have your vacation memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.
How to do your Makeup For Outdoor Photos.
How much is enough? As a rule, we suggest you use a little more than you do everyday and you will be great. The camera sees your face and washes you out, so real life makeup is just not enough. I realize this is not that easy to gauge, so think of it like this…Simply apply your makeup as if you were going out for the evening, wearing more than your daytime or work look. Think extra contrast and less shine.
Moisturize...Beautiful fresh looking skin starts with moisturizer. Begin with a foundation primer..it can fill in all those imperfections and smooth out the surface.
☼ For your hair, try and wear it up or pulled back for the shoot. This is especially important if you have shoulder length or long hair. It can drive you crazy in the wind. You can use hair spray, but it will still move with the breeze. For shorter styles spray it heavily...to the point of stiff....men too.
☼See my make-up tips below.
☼ Remove your sunglasses at least an hour before you arrive for the session, to allow your eyes to adjust to the brightness even for the evening sessions. You will be able to open your eyes more easily without squinting. It will also ease those red marks they can leave on your nose!
☼ Lotion is great, but put it on early enough that it will be absorbed into skin, so the sand does not stick so much. Also, we have gnats and even biting flies at the beach, so maybe one with a bug repellent would be a good choice.
☼ **Avoid anything with glitter or sparkle on your face…I know bling is all the rage however, the flash catches these tiny sparkles and bing… you have unwanted stars on your face or eyelids.
☼ Most of all, smile. Your family is going to have fun and you will have your vacation memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.
How to do your Makeup For Outdoor Photos.
How much is enough? As a rule, we suggest you use a little more than you do everyday and you will be great. The camera sees your face and washes you out, so real life makeup is just not enough. I realize this is not that easy to gauge, so think of it like this…Simply apply your makeup as if you were going out for the evening, wearing more than your daytime or work look. Think extra contrast and less shine.
Moisturize...Beautiful fresh looking skin starts with moisturizer. Begin with a foundation primer..it can fill in all those imperfections and smooth out the surface.
Concealer. 2 or 3 shades lighter than your skin tone. Concealer is used to hide blemishes, lighten your eyes and used if there is any discoloration around the lip area. If you have puffy bags under your eyes, apply the concealer only over the darker parts.
Foundation. Even if you do not normally wear foundation, consider using it for your portrait session. It creates an even, soft look to your face leveling out skin tones and reducing pores and redness. Just make sure it is the correct match to your skin and blends in at your chin and neck.
Face Powder. Shine on your face can look harsh and enhances shadows and wrinkles. Keep it matte. Translucent or Mineral powders are our best. Avoid light reflecting powder if possible and apply the powder with a big, round powder brush concentarting on the oily areas like the T-zone and chin. Even if you've never used powder in your life, please use it for just this once during your portrait session.
Eye makeup. Without it your eye lashes disappear. include eye liner and black mascara. Think smoky eyes…use 2 different eye shadow shades that blend well together. Define your eyes by applying a dark color to the crease in your eyelid; this adds definition and depth to the eyes. Apply light eye shadow to the upper eye lid and above the eye just below the eyebrow. Do not apply dark shades here as this can make you look tired. Again, avoid sparkle or glitter..it reflects the flash and looks harsh.
Eye Liner. For best results, eye liner should be applied starting from the outside of the lower part of the eye and extending about 3/4 length toward the inner part. Even if you always use eye liner all the way around the eye...don’t for portraits…it will give your eyes a closed in effect creating raccoon eyes.
Blush...Even if blush is not normally part of the routine, you must wear blush. Otherwise, you will look washed out and pale in the photos.
The most important thing you can do to look really beautiful is to relax and smile!
