Alright —- you've reached out, booked your session, and you're stoked to DO the damn thing. One of the first questions I get asked? What the hell do I wear?

Good question.

Let me be your guide.

Let's start with some basics. ↡

Wear clothes that you already know make you feel confident and comfortable in. Go for something you've worn before and know you feel seriously freakin fantastic in.

Wear clothes that are loose, flowy, or natural
—- like linens, cottons, corduroy, etc. as they will move with you and add some dope texture to your images.

Mostly importantly —- WEAR CLOTHES YA CAN BE ACTIVE IN. I looove to have my clients run around, climb on things, literally run into Lake Michigan, etc. Don't bring your heels unless you're feelin' real ambitious and down to take 'em off to romp around.

Also, dress for the weather. This is pretty self explanatory, but you don't want to be running around in leggings and a baggy sweater in 80° weather, y'know? Check the weather and dress accordingly!

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Avoid large, splashy prints, hella busy patterns, neons, and any large graphics or logos. These will generally take attention away from you and your story, which should be the most important thing.

Don't wear matching outfits —- instead, shoot for complimentary colors.

If you're not sure if something works, I am here for ya and seriously love when clients send me their outfit ideas beforehand.

black + white
gray
tan/cream
denim
blush
rust
baby blue 

a bottle of champagne & some glasses
your favorite IPA
a guitar/ukelele/banjo
a fun film camera
takeout — pizza, chinese food, etc etc
a wide brimmed hat

Totally not necessary, h o w e v e r.

It's not every day that you have a professional photographer documenting your story. Consider having your hair and makeup professionally done. It'll take away the stress of doing it yourself, You could also always use this time to try you hair and makeup trial for the day of and see how it looks on camera!! 

That being said, don't stress if it's windy, rainy, or your makeup gets a little messed up. It's bound to happen, and it adds to the story we're tellin' anyways.

Don't stress too hard about it. Seriously. At the end of the day, this is your shoot, so if neon's your jam I can dig it. The suggestions above are just that — suggestions. This isn't a set of rules, and I want you to have fun and enjoy yourselves. These suggestions come for having shot for tons of clients, and knowing what works best, so just keep 'em tucked in the back of your mind while you're rifling through outfits.

What to Wear Guide

Now here's what you DON'T wanna do.

Want to make your session truly yours? Bring props. Here are some ideas.​

thoughts on hair & makeup

Some final thoughts before you run off to start laying out ideas —-

Here are some neutral, earthy colors to consider (and that are tried & true at the locations I generally take my clients to):

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