What to wear
What to wear for a solo photoshoot
Two looks maximum in an hour: one you feel unbeatable in, one a step further than usual. Solid over patterned, structure at the shoulder, and shoes…
What to wear
Two looks maximum in an hour: one you feel unbeatable in, one a step further than usual. Solid over patterned, structure at the shoulder, and shoes…
In short: Two looks maximum in an hour: one you feel unbeatable in, one a step further than usual. Solid over patterned, structure at the shoulder, and shoes you can walk in because half the frames involve movement.
Colour. Two looks maximum for an hour: one you already feel unbeatable in, and one a step further than you would normally risk. The second is where the interesting frames come from.
Fabric. Texture over pattern. A knit, a leather jacket, a heavy coat all give a camera something to hold onto; a busy print competes with your face.
Footwear. Something you can walk in, because movement frames are where a solo session stops being stiff.
The thing that ruins frames. Bringing six outfits to a one-hour booking. Each change costs ten minutes of shooting time and the last look always gets four frames.
In the bag. A lint roller, blotting papers, a comb, and the jacket you almost left behind — structure at the shoulder is the single most useful thing you can bring. A phone charger if the session runs on a timer and remote.
People booking a shoot for themselves with no occasion attached — which is, quietly, the most common reason of all.
Location changes the answer: One indoor with a window, one outdoors within five minutes' walk. In London that combination exists almost anywhere; travelling between three locations wastes the hour you paid for.
Planning pressure to account for: Booking an hour and spending twenty minutes deciding what to wear. Bringing six outfits. And judging the set the same evening — everyone hates their own photographs on the first pass, and the second pass a week later is the honest one.
Bring each proposed outfit as a complete look, including its shoes and accessories. The final choice is made against the actual background and light rather than from a generic colour rule.
Two looks maximum in an hour: one you feel unbeatable in, one a step further than usual. Solid over patterned, structure at the shoulder, and shoes you can walk in because half the frames involve movement.
For a one-hour session, plan one complete look and one quick variation such as a jacket, shoe or jewellery change. Two hours can normally support two or three resolved looks. More changes reduce shooting time, so photograph the most important outfit first and treat extras as options rather than promises.
Choose colours that separate clearly from the location and suit the intended use of the pictures. Solid tones and controlled texture are reliable; very fine checks, tiny stripes and reflective logos can distract or produce moiré. Send phone photographs of the options with the brief if you want a decision before the shoot.
Bring the garments on proper hangers, matching underwear, the shoes for every full-length look, a lint roller and simple touch-up products. Pack one neutral backup layer. Steam everything beforehand, but keep a small steamer nearby for travel creases and final adjustments on set.
Send the date, location and what you need photographed.