What to wear
Fitted and plain, in a colour that separates from the floor and the wall. Patterns fight the line of the body, which is the entire subject. Bare feet…
In short: Fitted and plain, in a colour that separates from the floor and the wall. Patterns fight the line of the body, which is the entire subject. Bare feet always; check nails and soles because feet are in almost every frame.
Colour. Plain and contrasting with the floor. A grey mat, grey leggings and a grey studio wall removes the line of the body, which is the entire subject.
Fabric. Fitted, matte, high-waisted. Loose fabric hides the hip position that makes a pose readable, and shiny fabric blows out under a window.
Footwear. None — which makes feet visible in almost every frame. Check nails and soles before starting.
The thing that ruins frames. A patterned mat. It competes with the body in every single shot and cannot be removed afterwards.
In the bag. A plain mat in a solid colour, a hair tie, a towel, and gaffer tape to mark where the mat sits so every frame in the sequence lines up.
Teachers building a website or a course, and studios that need images which are not the same stock photograph everyone else licensed.
Location changes the answer: A studio with one large window, or outdoors on a hard flat surface at low sun. Avoid mirrored walls unless you want the photographer in every frame, and avoid grass, which hides the feet.
Planning pressure to account for: Shooting down at floor poses. Using a busy studio wall covered in certificates. And photographing at the end of a class, when the teacher is too tired to hold anything cleanly.
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.
Fitted and plain, in a colour that separates from the floor and the wall. Patterns fight the line of the body, which is the entire subject. Bare feet always; check nails and soles because feet are in almost every frame.
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.