Clothing

Choose clothing that matches the purpose of your portrait. For example, if you don’t normally wear a suit and tie, there’s no need to wear one just for the photo. If you’re aiming for a more casual look, you naturally have a bit more freedom. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing.

A few tips:

1. Keep it simple
Busy patterns, large logos and excessive details can distract from your face and expression. Solid colours generally photograph best.

2. Avoid sheer fabrics and loose-fitting clothing
Clothing that doesn’t fit well around your shoulders can make you appear broader in the photo than you are in real life.

3. Pay attention to the neckline
Since only part of your shoulders will be visible in the portrait, very wide or deep necklines can look unbalanced. A modest V-neck is absolutely fine.

Make-up

When it comes to make-up, less is more. My advice is to keep it as natural as possible. Just like busy clothing, heavy make-up can distract from your face.

Here are a few recommendations:

Skin
Everyone’s skin is different, but in general I prefer liquid foundation over matte foundation or powder, as the latter can make the skin appear dry in photographs. The goal is to create an even skin tone, not to conceal every temporary blemish. Your selected portraits will be professionally retouched afterwards, so there’s no need to worry about spots or other minor imperfections.

Eyebrows
Eyebrows come in all shapes and sizes. If you normally fill them in, keep it subtle and try to avoid very sharp or heavily defined edges.

Lips
Lip balm or a little lip gloss to prevent dry lips is perfectly fine. A natural lipstick shade also works well, with a slight sheen generally looking more flattering than a completely matte finish. If possible, avoid using lip liner on its own, as it tends to stand out in close-up portraits.

Eyes
People often tell me that the eyes really stand out in my portraits, and that’s exactly the goal. The eyes are one of the most important parts of a portrait. Again, less is more. Avoid clumpy mascara and, where possible, dramatic false eyelashes. If you wear eyeshadow, choose shades that are close to your natural skin tone for a timeless, professional look.

Hair

If you have as little hair as I do, you can skip this section. 😉

Your hair can make or break a portrait, so make sure it looks the way you would like it to look when attending an important meeting or professional appointment.

Long hair can be worn down, but a ponytail is also perfectly fine. I would generally avoid a bun, as it often falls outside the frame of the portrait.

Important: If you use specific hair products, please bring them with you just in case. A brush, comb, hairspray, styling products, curling iron, or anything else you normally use can be helpful. It is always good to have the option to make small adjustments before the session.

After all, the Dutch weather has a habit of ruining more hairstyles than we’d like! 😉