The outfit you select will make or break your portrait. Here are some things to consider when selecting clothes for your portraits...

For Individuals and Couples -

• White or pastel colors are perfect for our lighter backgrounds.
• Casual outfits in earth tones work best for outdoor photographs.
• Middle tones or deeper solid colors are ideal for formal portraits.
• Avoid large prints or patterns that detract from your face or sleeveless tops that can make your arms appear larger than they really are.
• Long sleeved shirts or sweaters are best, no matter what the temperature outside is.
• Darker tones will help slim.
• Broad stripes, like the "rugby" style do not photograph well, as they tend to broaden your physic.
• Try to avoid lettering and extreme patterns on shirts.

• Families should pick a color theme. A good color theme would be "cool earth tones" which consists of shades of blue, gray & green. Another option would be "warm earth tones" which could be various shades brown, beige & cream.
• Feel free to mix the colors of the theme to create a pleasing and cohesive look.
• A good way to see if the clothes go together well is to lay them out on your couch for a day and see if anything jumps out as being out of place with the rest of the clothes.
• Also, dress the larger people in the group in darker tones as those will be more sliming and the smaller or slightly built people in the lighter tones to even out their size with the rest of the family.

For Senior Portraits -

This is a formal portrait; you are expected to dress accordingly. Your yearbook photograph is a head and shoulder portrait.  However, some casual poses will show a 3/4 length view of the body. Look at last year's yearbook to see what types of clothing looked good, what didn't, and dress accordingly.  Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding photography at Venice High School.

• Wear dresses or blouses with long sleeves in solid colors (3/4 sleeves OK). Remember that the boys are dressed in coat & tie and your blouse should appear to be as formal.
• No T-shirts, tank tops or spaghetti straps.
• Be careful of extreme styles as they may be out of fashion by the time your yearbook is ready.
• Avoid the type of blouse that is one shouldered.  It will show too much skin and that detracts attention away from your face.
• Tan lines cannot be removed, so wear clothing that will cover any established tan lines you may have.
• Also, for the week prior to your photo date, avoid situations where you will get a sunburn (remember the sunscreen!).  The redness and lines from sunburns cannot be fixed.

• Wear a dress shirt and tie with a sport coat.  (Limited sizes of sport coats will be available for use if needed.)
• Sweaters are an option to a sport coat.
• Remember... its summertime; save the coat for the photography, don't wear it until needed.
• No T-shirts, tank tops or sweatshirts.