More often than not, your clients have no idea what to wear on their photo shoot- what looks good? What goes with the location? What goes with the horse? It’s helpful to give your clients a rough styling guide- it will ensure they are more confident in choosing outfits if you direct them towards them.
If you haven’t already, start to think about what you like- is it the typical country style? Tweed, wax jacket, long boots… you get the gist. If you’d rather be more general, tell clients what works well- tell them to avoid bright, clashing, highly-patterned prints, and make sure they are wearing something they are comfortable in.
Outline your wishes- Pinterest is a great way to accumulate images of styles you like and outfits that look good together.
Most clients are under-confident in their style. When you arrive at your shoot, help them decide what to wear. They will normally bring a bundle of clothes, shoes and jackets with them that they would like some direction with.
We aim to narrow down to about 3 outfits, and its often easier to adapt one outfit, rather than changing into 3 completely different outfits. I.e- change the jacket for a jumper, add a hat, then change boots to loafers. Experience certainly helps- you will start to learn what styles work and become really confident guiding your clients to the perfect outfit choices. Below are some examples of outfit adaptation without changing into a whole brand new outfit…
You have to remember, at the end of the day, it’s the client’s choice! It’s their shoot and you are being commissioned to capture them, their horse and their style. Be sure not so change their identity!