What to Wear During your Equine Photoshoot
The NUMBER ONE question I get asked as a photographer, “what should I wear?!”
In this blog I’ll list my favorite stores to shop at, what colors will flatter you the best and well as what outfit combos you should build together for your shoot.
#1 Fit
The easiest way to have an outfit that photographs well is to have an outfit that fits well. Make sure your outfit fits properly from the front, back and sides. I photograph clients from all angles during our shoot, so having something that fits properly from every angle helps tremendously. Having clothing that is too baggy can change the overall silhouette that is created in your portraits, so be mindful of how the shape as a whole looks.
Also when posing with horses, pick clothing that you can move around in! I often have clients pet, walk & sit on their horses during their portrait sessions, so having clothing that you can easily move around in makes posing easier!
Things that help outfits fit better:
-Pinning them
-Using tape to hold down specific spots
-Hemming dresses or pants that are too long
Grace’s midi dress was the perfect choice and looked stunning with her APHA gelding, Gus!
#2 Color
Color can really add a lot to your images. Bold colors will quickly make you the center of attention while neutrals will add a soft vibe to the portraits. When photographing with horses, keep in mind the coat color of your horse. Red horses (chestnut, bay, sorrels, red roans) look great with rust and earth tones. Blue horses (black, blue roans, grey) look great with bolder colors. Yellow horses (palomino, cremello, buckskin) look great with neutrals and bolder earth tones). White, pale tones & light blue go with any color horse.
Things to avoid: neon colors + clothing with large prints, wording or logos! Neon colors can reflect back onto your body and give unflattering skin tones and large prints/working/logos can be very distracting and take away from the overall image.
Rachel picked out perfect color combos to go with each of her horses. Rust tones with her red based horse, a bold pop of color with her black horse and a stunning neutral dress that would easily go with any horse!
Not sure which color to wear? Go with white! It’s a classic choice that looks good against any background and with any color of horse.
#3 Variety
Another great way to get the most out of your shoot is to have a variety of outfits! Change up the tones, styles, textures and layers throughout your session to bring visual diversity to your images. Hats + jackets are the super easy way to quickly change up your look. Charlie 1 Horse hats and denim jackets are super trendy right now and will photograph great.
I always tell clients that a good base of outfits are jeans + a cute top followed by a flowy dress. Dresses always look so soft and stunning next to a horse while jeans + a top are a classic look that we can do more poses with.
Both Kylee + Whitney picked outfits that added fun variety to their images with their horses!
#4 Where to Shop
The question that always follows “what should I wear” is “where should I shop”. Here are direct links to my favorite stores for clients to shop at:
www.brokerleather.com
www.vicicollection.com
www.indiefashionboutique.com
www.southernalternative.com
www.thegoodbabes.com
www.nomadboutique.com
www.selfieleslie.com
www.lilyful.com
If you’re still not sure what will look best on camera, send photos of your outfits to your photographer! I always love when clients ask me my opinion on outfits and am happy to guide them in the direction I think will look best on camera.
About the gal behind the lens…
Rachel Reilly is a Midwest based equine, wedding + senior portrait photographer serving clients coast to coast. After growing up showing in the AQHA, APHA + POA circuits she has turned her love for horses into a full time photography career.
