Photography Business Forum

Great question! It is one I ask myself every morning! Well, since I didn't go to the studio naked today, I'll share how I make decisions standing in front of my closet.

First, in 19 years of commercial photography, I have only worn a tie and jacket two or three times. What I wear depends totally on the job. Photographing a lithium mine in Nevada? Boots, jeans and t-shirt. Construction progress photos? Steel toe boots, one of my hard hats and safety vest. Corporate head shot in my studio? Jeans and a nice button down shirt. Annual report photos at corporate head quarters? Khakis, dress shirt and nice shoes. Architectural exteriors in July? Shorts and my best Phillies t-shirt :-)

I am of the belief that the quality of my work and the service I provide trumps anything I should or shouldn't wear.

(As an aside: my wife is leaning over my shoulder now, laughing hysterically, as I - a fashion challenged male, is dispensing fashion advice - so take these words with a grain of salt.)

In Japan you cannot be overdressed, so its more simple...wear a suit every single time. I even saw punk concerts photographed by photographer in suits. However, I was wearing suits only on weddings, cat walk events (when they were big) and official events/parties. Most of the time I knew my clients well enough to make a judgement call and wear what I liked to wear. 

In the USA its way more casual, so I guess Jim's advice is good.

I'd say doing a little homework before the shoot to see what "THEY" wear would be appropriate.  Some corporate types are funny about impressions and unless you have a well-established name/reputation, I'd be willing to say that "THEY" will evaluate you by how you present yourself well before "THEY" ever see the results from the shoot (including your appearance, how you handle your equipment, how well you are set up, how confidant you are in the shoot, etc).  I wouldn't think of NOT wearing dress clothes at a formal wedding, but if the wedding is outside on the beach, then yeah, I think a more casual attire would be fine.  If the people you are shooting at the corporation are casual style people, then by all means, be casual, but don't dress less than they do or you will definitely be judged by your appearance instead of your work.

Now, once we have the reputation of a "celebrated photographer" that everyone knows and respects, then I guess we can get away with any style clothing we want!  ;-)

My thoughts....

Part of the answer to your question depends on whether you need to stand out or blend in. On some shoots I actually need to stand out in order to make certain images and on other shoots I don't want to be noticed so dressing like everyone else is a necessity. I dress the way I need to dress to accomplish the job correctly. If I am going on a shoot that requires me to be in a dirty environment crawling around I am wear clothing that is appropriate. If I am going to shoot the CEO of a Fortune 500 company I also dress appropriately.

As others have said - it depends upon the client/shoot.

When I'm meeting the GM of a hotel or an architect for the first time, I'll wear dress jeans, shoes, a nice shirt and a couple of times I've worn a jacket too.

On the shoot itself - more comfort please! Jeans, a polo or plain t-shirt, depending if I'll be coming in contact with the client or not. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Dress for the occasion, I guess is a good mantra to shoot by.

Everyone has their own persona.  If you really feel like improving your image then speak with an image consultant.  It can help with your confidence levels and your business as well.  It is not unusual for top photographers to be wearing jeans or cargo shorts on a job or slacks and a sportcoat or perhaps even a top notch suit.  Just depends on who you are and what you are comfortable with without compromising your image and if it is in the studio or location.

However, if you dress horribly...it does help to get a consultant to teach you.  It is a small price to pay.

most pros in my area wear all black.  dress slacks and a comfortable knit shirt. i also wear a black ThinkTank belt with one attached bag for cards, batteries etc.  

White button up, black tie, black vest, black dress jacket, black dress pants, black dress shoes.
This is what I wear for weddings.

All depends on the event, but I tend to dress up because I feel more pro and it reflects my brand.

All depends on how you want to be view'd. Go to the library and check out some men's fashion books, that what I did and know I'm all up on fashion.

It all depends on the type of shoot/event and how your branding.  If you brand yourself as a casual kind of guy and expect clients in your same social/economic level, then perhaps upping your look a bit may be all that's needed.  

If you're shooting weddings or other formal type of events, you should dress for the event being careful not to offend the participants with outlandish, or over the top, style.  If I hire a "professional photographer" and he/she shows up wearing jeans and a t-shirt, trust me, I will be offended and shocked.  On the other hand, if I'm hiring you to take pictures of my prized orchids in the back yard, showing up in a suit is overkill and not practical in Florida.  

I will tell you, however, that some of my clients have hired me based on my personal look and not so much on my portfolio.  Just something to think about.

Best of luck.

This is a good question and I agree with the general consensus about dressing for the job at hand. I have seen photographers online and also contractors who wear t-shirts with their company name or website on them.

I was thinking of looking into getting a small run done of these (probably around 10) that I could wear on any casual photography related outing as a way of drumming up some further interest. Even if it's just my website name on them, at least if people are interested they can visit my portfolio online. I was thinking of black t-shirts with white writing so that they look professional and smart enough, and also take all the pain out of deciding what to wear. Depending on price, I may also look at getting some Polo Shirts for when I need to present myself slightly smarter.

Just an idea at this stage, what are people's thoughts on this?