You are getting your photos professionally taken. Easy right? You just show up and let the photographer take care of making you look fantastic. Sure, that can work. But if you want to help ensure a session that takes it to the next level, there are a few things you can do to prepare that will help make the experience all the better.
In my previous Blog, I covered tips for choosing a location. But in addition to that detail, here are some of the things you can do to help prepare for your photoshoot.
Create a Pinterest Board. Search for things you like and pin them to the Board. A brief description of what you like about the image (lighting, location, pose, clothing, mood, etc.) helps the photographer understand what attracted you to that particular shot. I regularly use Pinterest Boards with clients for this very purpose. These types of images can help to inform decisions about outfits, location, equipment, etc. It also leads into the next tip…
Shot list. If appropriate, make a list of images that you absolutely need or want to make sure you get. Share this list with your photographer ahead of time so that they can take care of any necessary steps to help achieve the shots.
Plan your outfits. Pick out your outfits early. Waiting until the last minute can lead to less-than-ideal circumstances. Consider everything from your hair and jewelry to your shoes. Try them on and make sure you can move around easily. Also, have a backup outfit ready to go in case one of your primary ones doesn’t work. There are times when an outfit doesn’t work on camera for some reason. This can be especially true of clothes that have very tight patterns. Or sometimes reds or oranges are distorted by the process of capturing an image. In those cases, you want to have an alternative already thought out. Also consider how easily you can walk from place to place in the shoes you have chosen. If you have difficulties walking briskly, you may want to bring a pair of slip-on shoes or sandals just for getting around. For the ladies, if you are wearing a shorter dress or skirt, consider wearing something like “slider shorts” underneath. The wind can play havoc on hair and clothing and anything you can do to help from being anxious about this the better. The goal for the session is for you to be as relaxed as possible in order to capture natural feeling shots. And along those same lines, once you know what you want to wear get them laundered, ironed and fully ready. Did I say ironed? Yes!
Lastly, consider how you are going to change outfits on location. I always bring a pop-up changing tent along on shoots. But thinking through changing is something I typically like to bring up because we will be out on location and it helps to have given it some thought.
Practice your hair and makeup. Make hair and makeup as easy as possible. Try the look you are going for at least once before the day of the shoot. If you are not handling these things yourself, do a test run with your stylist ahead of time to make sure you will be happy with the results and will be comfortable during the photoshoot. If someone else is styling you, see if you can find an individual or team that will come to you. The less you have to stress about prior to the shoot the better. During the shoot – if you are trying for different looks, changing up your lipstick and hairstyle (in addition to your outfit) is always a great trick.
Get on the same page as your team. Help ease your mind by communicating as much as possible ahead of the shoot. This includes to your stylist, anyone attending the shoot with you and, of course, your photographer. By getting as many wishes and expectations as possible conveyed beforehand, you can relax and leave the rest up to the professionals.
Prepare yourself. Make sure you get plenty of rest the night before the shoot. Eat something prior to the session to help your stamina. And hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You want to look your best for the camera and a big part of that is taking care of yourself properly. Photoshoots can be draining, so you will be happy you took steps to prepare ahead of time.
Things to bring. By considering additional items that you might want to bring with you on your session you can ensure that you stay relaxed and comfortable. Some of the things you may want to bring along include a mirror, makeup, a brush, hair ties, lint brush, clothespins, water, and a bag. I typically have a cart that follows us around during a photoshoot – so if you stash all of your essentials in a carrying bag they can all easily stay in tow with the cart.
Know what happens after the session is over. Once your photoshoot is over, the first question you will have is likely, “When will my images be ready?” Each photographer has a different process. Talk with you photographer before you leave the shoot. This will help to get everyone on the same page and with the same expectations about what will happen next.
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