how to prepare for your photoshoot
Small guide & tips
When having your portrait taken it`s not just up to the one behind the camera to look after his model(s) but I do agree a complete photographer should set his scene properly, therefore, I prepared a small guide to follow up before we meet.
Please take time before your shoot and set in mind a few things, like deciding on outfits, choosing which beautification steps you will take and scheduling appointments, even if they’re just with yourself. Remember, these tips are here to help you think of ideas for preparing for your shoot but are definitely not required or even necessary for everybody. Just choose what fits in with your budget, lifestyle, and current beauty regimen, and go from there!
What to focus on
The difference between a good and a great photograph is up to you as well. There are areas where a little advanced preparation can make a huge difference; neglect them and an otherwise perfect photo could end up with distracting elements which take the focus away.
The areas you should focus on before your photo shoot are the following:
Face
Just a simple but soothing session using a grainy scrub or gently rubbing a washcloth on your face. Plan a couple times before your appointment; allow a few days between “treatments” as well as a couple days prior our photosession.
If you’re going to go all out into pamper mode, be sure to do your facial at least a week before your shoot. Since facials tend to cause redness, a week usually allows enough time to heal.
For those of us on a budget, an at-home facial with a gooey, florescent masque is always a fun alternative.
If you decide to have your eyebrows waxed or threaded, please schedule the appointment for at least a few days before we meet. Otherwise, an eyebrow trim/touch up at home could be done a day or two before our shoot.
A pimple is very easy to cover with makeup but scabs, wounds and flaky patches are more tricky. As soon as possible, stop picking at your skin. Examining your face further than half meter from a mirror is a great start. 😊
If you are going all out here, then try out some white-strips that whiten in a week or less for a quick whiteness boost. There other option is the dentist. Some of them even do it for free for new clients.
Hair
If you dye your hair, touching up your regrowth three days before your photoshoot is ideal.
Neat, healthy hair is youthful and vibrant. If it’s been a while since your last haircut, even a subtle trim can make a world of difference.
Your salon can do a professional conditioning treatment or you can use your favorite deep conditioner or protein pack at home. Toss it on with the gooey facial masque and relaxation is guaranteed. 🤩
Hands
While you’re at it, toss in the pedicure. If you’re hard on your manicures, book this for the day before our shoot.
Minimalists can stick with neatly shaped, clear nails. Soft, neutral colors work well for fingertips. Toes can get away with any color.
Think about the outfit(s) you’re bringing and choose a color that will compliment your overall look.
Keep it Light – The key to wearing bracelets and rings is to keep it light. Avoid jewelry overload by being selective about your bracelets.
Complementary Colors – Sometimes, matching is fun. Finding bracelets and rings that are exactly the same hue can be an enjoyable challenge
Different Hands –
It can be fun to wear bracelets and rings on the same hand. In fact, the look can even feel edgy. However, in more conservative environments like offices or meetings, wearing rings and bracelets together may feel like too much. Or perhaps your style is more subdued.
If you’re bringing your man to your shoot, make sure his nails are neat and his wrist watch polished. Bonus points if you can get him to wear a gooey, florescent masque. 🤣
Skin
If you go the waxing route, give yourself a few days to heal before our shoot. Shaving can be done the night before. Please remember to get your legs and underarms done and if you’ll be wearing a swimsuit or lingerie, go for the bikini area as well. 😊
If you usually have a faux glow, get a spray tan a couple days before your shoot. Honestly, though, I love fair skin; if I had my way, you would skip the tanning salon and embrace your inner pale.
Remember that, while Photoshop can hide a multitude of sins, you’ll love knowing that your pictures have captured your most perfect self. At the end of the day, there are some things no amount of preparation can change like birthmarks or scars. Some people feel that these markings are part of who we are, while others would rather have them edited. Your call here.
Clothes
Your portraits should be a reflection of you, therefore choose outfits you love. Be you!
On the other hand, think of those special pieces you might not wear often because they’re impractical for day-to-day use.
My tip here is to bring more than two outfits for our photoshoot, if possible, quite opposite tones:
Something Dark – bring at least one dark outfit or top. Black, Navy or Charcoal work best here.
Something Light – for your light outfit, think angelic. Soft, gauzy, maybe even layered and sheer. It doesn’t have to be white, you could go with cream, nude, light pink – whatever.
Something Fun/Funky – your chance to really show your personal style. If you tend toward more conservative tastes, choose a different adjective.
Something Sexy – this one is entirely your call. You could skip sexy, that’s up to you, but if you’d like to, you can be an understated sexy in a backless formal dress or a more overt sexy in a pretty pinup-style swimsuit. Beautiful lingerie is lovely and empowering.
Patterns and prints are distracting! We want people to look at you when they see your portrait; even the most beautiful print will steal that attention.
I’d love to be able to see your collar bone, so boat neck, scoop neck, square neck, deep V and off-the-shoulder are my favorite necklines. Whatever you choose, try to make it more interesting than the basic T-Shirt neckline. If you love turtlenecks, go for it! Feel free to bring whatever calls to you. Mixing up the necklines will add variety to your shots, so try not to bring all of one style.
Fitted clothing that shows your shape work best for photographs. Skip that billowy, blouson top or anything with dolman or batwing sleeves. While they might be flattering in person, they will not be slimming in camera. This applies to any body type. Choose outfits that will hug your curves, especially your waist, hips, arms and chest.
Unless you have a special pair you’re dying to photograph, there’s really no need to worry about the shoes you’ll wear. Most images won’t show your feet at all and if some do, bare feet will add an organic feel to your portraits.
THE DAY-OF CHECKLIST
Just trying to make your life easier here, I wrote a brief check list to follow up easily. Again, like I wrote in the description, those explained upper are not mandatory to follow up – treat them like a guideline.
Check this before we meet up:
- Washed face, apply moisture
- Clean, dry hair
- Comfy outfit
- Min 3 fitted outfits to wear in photos
- Pretty nails, neutral fingers, fun toes
- Prepare your accessories
- Touched up brows
See you soon then. Lots of love!
Yours truly, Alex
“Everything you can imagine is real”
Pablo Picasso