Photoshoot Tips

let's capture memories together

Hooray! - Your session is coming up and I’m looking forward to our time together.

I’ve compiled helpful tips and recommendations answering some of the most common questions regarding photoshoot preparation. Keep in mind these are just general recommendations; most importantly do what feels right to you. And while coordinating outfits plus hair & makeup add to the overall “look” of a photo, ultimately, I want to capture memories of your authentic & special self.

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Photoshoot Tips


**Bring water (for all ages) and snacks for minors** This is my biggest recommendation : )

Photoshoots magically make people thirsty and/or tired. Water and non-staining treats tend to help - trust me!


General Advice

Hair

If you’re getting a hair cut for your shoot, do so about two weeks beforehand, just in case it goes wrong – you just never know. For men, a fresh cut a couple of days before the shoot is fine.


Hair accessories

If you’re shooting outdoors, be ready to put your hair up and make it look nice in case of a windy day. Bring bobby pins, hair clips, headbands or any other favorite accessories.


Red eyes

Visine is your friend. Not getting drunk the night before your shoot helps, too. 


Lips

You will probably wipe or lick your lips during your shoot, so bring fresh lip gloss or lipstick to do touch-up. Use lip balm for a few days in advance of your shoot to make your smoochers look their best.


Teeth

If you want to brighten your smile, start your treatments about two weeks before your shoot.


Breakouts

Start using African Black Bar Soap for a week in advance of your shoot to help reduce and limit pimples and blemishes. Equally important, don’t cake on a lot of make-up to try to hide blemishes – it’s almost always easier to Photoshop away pimples than to clean up overdone make-up. For fever blisters, avoid getting them in the first place, then use Abreva if one pops up anyway.


Make-up

A subtle application of make-up can really soften your skin and accent your facial features. But make sure you know what you’re doing, and make sure it matches your skin tone, or your face may look orange compared to the rest of your body.


Facial hair

Men, be freshly shaved with a new razor, shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to bumps and redness. Trim up your beard. sideburns, mustache or goatee, especially looking for wiry stray hairs. Ladies, even if you have some light facial hair (particularly around your lip or chin), indulge in a waxing in advance of your shoot – even barely-there light facial hair will be noticeable in your photos. Men and women both, pluck and clean up those eyebrows.


Moisturizer

Dry skin can really detract from a great photo shoot. Start moisturizing nightly a week in advance of your shoot. When you get out of the shower, dry off until lightly damp, and slather on moisturizer. Focus on your arms, shoulders, neck, face, hands, anywhere you’ll be exposed to the camera. This includes your legs if you’re shooting in shorts or a skirt. ProTip: For dry skin on your face, especially around your nose, use a sugar scrub. Mix a cup of sugar with about a quarter cup of olive oil, or just until it looks like wet sand. Scrub your face with it anywhere you have flaky skin, wash it off, then wash with soap to remove the oil. The sugar paste shouldn’t be oily, just wet enough to moisten the sugar. Also, be sure to use a facial moisturizer on your face, not a thick body moisturizer, or you could break out. 


Nails

A fresh coat of nail polish will make a world of difference in your photo shoot. Pick a neutral color that won’t distract in your shoot or clash with your outfits. Freshen the morning of the shoot, then be careful not to scuff it while prepping. [I see this most often with high school senior girls, to whom half-gone nail polish seems to be a popular fad.] Your photo shoot is a great excuse for a fresh manicure, but if you can’t go to the salon, make sure your nails look tidy and clean, including the cuticles.


Bloating

Avoid high salt and high fat foods for two to three days in advance of your shoot. Being bloated will sap your confidence and comfort in front of the camera.


Undergarments

Bra straps won’t do anything to help your outfit look its best. Be sure you bring a set of bras and strap-adjusting accessories to work with any outfit you want to shoot in to keep those straps well-hidden.


Sun burns and tan lines

If your shoot is booked for Saturday, don’t go to the beach on Friday. If you plan to tan before your shoot, do so at least a week beforehand and don’t get burned. Be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglass tan lines, hat tan lines, etc.


Ironing

If you iron, iron the night before and then hang the clothes for your shoot. If you’re wearing something that wrinkles easily, don’t wear it in the car on the way to the shoot – just change at the location, if possible.


Shoes

Ladies, can’t go wrong in heels or wedges. Men, clean’ em up! Dress shoes often look best, but as with most things, let your momma or your wife decide. We’ll be walking around a bit and sometimes the ground is uneven or a mix of grass and dirt, so having a pair of easy-to-slip-on shoes or flip flops may help keep you comfy and keep dress shoes clean.


Wardrobe tips for photoshoot 

  • Generally, solids are preferred over patterns. Sometimes a bold pattern can add to the overall statement made in a photo but they can also be very distracting. Try to think of the locations of your session and what colors will harmonize with it.
  • Softer colors (pastel blues, light greens and tans) work well for outdoor color portraits. 
  • Wardrobe for couples can be a mixture of solids and patterns but this rarely ever works with three or more subjects. Add more solids with groups of three or more.
  • Above all, wear something you feel good in! The better you feel about your outfit, the more relaxed you’ll be during the photoshoot.


Guidelines for flattering styles:


Weight 

If you feel that photographs tend to make you look too heavy or too thin, do not select short dresses, spaghetti straps, or strapless dresses. Men should not wear a suit jacket that doesn’t fit.


Height

Use shorter dresses, high heels and boots to make legs look longer.


Necks and Chins

Scarves and shirts with collars help a lot. Do not, however, wear a turtleneck to hide a double chin. V-Neck tops are great at making necks look longer. We can also work with double chins through posing, lighting and retouching.


Shirts and Sweaters 

Sweaters look amazing in photographs. Starched shirts, especially in light colors, often look wrinkled in photographs.


Children Photoshoot Advice

  • If appropriate, consider putting on outfit on location to avoid wrinkles and spills from the drive.
  • If your child is still of napping age, make sure they nap before the shoot.
  • Often kids feel a lot of pressure for family/sibling photos. Sometimes it helps to “set the stage” by saying to them, “We’re going to have fun taking photos at the park.” 
  • It is perfectly okay to bring bribes to a photo shoot – given a stage and being the center of attention, it’s like our kids know exactly when to act “interestingly”. Some cereal, smarties or other candy that won’t stain teeth can help a short photo shoot go by smoothly. Cheetos and Oreos will stain fingers and/or teeth! Fun blue or green treats will stain even if their tongues look fun in the moment. 
  • Photo editing the “removal” of stains caused by food dye is not guaranteed and will incur an additional fee, thusly to prevent teeth, lips, mouth and face stains, avoid colorful drinks (like Hi-C, such or gatorade), candy, frosting or lollypops within 24 hours of your shoot.