Preparing For Your Photoshoot

Get your beauty sleep!

Please do make sure you are well rested the day of your session. You want you to look your best, and getting enough sleep the night before is an excellent first step.  Allow yourself extra time to perfect your wardrobe, style yourself, and travel.  I recommend arriving for your session early. You can take the opportunity to enjoy a few moments of relaxation before we begin.

Please don’t worry about posing

Throughout your session,  feel free to embrace whatever mood you’re feeling. You really can relax, laugh and have a good time.  I’ll gently direct you when I need to - so we can just chat as I snap away! 

Portraits are best when you are yourself.  Just because there is a camera pointing at you, don’t feel you have to look at the camera. Sometimes the most meaningful images created when you’re enjoying a moment instead of posing.

What to wear?!

Here are a few other prep details and suggestions for getting yourself ready:

• Simplicity is often best, so when in doubt keep in mind that “less is more.”

• Avoid wearing patterns and stripes.

• Avoid logos, as they can be distracting.

• Neutral colours such as beige, cream, tan and greys often photograph the best. They complement your skin tones and don’t conflict with common background elements.

• Wear clothing that fits properly. A proper fit that allows you to move and feel comfortable will help you look more confident in your portrait.

• Always dress with the full length in mind. Include shoes and socks in your wardrobe consideration. Shoe styles should be simple and not distracting.

• If you normally wear glasses, you should wear them for your session as you want you to look like you usually do.  Don’t worry about shine or glare, as I know how to work around it. We can take some with  - and some without. 

• I suggest wearing minimal jewellery for your portrait. Jewellery that you wear on a daily basis is fine, but  you don’t have to over accessorise and add extra jewellery that you usually wouldn’t wear. If anything, it should be kept simple, and its colour should be neutral and non-distracting.

• I recommend bringing at least one or two spare outfits minimum to give you variety in the images

• For hair and makeup, keep it natural as opposed to going too over-the-top. You may be more keen to have your hair and make-up professionally done, or you may be more comfortable doing it yourself. Whichever you choose, it is crucial that you feel comforable and confident.

  Hands-free

  I recommend having your hands free throughout the session, so I’d prefer you not to have to carry extra clothing, a purse, drinks, or anything else. You can leave these items at our starting location, most likely in your vehicle. We can come back half-way through the session to change and freshen up.

Collect up some ‘tools of your trade’ 

Please have ready any of your tools of the trade or ‘on-brand’ props that you might like to incorporate in your images. 

For example:

• Nice pen, books, folders, cases, coffee cup,  (umbrella?)

• iPad / laptop

  • Check what’s on screen is non-confidential and ‘tidy’

• Car

• Things you like that show your interests & personality

• Dog?! 

Have a tidy up & hoover round

Spend a little time on prepping your shoot space - office or home. This is guaranteed to reduce stress on the morning of your session! Any scenes to be photographed should be as tidy as you can make them to avoid distraction in your images.  (It’s best if cables, boxes, scruffy desk papers or posters etc. are tucked away) 

• Give a shine to any surfaces that should be shiny

  • iPhones, tablets or monitor screens, kitchen surfaces

• Floors, surfaces

• Remove pet hairs

Interruptions

Interruptions during the shoot time will reduce the time you have available.  To avoid disappointment please either manage these or arrange for someone to be available to handle any interruptions:

• Deliveries arriving 

• Work discussions

• Phone calls

Any shots on the agreed shot list that are missed due to interruptions can be rescheduled another time for an additional fee if this is agreed on the day.

Arrival time

Please plan to arrive 15mins early in case of delays.

Non-shooting time

The shoot time agreed includes reasonable time for:

• 5-10mins Initial discussion and preparation

• 5-10mins Coffee break around half time 

• 5mins Wrap up discussion and next steps

The sometimes necessary ‘Plan B’

Life happens and it’s impossible to plan for everything so it’s good to have a plan B - shots that can still happen if X or Y are not possible.  This is especially true if you are relying on other team members, the weather or some sort of event.
Of course in exceptional circumstances we will try to be flexible and rearrange the shoot day.