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Oh my goodness, you have a photo shoot coming up! That's awesome and I hope you are as stoked as I am! Regardless of what type of session you have coming up, there are several important points to note before I take your pictures.
Pick a location! If we have set a date and time for a session together, then we've already picked a location. But maybe you are still in the inquiry stages, so here are some things to think about!
Feels, vibes, aesthetics, whatever you want to call it! When you think about your pictures, what are the emotions you are going for? This can vary based on what type of session we are doing. If you are graduating from college, maybe you want to celebrate by taking one last walk around your college campus so we can stop at all the spots that impacted you the most. Maybe this is an engagement session so you want to go to that place you had a memorable date, like the beach. Perhaps you already know you are going for a specific vibe. Nature, boho. Floridian, beach. Urban, downtown, city. Try to think of what you want to see when these images are hanging on your walls and in an album on your coffee table. If you need more inspiraiton, here are some example locations I've already put together!
We've already set a location, so next thing to do is get a bit more inspiration!
Create an inspiration board! Look up images of a style you are going for and create mood board of what will fuel this photo shoot. Share it with me! You can even look through my Pinterest page for inspiration from my previous sessions!
Create a playlist! Pick out your favorite music to connect to my speaker to help you relax and be inspired during your session! If your playlist is on Spotify, you can share it with me and I can connect my phone to the speaker.
Next step, pick your outfit(s)!
Outfits! If you need guidance on how to pick something to wear, see more about those specifics here! Once you've picked something and you've gotten input from me, bring those specific outfits to your session. Maybe bring one of the backup outfits we discussed, incase on the day of you decide you like the way you feel in one better than the other. Or maybe one goes better with the asethic and vibe of the location. Also remove tags and string so they don't pop out during your session.
Try on your outfits and move! Do you need clothing tape, safety pins, or specific undergarments for your outfit? If so, be sure to have those prepped and ready for the day.
Accessories! You don't need many, but having a few things with you is great. If you decide to wear jewelry, I would keep it simple: think about what you wear on a daily basis. If you are wearing pants, think about a belt that may bring the outfit together and also act to keep your from constantly adjusting your pants. Would sunglasses add to the vibe? Bring them with you just incase. Perhaps there is a fun hat that compliments your outfit you could bring as well!
Keep it loose! Wear loose clothing the day of, until you change into your session outfit. Tight clothing will leave marks and redness in your skin that may not fade by the time of your session.
Check for wrinkles and lint! The night before your session double check that your outfits aren't covered in wrinkles or lint, or maybe even pet fur. Get out that iron or steamer and a lint roller to help your clothes look stunning!
As we get closer, prepare your body so you feel and look your best!
Hydrate! Be sure to hydrate for the few days before to help you feel your best! Try to avoid a ton of alcohol and salt the few days prior to your session so you feel great.
Tanning! Avoid a spray tan or laying out for about a week prior to your session. We want to avoid any sunburns or wonky spray tans that will detract from you in your images. Also, if you always wear a watch and plan to not wear it during your session, try to even out your skin tone in that area a few weeks prior to your session. If your aren't able to do so, try some makeup on that area the day of so it doesn't distract from you!
Nails! Even if you aren't someone who normally gets their nails done, just take a little extra time to make sure your nails are clean, shaped, and free of chipped polish (if you are wearing it). We might do some detail shots and your nails will show in some of the images. Your toes may show in some images if you wear open toe shoes. If you want to get a manicure and pedicure, go for it! If you are wearing polish, think about the colors of your outfits before picking a nail color.
Shave/Wax! Depending on if you plan to wax or shave, the timeline of doing so will be a bit different. Wax about a week prior so your skin has a chance to return to normal after any potential irritation. For shaving, shave the day before regardless of face, legs, or anywhere else that may show. Shaving the day/night before will help avoid any bumpiness or redness in your images. Also, avoid shaving too close to your session if your session is at the beach - that salt water will burn freshly shaven skin! If you shave, go slow to avoid any cuts!
Hair! Style your hair similar to how you normally do to stay true to you! Longer hair often looks best in images if it is down or just half up, whether that's straight, wavy, or curly. I would suggest against a new haircut or color within the week prior to your session in the off hand chance you don't love it!
Makeup! If you are someone who wears makeup, keeping it close to what you would normally do is best. I wouldn't go a ton heavier than you normally do. Consider where your shoot will be. If it is outside and you might be sweating, take that into consideration. If you don't want to wear make up at all, no worries, just make sure to moisturize your skin and lips!
Teeth! If you want you can whiten your teeth prior to your session, but you definitely don't have to. Just make sure to brush and floss before coming so you don't have anything stuck in your beautiful smile!
Moisturize! Be sure to apply lotion/moisturizer the day of your session! This will help to give you the silky smooth skin in your images.
Sleep! Try your best to get a good nights sleep the night before! This can be hard for some of us, but it will help you feel your best during your session.
A few last steps for photo shoot day!
Give yourself plenty of time! Give yourself extra time to get ready! You don't want to feel rushed. Give yourself time to get to the location, especially if you have never been there. Finding a new location can be difficult and you don't want to stress out that you will arrive late. Pre-map out the area the day before so you have a general idea of what route you will be taking and how long it will take to get there. The day of, give yourself some wiggle room to allow for traffic or taking a wrong turn.
Hydrate and eat! I want you to feel your best so be sure to eat and hydrate the day of so you don't feel yucky during your session!
Bring water and maybe a snack! Depending on where your session takes place, you might be in a temperature controlled environment or maybe not. Either way, you likely will want some water! Photo shoots are a ton of fun, but can also make you super thirsty so bring a water for during your session and one for on your drive home. You may also want a snack on the way home, so it doesn't hurt to have that with you.
Outdoor considerations! If we are going to be outside, I HIGHLY recommend bringing bug spray with you! Maybe you don't have a problem with bug bites, or maybe I will act as a magnet drawing them all to me, either way I would still recommend putting on some bug spray for your outdoor session. Whenever you are out in the sun, you should wear sunscreen but I recommend proceeding with caution when it comes to your photography session. Some sunscreens show up extra white on skin when photographed, even if in-person it doesn't have a white cast. If you are thinking about wearing sunscreen, try it out a couple times beforehand and take some selfies while you are out and about. If you notice that your skin looks more pale in those snapshots, that is probably not sunscreen that should be worn during a photo shoot.
Props! Think about anything extra you may want to bring to enhance your photo shoot! Maybe a blanket to sit or lay on for a few images. A ring box if this is an engagement session. Perhaps a bottle of something sparkling to shake and spray for some fun shots! Sonogram images if we are doing a maternity or pregnancy announcement session. There are so many options!
Give yourself a once over! Once you arrive to the location, double check yourself for things you do not want in your final images. Take phones and wallets out of pockets. Remove hair ties from your wrist. Tuck in loose tags on your clothes. Check if your shoes are tied and your zippers are zipped properly. You get the idea!
Finally, let me help you!
Whether you have questions along the way or it is the day of your photo shoot, I'm here to guide you! Reach out if you have questions or are feeling lost! I am happy to help with each step leading up to your session. During your photo shoot I will be your hype woman giving you poses and prompts to help you feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera!
Let's do this!!!
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