Preparing For Your Session

A short list of important things to prepare, think about or do before you come for your session.

What should I do before the photoshoot?

First of all, congratulations on taking a big step and booking your photoshoot!

Now, you can relax and enjoy the experience. Make sure that you get enough rest the few nights preceding the photoshoot - it's not called beauty sleep for nothing!

Beyond that, here are a few tips and tricks on how to best prepare for your photoshoot:

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. This is particularly true for coloured hair. For men, a fresh cut a couple of days before the shoot is fine.

Glasses

If your friends and family wouldn’t recognize you without glasses, you'll want to wear glasses in your shoot, but be prepared for some glare here and there. Otherwise, contacts are often best (but don't forget your glasses and saline solution in case you need to remove them!)

Red eyes 

A gentle eye brightening solution can be your friend in an hour of need. Not getting drunk the night before your shoot helps, too. (You'd be surprised.)

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Teeth 

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

Breakouts & Pimples 

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.

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Moisturising

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.

Sun burns and tan lines (yes, even in Paris...)

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.

Shoes 

Ladies can’t go wrong in heels or wedges, as long as you can stand and/or walk in them without injury.
Gentlemen, clean’em up! Dress shoes are generally best.

 

Ladies

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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.

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.

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.

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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. 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.

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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.

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Undergarments – Visible bra straps won’t 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. If you plan of wearing anything strapless during the shoot, come with a no-strap bra that day to avoid marks on the skin!

Gentlemen

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Facial hair – Men, be freshly shaved (use a new razor, shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to avoid bumps and redness). Trim up your board, sideburns, moustache or goatee, especially looking for wiry stray hairs.

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Sartorial Concerns

Bring at least two different outfits, ranging from formal to casual, i.e.:

  1. a suit / a blazer with chinos
  2. one or more shirt(s) (white is fine, more individual colours are always better)
  3. a pair of jeans
  4. one or more t-shirts / polos
 
 

Some more sartorial tips:

  • Solid colours look great in portraits.
  • If you go with a pattern, keep it simple.
  • Look for combinations where you can add and/or remove layers.
  • Make sure that all clothes are ironed and pressed before the shoot.
  • Bring a lint brush or roller with you, in case we run out.
  • Make sure you are comfortable in all the clothing you bring. (No-one looks their best with that self-conscious gaze...)