Hello!!
If you are reading this, welcome! Welcome to my very first blog EVER. Creating my new website and taking steps towards pursuing photography full time has inspired me to start up blogging particularly on all sorts of things photography. If we have yet to meet, I hope that my blogs can give you a little taste of my personality and allow you to feel like you know the person behind the camera more than you did before reading!
Today we’re going to dive in to the most important part of your photo session. That would be you! A good shoot day starts with feeling good in your skin and there’s nothing better than getting done up and putting on an outfit that supports that confidence we have within ourselves! I am going to give you 8 basic tips that you can carry on with you for all of your future sessions. Without further ado, let’s get into our 8 tips on what to think about when preparing yourself for your upcoming session!
Eight Tips on How to Prepare for Your Future Session:
1. Nail Hygiene!
I know, I know. You’re probably asking yourself why in the world this is an important tip for preparing for your next session. Well, let me tell you something... there’s nothing worse than getting an absolutely breathtaking shot and then realizing that your nail polish is chipped, your acrylic is broken, or there’s something under your fingernails. The overall best bet to go with for your future session is no nail polish at all (maybe even just a manicure with only clear coat to add that extra something) this avoids any polish chips or gap of no color due to growth in your nail bed! If you decide to go this route make sure you clean under your fingernails, give them a nice ole filing session so you don’t have any stragglers sticking out from the crowd. Of course, this isn’t always ideal and especially for an engagement session, we know our fingers are going to be a huge focus in our images and we want them to look fancier than our norm. There is still hope with having some color on our nails! It’s just important that there are no chips or breaks in your nails. If you’re doing your nails yourself at home, do your nails the night before to avoid them from getting damaged! If you’re getting your nails done professionally for your session make sure to get them the week of the session to prevent the outgrown look, but also giving yourself enough time to go back into the salon to have any necessary touch ups done before the day of your session. Who would have thought you would be coming to a photography blog to read a paragraph on nail hygiene? No worries, I’ve got you covered!
2. Lint Brush!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Those with furry loved ones, and those without…this applies to YOU! Don’t second guess the power of a lint brush. It will have your outfit going from sprinkled in little love notes from your furry friends (or even lint/dust/your own hair! For those without shedding kiddos), to spotless, fresh and practically looking brand new. Lint brushes are great and I swear by them. I’m in love with the Evercare brand but they also offer them at the dollar store if you’re looking to get a nice cheap mini one for on the go! Lint brush before your session & don’t leave out your accessories such as scarves and hats they need love and attention too. ♥ The great thing about these little guys is that they’re easy to bring along with you, throw them in a purse, keep them in the console of your car… just don’t forget it! If you bring the lint brush along with you to your session it will allow you to make any touch ups to missed hairs or accumulated hair between the time you left and arrived. You’ll be fresh, spotless, and feeling brand new in no time!
3. All things hair!
To close up my banter on grooming yourself, lets chat about that head of hair of yours. We all want our hair to look nice during our session & for a lot of us we consider our hair a part of our identity! I know with the past 8 years of having my hair colored and cut I like it the most a few days after getting it done. If you are getting your hair colored something vibrant, or dark these few days that you have between coloring and your session are amazing for giving you the time to get that stained color off your scalp & that stubborn surrounding outline...if you know, you know! This concept of having a few days in between your grooming and photo session doesn’t just apply to coloring, but if you like a nice stubble instead of a clean shave look then you’re going to want to plan your shaving schedule accordingly with your session in mind! I wont get too much into detail about washing your hair, but I will say that dry shampoo is your friend when your on a time crunch especially if you’re looking to style your hair with heat! Spritz some of this in your roots, make sure you rub any white left-over powder, and style it up! Great for absorbing oils, giving volume and adding texture!
4. Undergarments, they aren’t a fashion statement!
This one should be quick & easy to read and remember. This rule has been around forever, and there’s a reason! “Don’t wear a black bra with a white shirt” That’s a simple way to put it, but don’t think that its just black bras and white shirts! Wear undergarments that are either the same color as your clothing or skin colored, we don’t want to be looking at a romantic photo of you and your partner looking into each-others eyes and then BAM…a neon pink strap is popping out and it’s the only thing we our eyes can focus on. Take a 360° look in the mirror, check your self out and make sure it all makes sense! Enough said 😉
5. Comfortability is Key!
When you’re comfy in your clothes, the odds of being comfy in front of the camera becomes outstandingly greater! Photo sessions are a great excuse to go out and treat ourselves to a new outfit or two, but it’s important that whatever it may be that you purchase for the shoot is something that fits you the way you like. Don’t choose the pair of pants that are SUPER adorable but aren’t realistic for walking around in, squatting down in, and restrict movement. (Trust me I have a pair or two of those and you’re going to feel cute but once you try to get into poses that you’re restricted from its going to be upsetting. Not only for the uncomfortable reasoning, but also feeling that you’re limiting the sessions potential for some great shots!) This goes for every piece of clothing. If you purchase something new that isn’t necessarily the same style as clothes you’re used to wearing, I’m going to challenge you to wear it at least once before your session! That way you will know if it’s comfy before the day of your shoot. Instead of waiting until that day to come around and you try it on, then have a meltdown over trying to find a replacement for it (also me! Lol). This isn’t the time to push your fashion outside of your comfort zone, this is the time to capture the authentic you!
6. Shoes, OMG SHOES!
Since I already touched base on comfortability, I won’t be talking about that here (but it is important, so make sure you aren’t wearing a new pair of shoes that haven’t been broken in yet to a shoot!) Something you may have not considered yet is mobility with your chosen pair of shoes. When picking out our outfit for a shoot its mostly about the looks of it, yes, but don’t forget that some of us photographers like to get those authentic movement shots and won’t always be placing you into a stationary pose. Wear some shoes that you’re able to move around in & not have this risk of getting hurt! We want smiles, no sprained ankles allowed! With that being said, I’m not trying to stray you away from wearing heels for your session.. I’m just simply suggesting that you may want to choose a thicker heel that gives more support than a stiletto would! Keep location in mind when choosing your shoes! If you’re walking by a river you probably would choose an earthy colored shoe rather the new pair of white shoes! If you’re going to be on a beach you may choose sandals, bare, or slip-ons rather than heels or boots! You get the gist of it all, I believe in you!
7. Go with the Flow!
Remember how I said, us photographer like to capture those authentic moments within your movements? We can accentuate those movements with the use of clothing! Flowy dresses and skirts are perfect examples of this. Something as simple as the movement of your clothing along with you adds so much to an image and allows the image to tell as story.
8. Layers, the More the Merrier!
I know, I went a little overboard in the title of this tip! We don’t want to overdo the layering and get to the point of looking silly, but layers are a great touch to an outfit. If you are shooting on a budget specifically, layering is a perfect way for you to get variety in your images without having to purchase that package with an outfit change! Bring a jacket to pair with your outfit, a scarf to throw around you, or a hat to place on your head! Use layering to optimize your session and give yourself the variety you deserve.
I hope these 8 tips have enlightened you for your future sessions. I will have more blogs coming soon! If you enjoyed this one, you’ll have to check out my upcoming blogs on what to wear to your specific type of session!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will be here to chat with you guys again in the next blog ♥
