As with most things in life, preparation is key. If you’re investing time and money in a portrait session (whether for yourself or your business), it’s worth taking a little extra time to prepare for it. Not only will doing this mean you’ll get the most out of your session, but it will reduce any anxiety or pre-shoot nerves that you may have, and mean that you can relax and look forward to the experience of being professionally photographed.
Obviously, how you prepare for your portrait session, may vary slightly depending on the type of shoot you are having. Generally, I would say that a personal branding shoot requires more preparation than a simple portrait session, because there are more things to consider and go into detail with, when planning a photoshoot for your business.
As someone who has been on both sides of the camera, here are my suggestions for how to prepare for your portrait session…
Discuss your wants and needs with your photographer (& ask any Q’s)
This is really the first step. In order for your portrait session to go smoothly and successfully, you need to have a good chat with your photographer about what you want and need. At the end of the day, a portrait session is all about you, so think about what you want to get out of it. What kind of images of yourself do you want? Where do you want them taken? What do you want to do with the images afterwards? Do you have any special requests or requirements? Etc.
This is also the best time to ask your photographer any questions you may have about how to prepare, and what happens during and after the shoot.
Choose your outfit (s)
Kind of obvious, but it’s worth considering a few things. Firstly, regardless of the reason for your portrait session, always choose clothes that you feel confident and comfortable wearing. Try on your outfit(s) to make sure you’re happy with how it or they look. Also, make sure your clothes are suitable for the occasion. If you’re having a personal branding photoshoot for example, it’s best to avoid bold prints and opt for clothes that reflect your business or brand colours. If you are having a portrait session with someone else discuss outfit choices with each other to make sure you co-ordinate, and look good together.
If in doubt, always check with your photographer, as they’ll be able to give you plenty of tips on what to wear.
A lot of thought went in to choosing this outfit for a fantasy themed portrait session.
Choose some props & accessories
Props and accessories are a great way to add some extra interest to a portrait session (especially with themed portraits and branding photography), and is useful if you’re someone who is not sure what to do with your hands. Again, take some time to consider what would be appropriate for the type of shoot. You could include flowers for a couples portrait session, tools of your trade or a mug of coffee for a personal branding shoot, or any number of items (baskets, umbrellas, vintage sunglasses, etc) for a themed portrait session. It’s up to you.
Accessorising an engagement session with flowers.
Create a Pinterest board
This is useful for both you and your photographer. Not only will it help you decide on your choice of outfits, hair and make-up, and props, etc, but it will help give your photographer an idea of the kind of photographs you’re expecting. I always either create a board for my clients, or ask them to create one and share it with me, so we can get a clear idea of what is expected from one another. If I’m preparing for an engagement session, I can look at my client’s Pinterest board and see for example, that they like the idea of a shot of themselves, arm in arm, standing under the branches of a beautiful tree. I then add this to a shot list, so I make sure I get the photographs my client wants.
Prep your hair, skin & nails, etc
Again, this is kind of obvious, but very important. It’s always worth taking the time and money (if you can afford it), to make sure your hair, skin and nails look good ahead of your portrait session. This will help you to feel more confident when being photographed, and will ensure that the resulting photographs of you look amazing.
I recommend booking hair and nail appointments (if necessary), doing a trial run of your hair/make-up look, and taking the time and effort to moisturise, get plenty of sleep, and drink plenty of water. If you’re self conscious about certain aspects of your appearance (e.g. stained teeth or visible greys/roots), try and deal with them to help boost your confidence. Finally, look out for things like tan lines. I can photoshop them out afterwards, but it’s better to try and avoid them in the first place.
Beautifully manicured nails for that all important ‘ring’ shot.
Practise your smile and choose your best side
I know it sounds daft, but how often do we cringe when someone says “Smile!”..? Sit in front of your mirror and practice your smile. Then when your photographer asks for a smile, it will feel more natural and less awkward. Another thing that’s worth doing is choosing your best side. When you’re posing for photographs, do you prefer to show the camera the left or right side of your face? This is a question that photographers tend to ask, so it’s always good to know before hand, so you can be photographed from your best angle.
Pack the evening before
Finally, to avoid getting stressed out, make sure you pack everything you need for your portrait session the evening before (or earlier). If you’re feeling nervous about being photographed (which is perfectly normal beforehand), the last thing you want to be doing is dashing around looking for items of clothes, and accessories, etc. Other useful things to pack include: a compact mirror and make-up for touch ups, hair brush and hair ties, hair spray, lip balm, safety pins, tissues, and a bottle of water and a snack.
AND RELAX!
I hope you find these tips useful. If you’re unsure about anything, always check with your photographer. Trust me, it’s no trouble what so ever - we love helping with pre-shoot preparations!
If you would like to ask me more about the portrait sessions I offer, please feel free to get in touch.