How to prepare for your Portrait or Lifestyle Session
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION
In this blog, I would like to share some tips and suggestions on how to make the most out of your portrait photography session.
Your portrait photography session is all about having fun, making you feel comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera, while creating beautiful photographs you will cherish forever.
Location, location, location!
You’ve guessed it, I’ll start with the location. The right location is an important decision. It sets the tone and scene for how you want your photographs to look. There are literally thousands of options, for example, fields and open grass areas, the beach and waterfront, forests, parks, mountains, urban area’s and the list goes on.
Do you have a location that has a lot of meaning and memories? Then that might be the perfect place for your photographs. If you can’t think of a location, I am more than happy to recommend some of my favourite places.
What to wear?
I am often asked what to wear to photo sessions. It really depends on what kind of look you wanting to achieve in your photos. This can be casual, a little bit more formal or full glam – the choice is entirely yours.
However, I recommend to stay away from bright colours, busy patterns and big writing or logos, as all these can be quite distracting in photographs. Best to keep it simple and be yourself. Choose an outfit you are comfortable wearing and you love the look of. Since we will be outdoors, it’s always a good idea to dress in layers, so you can react to our unpredictable weather, avoid baggy or bulky clothes though.
Accessories
Adding a few accents of jewellery can be a nice touch. Bear in mind that to much can distract from the overall look of the photos. For women, if you wear jewellery, the suggestion would be to have a nice pair of earrings and a bracelet and/or necklace.
For the men, the suggestion is to keep it simple, for example, a lovely watch. This will complement the overall look for photos without distracting.
Makeup and Hair
If you would like to turn your photo session into a full-on pamper day, I can arrange a Makeup artist and Hairdresser to do your hair and makeup (at an additional charge). You are of course more than welcome to do your own hair and makeup as well, or if you don’t wear makeup that is great too. I want you to feel fabulous and enjoy the experience, whatever look you go for.
Sun-kissed Glow
A word of caution, as nice as a tan is, please watch out for sunburn, tan lines and spray tans, as they don’t photograph very well.
Pets
Many clients like to include their pets in their photo session, which I love. Our furry friends are part of the family after all! I have years of experience photographing dogs and horses of all sizes and temperaments. I will make sure your pet feels comfortable and relaxed being photographed. Check out this blog post, for more information on how my specialised dog photography sessions work.
Posing
This is the part a lot of my clients are nervous about before the session, but please rest assured, you don’t have to worry about the posing at all! I am there to guide you through your experience and talk you through the poses. You will love it.
A few additional tips:
If you are planning on wearing fancy shoes or heels, bring along comfortable shoes as well as a second. This way you can put on your fancy, or dressy shoes for some of the photos and wear your comfortable ones walking in between photographing and locations.
Remember to stay hydrated and perhaps have a light snack before your photo session. Personally I find nothing worse than feeling hungry or dehydrated.
And lastly – have fun! This is probably the most important tip! Having fun and genuine smiles during your session make for the most wonderful photographs.
If you would like to know more about my portrait sessions, or would like to book a session for your loved ones or animals, please feel free to have a nosy around my website, or please get in touch – I’d love share your story…
Thanks Iska xx