In my previous post, I’ve explained to you why you should invest in a photographer.

You’ve now decided to take the leap and booked your first shoot : well done ! But how to prepare ?

Using my past experience as a stylist and tips I currently like to give clients as a photographer, read on to nail your shoot like a pro !

Location Location Location

Your photographer probably has a range of locations they like to use but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do some thinking yourself.

Even if you don’t have an exact spot in mind, it’s good to have keywords: dark, luminous, touristy, urban, leafy, colourful, monochromatic, modern, retro, dreamy or very real…

You can find random spots everywhere that are great for shooting (sometimes it can be as simple as finding a car that matches the color of your outfit!) but always ask yourself what sort of mood you want to go for and what would complement your outfit the most.

Make sure your location will be available at the times you want to visit as you don’t want to travel all the way to find out it closed an hour earlier.

When it comes to studios, most of them include lighting equipment and sometimes props but some will also charge extra or require you to bring your own.

Things like colorama or large backgrounds can also be charged at an extra cost or require pre-ordering, so make sure to discuss in advance all the details with the studio you’re hiring.

But if you are shooting with me and looking for portraits then you are in luck: I have my own studio space in East London.

Get your outfits ready

This one might seem obvious, but it’s not always the case for everyone.

Prepare all your outfits and try them on at least a day before the shoot so you can be aware of any wardrobe malfunction. Iron or steam outfits that crease too much as this will look much better on photos (there’s only so much we can fix in Photoshop ;) ).

Don’t pick an outfit for the sake of ‘fashun’ if you feel it isn’t you because chances are, you’ll end up feeling really uncomfortable and hating every picture of yourself in it. Wearing something that makes you feel confident and happy will make all the difference in the way you carry yourself in front of the camera.

Think of details: yes that top and this skirt look cute together, but how can you take it to the next level ? My client Natasha from StyleInYouu always has a different pair of earrings for every single outfit she wears. It’s her signature style, pretty easy and cheap to find yet it adds a very personal element to every outfit (and a nice detail to photograph).
Think bags, jewellery, shoes… Any type of accessory will help anchor your outfit and make it look more complete, plus it means you can get detail shots, more content to post, therefore more bang for your buck.

For studio, think of what backgrounds will be available to you and play with color: you could try to match your outfits to the background (think all pink everything or a more subtle detail like an eyeshadow), stay within the same tones or go for complementary colors.

This is a more advanced technique but will create striking results. For instance mixing a blue background with an orange look, violet and yellow, red and green etc.

The Power Of Hair And Make-Up

Have you ever found yourself admiring celebrities and how “perfect” they look? Besides an army of trainers, nutritionists, aestheticians and more, they also usually have two crucial people working for them: a hair and a make-up artist.

Now I’m not saying that hiring your own for a photoshoot is mandatory (though it will definitely add to the experience of treating yourself), but at least knowing a bit about hair and make-up can do wonders for the final images.

Keep in mind that not all photographers offer retouching as part of their services and so what you look like on the day is what your photos will reflect. While this might not be too important for outfit or lifestyle pictures, it will be very obvious for portraits.

I would especially recommend involving a professional if you are going to shoot in studio or with flash because these can be a lot less forgiving.

Wear the wrong foundation or powder and you could end up looking cakey, too shiny or with terrible flashback and there is no fixing that (hint: for that particular instance, stay away from SPF). Having professionals involved also means that if they stay for the shoot, they will be on the lookout for any line, smudge, shine or flyaway that you might not notice otherwise until it’s too late, taking that stress awy from you.

Last but not least, please note that not all make-up artists can also do hair and vice-versa, so be sure to check to avoid disappointment.

Strike a pose

Posing always seems to be the bugbear of my clients.
My first advice when it comes to posing is that, unless you’re preparing an editorial or a more arty piece, less is more.

That “looking-over-your-shoulder-with-your-bum-out-and-a-leg-up” attitude is probably best kept for a night out with your besties rather than a photoshoot.
Just like you shouldn’t wear something that you don’t truly love, don’t feel like you have to force yourself on pictures. If you’re a naturally smiling person who laughs all the time, trying to look very serious will probably feel contrived and the other way around, if you have RBF, a big fake smile may be a bit awkward.

As silly as that sounds, try posing in front of your mirror and take some selfies. This will help you notice what your best angles are and decide how you want to look on pictures.

The best thing to do when your photographer starts shooting is to keep moving: at every click of the shutter, try something a little different. Sway from a leg to the other, walk around, twirl, move your arms, start dancing… This will relax you and keep you from worrying too much about your looks.

And if it’s just portraits you’re after, there’s still a lot you can do! Try different expressions, bring your hands into the frame (a nice manicure before the shoot will help), turn around so that you’re not always facing the camera, play with your hair or jewellery…

These little details will help take your portraits from boring to stunning.

The Boring Stuff

Nobody likes to discuss T’s & C’s but it’s important that you’ve communicated with your photographer and agreed on all terms before the shoot to avoid any disappointment.
The main areas of miscommunication I’ve noticed are payments/rates, speed of editing and final images available.

Make sure you know how much your photographer is going to charge and for what : if you agree on shooting a certain amount of time or looks and then change your mind on the day, it’s not their fault and you shouldn’t assume you can just pay less.

If they’ve told you it takes them 72 hours to edit the pictures, don’t harass them to send them the same night.
And if they said they only send 5 edited images, don’t expect to receive every single image of the shoot for you to edit later.

It’s more than okay to ask to get the images quicker, for more of them or a different price… Just make sure you do it in advance and that your photographer is 100% ok with that decision as there is nothing worse than finishing a shoot to realize that a client has secret demands they’ve never told you about before.

On the day

Make sure to check the weather the day before and/or in the morning so you know what to expect. Shooting summer dresses in the blizzard is not the best idea but if you must, take a big coat, hot drinks and even a hot water bottle to the shoot so you can warm up between takes.

Changing outfits can be tricky on location as there isn’t always a café to sneak into for the bathroom and you can end up wasting a lot of time.
Bringing a large blanket or a dressing gown you can hide in while changing will be a game changer as that means you can virtually change anywhere, saving everyone some precious time.

If you have make-up on and tight outfits to wear over your head, my top tip is a silk (or other) scarf to put on the face, which should spare your clothes from nasty foundation or lipstick streaks. Wear more covering underwear like shorts, cyclist shorts, spanx, bralets etc. which will help you feel a little less naked in the middle of the street !

Lastly, it’s good practice to prepare yourself a little stylist kit with clothes roller to get rid of any fluff, pins and clamps if you need to hold something in place, a brush for your hair or fringed clothes, a little mirror…

I hope you will find all of these tips helpful and that it makes you more confident for your next shoot, please comment below or send me a message if you’ve found some other useful advice !

Images: Natasha @styleinyouu shot by me Morgane Maurice @morganemaurice

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How To Prepare For A Shoot Like A Pro (Streetstyle + Studio)