Be your beautiful self – you are the only one!

Preparing for a portrait session

On of the most crucial pieces of information for all shoots (with the exception of high-fashion/creative modeling/fantasy shoots) is that I encourage you to wear outfits that are an expression of who you are.  Wear your favorite clothes that you are comfortable in – the ones that you love and can’t live without. That comes across in the in pictures.

What are some of your most favorite outfits and clothes? What do you wear to school? On a date? To a game? Out to dinner? To church? To the prom? What shoes and accessories can you bring to dress up or dress down your look, according to what you want the photograph to convey? Rings, bracelets, headbands, hair bows or ribbons, necklaces, purses and even feathers will be great. Straight hair or curly hair? What you bring will play a big part in communicating who you are. If you’re eclectic, bring one of everything. If you’re just straight one style, bring one style. And remember your mom or dad—they usually like to have at least one picture of you looking nice!

Personally, I love texture and color, and these things add a lot of dimension to photographs. However, it’s probably best to steer clear of the smaller or tighter plaids and prints. They just simply don’t do well in the finished product.

Some great prearranged fashion ideas can be found on pinterest and I highly recommend reading it if you are looking for some fresh clothing ideas.

Keep in mind: I will recommend that you use a professional hair and makeup artist that I supply.  They will take care of keeping your hair and makeup just right for the shoot.  If you want to do-it-yourself that’s fine but keep these tips in mind:

• Hair –  to avoid the schoolgirl or schoolboy “just had a haircut” look, be sure and get this scheduled about one to two weeks before your picture shoot. Also, now is probably not a good time to experiment with a new style. Wear your hair like you do every day. If you like to color or wear highlights, make sure your roots are covered before the shoot.

• Makeup – Unless we are working on a creative/high fashion shoot the key word here is “natural.” A little color is OK, but don’t overdo the tanning beds. In fact, I would encourage you not to tan at least five days before your photo shoot. A little more make-up than what you might normally wear will be fine. Oily skin can be a problem because of the shine. Be sure to bring some translucent powder for touching up between shots. Ladies, lipstick is a must. And don’t worry about minor skin irritation or breaking out right before your shoot. My fee includes touching up these issues on the photos you select for purchase.

• Prop and Accessory Time – One of the easiest things to bring that is sometimes overlooked are accessories. Your hats, belts, jackets, jewlery, and stylish coats. They contribute greatly to your look.  Along those lines personal props help give you an identity in the pictures. Anything that you love, and identify with should be fair game. Things like: Sports Equipment, Stuffed Animals, musical equipment, hunting gear, cars, collectibles, skateboards, headphones, iphones, books are all good items. Think about it and then start by looking around your room, locker, garage and closet for ideas.

• Shoes and Footware – If you bring a really special pair of shoes or athletic shoes, we might do one or two special shots with that as the feature. Mostly, though, the shots will be waist or shoulders on up, focusing on your face and eyes. So don’t waste a lot of space packing many different pairs of shoes – unless they are the main featured “theme” of your shoot. I love barefoot shoots too!