I am so excited about your upcoming session. I know we are going to have so much fun together. Before your session though, here are some ideas and tips to make everything just perfect from clothing to what to bring.
Oh Dear, What Do I Wear?
1.) Don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid to wear what you love and showcases who you are!
- If you enjoy a fancy shoot in the middle of the desert, wear that favorite bow tie or ballgown! (FYI I LOVE A FANCY DESERT SHOOT!)
- If you want a casual look then coordinate with a color theme, without all matching or wearing the exact color.
ABOVE ALL ELSE: Wear outfits you feel beautiful/handsome wearing- not what you think people expect you to wear.
If you feel beautiful when you put on your outfits and look in the mirror, it will definitely show in your photographs. Have fun, be creative, but be happy in what you are choosing because happy is what happy does? What? That doesn’t even make sense… but you get the point.
If you want to be you but you still want a little help selecting what to wear then here are some ideas:
- Black/Navy/dark colors tend to be slimming and classic.
- White is brightening and flattening to almost all skin tones.
- Soft Neutrals (such as creams, tans, pinks,) are really popular and give your shoot a really light and airy feeling.
- Colors are fun but be cautious with supersaturated or bright colors as they can sometimes caste a color on your image and not photograph very well. Reds are not a great color for most people. Choose an off shade such as burgundy, or olive green instead of bright green. Etc.
2.) How to coordinate your outfits:
Think about your home, specifically a room. You would not paint all the walls the same color and match all the decorations exactly, but rather you would mix and match patterns, textures, and several colors to create a theme to the room. That is how you want to view your outfits from group photos and even for your own outfit.
Consider the mood you want when you print these photos as well. Do you want them colorful or calm and monotone? Plan where you might want to hang them in your house when selecting your outfits and colors.
CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST WHAT TO WEAR BOARD
3.) Not Too Many Options:
Most of my shoots only allow enough time for one outfit with the exception of engagements & extended creative commercial shoots.
If your shoot is longer than 45 minutes you can bring another option though.
If you would like to wear an additional outfit, realize that this will have an impact on the amount of time we are able to spend shooting. Make sure your outfits are something that can be easily changed into at our chosen location.
- Ladies: If you want to quickly change up an outfit quickly, bring different shirts or tank tops that can be layered with jackets, scarves, jewelry and a quick shoe change.
- Gentlemen: bring a fun dressy casual shirt and then you can mix it up with a t-shirt and a button down shirt or an un-tucked button down shirt and a funky bowtie.
4.) Feet Need Love
Sometimes people overlook the shoe choice. I LOVE shoes and I love to photograph them. (Yes, this means you get to go shoe shopping!) Bright colored flats, leather and bright colored flips flop, and some awesome converse are great! But bring a pair of flats to walk around if you plan to wear uncomfortable heels for the actual shoot.
5.) Accessorize!
Hats, jackets, picnic, sports equipment, a kite, your motorcycle, your dog, a couch, a chair, balloons, fresh flowers & bouquets, gardening equipment, books, your laptop, iPod, iPad, or anything you can possibly think of that tells the story of you. This isn’t required, but it sure is tons of fun!
I am more than happy to help when it comes to choosing outfits.
You are welcome to send me ideas or questions when selecting what you will wear
Makeup, Chapstick, and Glasses OH MY
Make Those Eyes Pop
Photography tends to flatten life, so don’t be afraid to up the ante a little! Eyeliner and good mascara are a must, also do not be afraid to get some realistic false lashes! Take extra care on your mascara and really separate your lashes. Your eyes will be the most important factor in many of your images, so spend extra time making them look beautiful!
Not Clowning Around
Now you don’t need to put so much makeup on that you look like a clown, just apply the rest of your makeup like you normally would, but just a tad heavier on the foundation maybe to smooth pores. You might also pack the basics and bring them with you on the shoot in case you need a quick touch up.
Moisturize those lips
Be sure to moisturize your lips well before your photo shoot. Dry, cracked lips are really hard to touch up later in the pictures.
Glasses
If you wear glasses, they could reflect light and cause glare and shadows across your eyes. Editing out glare and shadows takes an enormous amount of time and is very expensive. We don’t want you to have to change the way you look so you might consider talking to your optometrist. Most eye doctors have a spare pair of frames without glass you can borrow for your session. You will probably need to go in and see your eye doctor at least a week or two before your session to make sure they can help you and that they have a similar pair of frames in stock.
Hair
Be sure to bring some things to do quick fixes to your hair between locations (hair spray, brush, comb, etc) If your hair is very long, you might want to bring some clips, bobby pins, hair bands, or cute headbands to pull your hair back if it starts bugging you or if you just want to change up your look.
Day Of Your Session
LOCK IT UP!
You can lock your major things like your purse, cell phones, and wallets in the car trunk of your car. I can carry around small items for you like car keys and lip gloss in my bag. I want your hands to be free during the session.
BUT I REALLY NEED IT!
If you must bring a lot of items to accommodate for props, blankets, outfit changes and kiddos, then BRING A ROLLING SOMETHING. A cart, rolling tote, small suitcase, or if we are hiking bring a backpack. We really don’t want to get tired from toting things around and we also want to be able to take journalistic photos without a ton of bags in each shot.
I HAVE TO PEE!
Go to the restroom right before you leave. Many places that we will go will not have restrooms nearby.
HAVE FUN!
I’ll take care of making you look fantastic and capturing your life and relationships as they really are so don’t worry about a thing. I realize most people are not used to being in front of a camera so I will be there giving you plenty of direction and lighten the mood with my own awkwardness.
Sometimes I might actually have you pose a certain way. Other times I might as you to do something. Remember that you don’t always have to sit like a stone statue or cheesy grin into the camera lens all the time. Do whatever feels most natural to you, I want you to remember your loved ones at this stage in your life.
NOTE FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDDOS: I am a lifestyle photographer and if you picked me to photograph your special moments in life it’s because you love this style of photography over traditional portrature. That means I’m here to capture and help you remember your life as it truly is, don’t worry if your kid fell and got a big cut right before the shoot ( I swear that ALWAYS happens!) or if your kids are not paying attention or smiling even a little, because most of our shots are going to be about engaging with one another not sitting and smiling perfectly at the camera anyways. I will off course ATTEMPT to get everyone looking somewhat put together. lol. But don’t worry about it.
I want you to remember the joy and treasure of life as it is, not how you wish it would be. Because your life is wonderful and a treasure.Embracing your life is what Fully Alive Photography is all about.
Now if you need special editing because you REALLY need at least one photo without your kid bleeding, and you looking like a total disaster, I can always photoshop that dream image.lol. So sit back, have fun, and enjoy these oh too precious memories that flee all too quickly.
Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll see you soon!
hello@fullyalivephotography.com
Joyfully,
Tracy Ann