How to Plan for Your Portrait Session
You booked your session, now what? Date is set and you can’t wait to receive your amazing images and cherish them for years to come. There’s a lot that goes into getting your perfect pictures. It’s a lot more than simply showing up and letting the photographer work all their magic. In this quick post, I want to give you some helpful tips and tricks for your portrait session.
First of all, if you haven't already picked a location, now is a great time to go on a little adventure to find or maybe even revisit your favourite locations! Also, don’t be afraid to ask your photographer. Especially, if they are a local! Photographers tend to have a lot of knowledge on local locations that work well for your portrait session. Another thing to think about is timing, a lot of people don’t realize how much the lighting is going to impact your pictures. I usually recommend, a sunrise shoot or about two hours before sunset. That way you can maximize the most gorgeous golden light possible. The higher the sun is in the sky the more harsh the shadows and light will look in your pictures.
Next big question, “What will I wear?” This is another important part of your session as the wrong outfit can really affect the end result of your images. The main points are as follows.
Aim for neutral colours/pastels. Bright red and yellows can throw off your skin tones and take away from your images. Let’s layer up! layers add interest and texture to your photos. Avoid anything with too many patterns as well.
If you are having photos of you and your boo, or maybe your babies too, try your best not to match but rather coordinate. Pick a colour combination for your little ensemble to work within. We don’t want everyone to match perfectly or wear a single colour but we don’t want every person wearing a different colour and or pattern. And perhaps, most importantly, aim for clothes that fit you well and compliment the location.
These are all things that you can do yourself, with whichever photographer you choose to go with.
I also want to share a few things that you can expect when you book with me. One of the main things I get told by my clients when they are planning their shoot are, “ I’m so nervous.” “I’m not comfortable in front of the camera.” “I have no idea how to pose!” “My boyfriend hates having his photos done. My child is very shy.” And to all that I say, I get it. Heck, I’m nervous in front of the camera too, why do you think i choose to be on this side! But for reals, I do get it. Have no fear, I have a few tricks to make you more comfortable.
First of all, I’m not going to pose you. I will not be critiquing and changing how your finger is resting. My method is driven by the moment and by capturing you. I will give you some tips such as, “ Relax your hands, drop your shoulder.” etc. But I am not a perfectionist when it comes to how you present yourself. Instead, I’m going to give you tasks and make you move around.. Another thing is music. I will ask you to share some of your favourite songs with me beforehand and will play a fun playlist during your session.
At the end of the day, I want you to have a great time. The biggest advice I can give is to relax. Uptight, nervous people are very difficult to photograph and you are going to miss out on some amazing pictures. So most of all, have a wonderful time and just be yourself, that’s what I’m all about is. Capturing you for you.
