5 Tips to Prepare for Your Photo Session
It’s not everyday that you have your photo taken. As your photographer, my role extends far beyond showing up with the right gear. I come fully prepared with the technical expertise, thoughtful direction, and an intentional eye for the best light and locations — so you never have to wonder what to do or where to stand. That said, the most successful photo sessions are a collaborative effort. With a bit of preparation on your end before we ever step in front of the camera, we’re able to create images that feel effortless, natural, and truly reflective of you. The following tips are designed to help you arrive feeling confident, relaxed, and ready for an exceptional experience.
Five tips to help you prepare for photos
TIP #1
Lay out your outfits the night before & iron them!
I would recommend having your outfit picked out the night before at the very latest. Sooner is preferred.
Prior to your session, you’ll receive an Outfit Guide from me including inspiration from previous clients’ outfits, Pinterest inspiration, and more. Pick out your outfit(s), hang them up (iron them!) and sleep on it. If you wake up in the morning and still love your outfits, that’s perfect! If you want to make changes, having a base outfit picked out can help make the process less stressful on the day of.
Make sure to leave some time to iron your outfits. When you feel good about your outfit, including wrinkle lines or the lack thereof, you will feel good. That confidence and ease will show in your photos!
(Bonus Tips: For the ladies, if you plan on doing a hairstyle and makeup, practice it a few days prior to the session! Gentlemen, if you want a clean shaven look for your photos, shave the night before to avoid any redness or visible cuts. Preparing these steps will save you time on the day of your session and contribute to your confidence and the shoot’s overall success!)
The main goals for choosing an outfit for your photo session is to wear something that is comfortable, will stand the test of time, and feels authentic to you.
TIP #2
Collect any and all mementos or props you’d like to include in the photos the night before.
I always encourage my couples and families to include items that are special to them in their sessions.
For a child, that may be their current favorite toy which is perfect for mom and dad to reminisce on ten years down the road. For an engaged couple, you may decide to bring a handwritten note to read together at the session (I can be further away when you read special notes such as this to give you more privacy, or I can be closer up and even capture a photo of the note if you’d like!)
Another benefit to including props is visual interest. As your photographer, I’ll capture you interacting with your mementos. If you choose to bring an ultrasound, I will capture photos of you holding the ultrasound and also some where it may be resting on a blanket while you and your partner snuggle up and give your attention to each other.
Including personal items gives you something additional to play off of and do with your hands. We can build prompts and actions that provide movement and an extra layer of visual interest to your photos!
The inclusion of personal items can make a session even more unique to you and create a deeper connection with the photos themselves. Thirty years from now, you will look back on these photos, share them with future generations and be filled with so much nostalgia and contentment recalling the items in the photos and who you were at that point in your life.
TIP #3
Bring lots of water to your session.
This is especially important for those summer sessions during the hottest months.
Your photoshoot will more-than-likely involve a bit of walking, whether that’s to the shooting spot itself, or within the prompts/actions I give you to complete. Feel free to bring a bag that we can set off to the side during photos with your water and anything else you may need. This bag is also a great place to store your keys, phones and wallets so there is nothing protruding from your pockets in the photos.
Some prompts may have you lightly jogging (with your permission), so water is always recommended to rehydrate! I encourage you to take as many water or snack breaks as needed - health and safety is always a top priority.
Believe me - I will be bringing my giant 40 oz. water bottle with me, no shame!
TIP #4
Set an intention for the shoot.
Envision the emotions you’d like to see in your photos when you receive them back — is it joy, romance, cinematic, playful?
On the morning of your shoot (or even the car ride on your way) , chat with each other to decide on an intention for the photoshoot. This could be one word or theme to embody the session, or it could be a few intentions. When you show up aligned and with a plan, and with guidance from your photographer, you’ll feel at ease. This is when the best photos are captured — when you’re relaxed and feel supported by each other.
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Consider what truly matters to you and your loved ones that you’d like captured in your photos. Is it joy and playfulness, is it tenderness and love, is it both?
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One sentence is more than sufficient! You can set multiple intentions if you wish.
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Word your sentence to be spoken in an uplifting tone. The way we speak to ourselves matters and framing your intention with a positive flare will send positive signals to your brain!
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Right before you exit the car for your session, speak your intention aloud one more time. Please feel free to share your intention(s) with your photographer, if you’d like. This way, I can also help be a part of that vision! If you prefer to keep it private, I fully respect that. It’s okay to ask to pause during a session to realign with your intention if anything feels off.
A great example of an intention might be, “This session will be everything we ever could dream”, or “This session will be beautiful, calm and it will feel natural”. Speak your desire into existence.
If everyone goes into a session looking to achieve the same common goal, everyone will have a more rewarding time and it will show in your photos, trust me!
TIP #5
Arrive 10 Minutes early, if possible.
Make it a goal to leave the house at a time that gives you the best chance at arriving early.
The last thing you want before a photo session is to be running late and becoming stressed about it. For an intentional and authentic photoshoot, arriving a few minutes early ensures that your stress levels will be lower.
Arriving a few minutes early also gives us time to chat (maybe about our intentions for the shoot!) and time to walk over to the shooting location, if it is further away from the parking area. This way, we can maximize our time together as well as have a few moments to ease into the session.
BONUS TIP
Leave time to brush your teeth before your session.
And for another bonus tip that seems too obvious to bring up but truly has such a big effect on your confidence, leave time to brush your teeth before the session. Again, this sounds silly to have your photographer recommend, but when your teeth feel clean, it will also give you a big boost in confidence and your smile will radiate so much more. You will feel more comfortable smiling and reacting naturally to the session as it occurs!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Any photo session is a collaborative effort between the photographer and you. Reviewing this list prior to your session will help us produce higher quality images and have a better shoot together.
Don’t worry, during the shoot I will keep my eye on all the little details you’ve spent time preparing to make sure you and everything stays looking perfect! Now let’s go shoot and have the best time doing it!
Pres-er-va-tion-ist (noun)
A supporter or advocate of the preservation of something, especially of [history] and artifacts.
A photographer.
You.
