Outfits: Bring a variety of outfits and accessories! For seniors, bring your cap and gown, something casual, something stylish, ladies, bring a homecoming or prom dress, and guys, try a formal look! Wear what you think you look best in, but take the opportunity to also try a new look. For fashion shoots, think in layers! If there’s a specific theme or color scheme, make sure you stick to it. Bring anything, from hair pieces to jewelry to scarves, that you think could add to your outfit. Patterns & Logos: Most patterns do not photograph well! Especially avoid stripes and plaid. Solid colors always look best. Also make sure you avoid any brand logos – you don’t want them to steal your spotlight! Undergarments: Bra straps won’t do anything to help your outfit look its best. Be sure you bring a set of bras and strap-adjusting accessories to work with any outfit you want to shoot in so you don’t have any straps showing! Ironing: If you iron, iron the night before and the hang the clothes for your shoot. If you’re wearing something that wrinkles easily, don’t wear it in the car on the way to the shoot – just change at the location! If you’re wearing a dress or suit for your shoot, either steam it yourself or get it professionally steamed. Shoes: Ladies, you can’t go wrong in heels or wedges. Men, clean them up! Dress shoes are best. Sneakers and flip flops don’t photograph well on anyone!
If you’re planning on cutting or dying your hair for a shoot, do so about two weeks in advance, just in case it goes wrong. You never know what could happen! Hair accessories: If your shoot is outdoors, be prepared to put your hair back and make it look nice on a windy day. Bring hair pins, clips, headbands, or any other favorite accessories.
Glasses: If you normally wear glasses, you probably want to wear them for your shoot – however, the glare can detract from your eyes in photos. You can have your lenses removed from your frames for your shoot (don’t worry, it’s what Hollywood does to avoid glare in movies!), ask your eye doctor to loan you a similar pair without lenses, or buy inexpensive, similar frames from a drugstore or a store like Claire’s. Red eyes: Visine is your friend! Also, not drinking alcohol the night before your shoot helps.
Lips: Use lip balm for a few days in advance of your shoot to make your lips look their best! Bring a tube of your favorite lip gloss or lipstick to do touch-ups during your shoot. Teeth: If you’re planning on brightening your smile, start your treatment about two weeks before your shoot. Breakouts: Start using skin clearing soap and any treatments for a week in advance of your shoot to help reduce and limit blemishes. Equally important, don’t cake on a lot of make up to try to hide any acne – it’s almost always easier to Photoshop away acne than it is to clean up overdone make up. Did something pop up the morning of your shoot? Visine is your friend once again – just dab some onto your acne, and it’ll tone the redness down. Make-up: A subtle application of make up can really soften your skin and accent your facial features. But make sure you know what you’re doing, and make sure your foundation matches your skin tone – you don’t want your face to look orange compared to the rest of your body! Facial hair: Men, be freshly shaved with a new razor, shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to avoid bumps and redness. Trim up your beard, sideburns, moustache or goatee, especially looking for wiry stray hairs. Ladies, even if you have some light facial hair, indulge in a waxing before your shoot – even barely-there light hair will be noticeable in your photos. Men and women both, make sure you clean up your eyebrows before your shoot. Moisturizer: Dry skin can really detract from a great photo shoot. Start moisturizing nightly a week in advance of your shoot, and moisturize your whole body! Make sure your use facial moisturizer, not body lotion, on your face – regular lotions may cause you to break out. Pro tip: For dry skin on your face, especially around your nose, use a sugar scrub. Mix a cup of sugar with about a quarter cup of olive oil, or just until it looks like wet sand. Scrub any dry spots with it, then wash with soap to remove the oil. Sunburn and tan lines: If your shoot is booked for Saturday, don’t go to the beach on Friday. If you plan to tan before your shoot, do so around a week beforehand and don’t get burned. Be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglass tan lines, hat tan lines, etc. Nails: A fresh coat of nails will make a world of difference with your outfits. Pick a neutral color that won’t distract or clash with your outfits. Freshen the color the morning of the shoot, and be careful not to scuff it while getting ready! Your photo shoot is a perfect excuse for a fresh manicure, but if you can’t go to the salon, make sure your nails look tidy and clean. Bloating: Ladies, avoid high salt and high fat foods for two or three days in advance of your shoot. Being bloated will sap your confidence and comfort in front of the camera.
Props: Props are great for shoots! For senior shoots, some popular choices are sports equipmen (soccer ball, baseball bat, etc.), sports uniforms, musical instruments, and activity related items (dance, art, school clubs, etc.). For fashion shoots, props depend on the style of the shoot. If you think you have some things that match the style and theme (if there is one), go ahead and bring it with you! Arrival: Arrive early or on time to your photo shoot. If you’re coming from out of town, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find your way around. Mindset: Relax and have fun! You will look great in your photos, and we’ll have a great time. That’s why you chose Lizzie Ann Photography!