GETTING READY FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

Having glorious locks...

Make sure your hair is cut how you like it, but don’t get your hair cut the day before your shoot if you like to have a little bit of growth added on to your cut for your most comfortable look - plan a time line. If you need to get your roots done, or you usually have foils etc, make sure they are looking perfect.

Hands and nails...

Some of us are blessed with naturally elegant nails but some of us need a little work, so getting a manicure and making sure your hands are as soft as possible means they will look great in any photos. Your eye won’t be drawn to any imperfections such as a jagged nail that could otherwise stand out.

Creamy skin...

Obviously having skin that’s as good as possible is an absolute bonus for your shoot, so apart from really looking after your skin in the weeks leading up to your shoot, you may want to indulge is some pamper sessions with your trusted skin care specialist to get it looking as good as possible.

Straight off the catwalk...

Now if ever there was a perfect excuse to go clothes shopping, this is it! Think about what you might want to wear for your shoot. Think about what colours make your eyes ‘pop’. No matter what body type you have, fitted clothes always photograph better so make sure items you choose are not baggy and shapeless. You will want to have 4 to 5 different outfits ranging from casual jeans and t-shirt to pretty dresses. Sheers, lace, sparkles, diamanté, multi layered chiffons and delicate frills all look lovely when photographed. Try to bring items in a range of solid colours (not patterns unless it’s your must have, absolute favourite!) Don’t forget about your underwear either and include shape-wear if you want to as well. If you have a bodice that fits you perfectly that you may have worn with a ball or wedding dress in the past this could be a perfect item to bring to team up with many other combinations of outfits.

Accessories with personality...

The perfect kinds of accessories to bring with you are belts, scarves and fascinator type clips for your hair. If you have favourite pieces of jewellery that you always wear then make sure you bring them with you too. If your photoshoot is going to be a little bit edgy then things like hats, bow-ties and braces are cool additions to include.

Makeup

Every girl likes to know how to do great makeup, so below are a few tips. If you have chosen to use your own makeup artist or are going to be doing your own makeup for a photoshoot, here are some things to remember...

• Make sure you have good foundation coverage all over, including your eyelids. Keep everything very matt. We don’t want you to have shiny spots on your face and this includes your eyeshadow. Avoid using shimmers.

• Don’t use any type of contouring on your cheeks. If you want to have anything, a soft dusting of the softest pink on the apples of your cheek is all you need.

• Make sure you have a very strong line across the top of your eye lid extended and tapering out the sides by about 5mm. This is the most important line to define the eye.

• Use half lashes on the top outside edge of your lids for super looking lashes!

CHECKLIST : THE DAY BEFORE YOUR SHOOT

Wash hair - the day before shoot (photoshoot day your hair is clean and dry ready to be styled)

Pack all clothes. Make sure you have all the pieces that go together

Pack all underwear pieces you may want to wear

Pack all accessories

Q & A

How far will you travel to take my photographs?

As far as you want me to! I travel all over NZ to complete photographic shoots, and international shoots are also an option. There are no travel charges for travel within the Timaru district, but anywhere beyond that will incur standard travel charges.

What about locations for our photographs?

Depending on what type of shoot you have, will depend on the location. If it’s a whimsical inspired shoot in the outdoors then it could be anywhere in the Timaru area, otherwise my portrait sessions are done in my studio in TImaru.

I feel awkward in front of the camera...

Most people do, so you are not alone. You don’t need to worry because I will guide you through posing so that you look natural and bring out your best features.

Oh no, I have a pimple, can you get rid of it?

Absolutely, and I do so regularly for clients.

When will my photos be ready?

It depends on what you order, with the likes of albums taking longer but initial viewing with an online gallery should be within 1-2 weeks of your shoot.

Do you take both black and white and colour photographs?

All photos are initially taken in colour but I select images in post production that I think would suit being black and white and your final gallery will have a selection of both.

“...She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.”

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD