What do most people forget to do before their session?
When you book a photoshoot with me, I want to ensure that every detail is considered, leaving you feeling confident and prepared for your session. In order to achieve this, I send you lots of little goodies including a style guide to help you plan your outfits and a grooming guide to help you create a photoshoot to-do list, leaving no detail overlooked on the day of your shoot! You’ll have a makeup and hair artist however you’ll want to do a few housekeeping things in preparation for your session! Once you’ve booked, I’ll send you the extensive guide, but here are the 3 most forgotten grooming tips I see as an industry professional.
1. Hair
Now obviously you’re having someone do your hair at the start of your photoshoot, but one thing people often don’t think about when scheduling their photoshoot is- when was the last time I got my hair trimmed or touched up those roots? If you’re someone who colors your hair, keep this in mind when scheduling your session. Are you in need of a touch up? If so, are you able to schedule an appointment with your stylist in the few days before your session? If not, consider choosing a different photoshoot date. This also applies to a trim. If you have bangs that are growing out, or hair that’s reaching an awkward length, or split ends make sure you have time to pop into the salon for a trim before your session.
2. Tanning
Do you tan? If the answer is no, do not even think about trying it before your session!!! You do not want to end up orange like a bad case of high schoolers at prom! It can take quite a long time to find the right tanning regimen, so if you have months and months before your session, sure. Go ahead and try it out. But if you’re not a regular tanner, don’t attempt to do it the days leading up to your session. Now if you ARE a regular tanner, consider the timing of your shoot. Does your tan look best the day after? Do you need to go in person to get a spray tan- because damaging your skin with a tanning bed is so 1980. Just consider your tanning schedule when preparing for your session.
3. Your Feet!
The last and most forgotten tip I have for grooming before your photoshoot is your feet. Now we’re not out here looking to create content for only fans- unless we are- but you never know when your feet will be in a photo. I have a photo from 2010 when I had to wear open toed sandals for a play I was in in middle school, and I forgot to polish my toes so they were chipped and just in really rough condition. In an attempt to hide them, I curled my toes and there is photo proof. There is a photo in a photo album in my childhood home of this occurrence. I am standing on stage, giving the performance of my life (pretending to get married at an altar) and there they are. My curled toes. I drew more attention to them by curling them, than they would have attracted if I just let them be, but I was too insecure, so now I’m haunted by this photo.
How does this affect you? Well in a photoshoot, sometimes I have an idea that I never could have prepped for. Sometimes you walk past a creek in a park and inspiration strikes. And I want us both to be prepared for it all. If you’re in a boudoir session, there’s more attention paid to your feet than I ever would have realized before I had a client who desperately didn’t want her feet in the photos. And that’s a completely valid request- but I had to think a little harder to find poses that didn’t have her feet in them. All of this to say- pay attention to your feet! If you like to polish your toes, do so the day or two before your session. If you like to get pedicures, go for it! Just make sure it’s close enough to your session that they’ll still be looking perfect! If you don’t like to do either of those things, that is absolutely okay. Just make sure your toenails are trimmed and looking the way you like them to look! This also means pay attention to the bottom of your heel. I’d be lying if I said my heels couldn’t use some TLC. Before a photoshoot, I’d make sure to lotion them at the very least!!
Before you leave this blog post..
I’d like to say one last thing- None of this is meant to shame anyone in the slightest. If you don’t participate in certain grooming habits, that is totally fine! I’m here to capture you exactly the way you are. I’m not here to change you to make you “fit into my aesthetic.” YOU ARE my aesthetic! I just want you to think of everything before your photoshoot so that you feel your absolute best! At the beginning of my photography career, before I started this guide, I had many clients express frustration because they forgot “to tweeze their unibrow” for example. That’s why I created my grooming guide, so my clients aren’t left feeling frustrated and unprepared for their session. You deserve to be pampered, not stressed out because you don't know what to do to prepare!