So you finally made that appointment to get your professional photos done, yay! And now you realize you will be in front of a camera… what to do? what to wear? yikes?
First off, talk to your photographer, ask as many questions as you feel like you need to get prepared. I personally like to assure my clients that this will be a fun and painless process and answer any questions. And rest assured, direction will be given to you. You’re not a professional model, so there is no expectation to have you posing yourself as one. A good photographer will direct you and make you as comfortable as possible and so you can leave the expert knowledge to the experts. With that said, a few tips before the shoot will certainly help:
What To Do With Your Hands
The camera is up and pointing right at you and all of a sudden it feels like you are Shiva with extra hands and arms. That’s just because you become self-aware and that is a total normal reaction. Contrary to what you might think, arms hanging on the side are not weird, maybe just a little boring. My advice is for you to use your hands to make contact with the person next to you. Hug, grab, tickle or just hold on for dear life, it works. For dudes hands in pockets look great, but you can also cross the arms or just hang them loose. As for the ladies, it’s very common to have the instinct to place your hands on your hips. That’s alright, but do it very lightly, so you look relaxed and not like on a cheerleader-stiff-pose. Alternatively, you can play with your outfit or place your hands crossed behind your back.
How to Pose Your Arms
Guess what? A LOT of people are self-conscious about their arms, I myself have what a friend calls “the eternal wave” (you know, when you wave and you can feel the arm juggling a bit?). The interesting thing is that even people who are fit might be self-conscious when they spot a bad angle on a photo. So have them SLIGHTLY flexed and away from your torso, let your hand rest on your thigh or grab a bit of the fabric of your dress and relax your hands. You can also take this into account when choosing your outfit, perhaps instead of that cute strapless top, perhaps consider something else super cute with sleeves.
How to Kiss for the Camera
If your photo shoot is about romance then you’ll probably be asked to kiss. I like to let my couples do what I call their “normal PDA”, some couples might be super shy about kissing while other will be super affectionate. I say “you do you” because that’s what I’m after and not a pretty-but-fake version of yourselves. Regardless of what you feel is the right level of public display of affection, the best tip for a good camera kiss is one without pouting, so when you kiss don’t pouch. Oh, and let’s keep those eyes closed! Also, who says the kiss must be on the mouth? Cheeks, forehead, shoulders, hands are all fair game.
What to Wear for the Shoot
Bring your personal style. Dress up in something that makes you feel good, that is flattering and that brings the best in you. We are all self-conscious about something in ourselves, focus on an outfit that will bring your best features.
Rule numero uno is being comfortable in your own skin, that will make you look stunning. Think about logistics too, that little white dress may be too short to sit pretty or those amazing Louboutins will be hard to walk around on.
Color Choices for Photo Sessions
What works for photos? Pastels and neutral tones are elegant and always work. Avoid loud prints or crazy colors. Neon green or hot pink? I love those, but it can be a challenge for portraits. That’s because the camera doesn’t capture light the same way our eyes do, no matter how advanced technologically that camera is, it doesn’t compare to our brain’s capacity to correct distortions such as the ones from super vibrant colors. Also, light bounces around, so that lime green shirt that you love will most likely make your skin tones green too.
Color Coordinate for the Photos
Oh yeah, it’s a thing. Coordinate colors between you. To avoid the “everybody-in-white t-shirt and jeans” solution, think 2-3 colors and how they don’t need to be the exact same. Think different tones of blue or like The Eberlys (below) who wore pastels to perfection.
If you do want to wear an all white theme, than consider different textures like Jenna did for her family vacation photoshoot.
Check how she allowed room for other neutral colors to and how it all came together beautifully. Navy blue, nudes and grays are perfect for that. The idea is to complement but not be matchy-matchy.
Hair and Makeup
Yes, hair & make-up is a GREAT idea. Think as if you’re going out on a special date. If the shoot is during the day, think of what you would wear for a nice lunch. Look casual but look your best.
There’s no need to get professional HMU, but by all means, if you want to, go for it. And if you are a bride doing a hair and makeup trial for your wedding, try to schedule your trial for the same day as the shoot.
Watch Out for the Sun
Friend, sunscreen is a must, believe me. If you’re doing your photos during a vacation trip in a place like Cabo, watch out! Not only should you protect your skin from the harsh sun for health purposes, but super red burnt skin is uncomfortable and not the ideal look. Most people try to get a tan in 5 minutes and unfortunately it just doesn’t work like that. Although I’m from Brazil, known for its warm weather, I inherited the super white skin of my Portuguese ancestors, so I know all about the desire of looking fabulous versus the painful reality. Try to catch some sun before going on vacation or just use that blessed sunscreen and apply it several times a day even when in the shade.
Another thing to consider is the tan lines. A lot of swimwear have some really cool yet a little wacky pattern on the back which means wacky tan lines. And since so many cute summer dresses and lovely shirts might show your back, you might want to avoid working on your tan wearing something along those lines.
Props, props, props!
Sunglasses, umbrellas, hats, anything that inspires you can make for some awesome photos. Bring a bottle of wine, a comfy beach spread. Bring toys for your kids, their favorite book. Get a flower crown, bring a hat, whatever you can think of, we can make it work. As much as strolling at the beach taking photos is tons of fun, having something else to do but smile for the camera will make for a much better time together.
