Here are just a few tips to consider if you are having a photo shoot.
Clothes – solid patterns and neutral colours always work well. Patterned clothing can look great but please make sure it is ironed. Creases are always more difficult to correct (if it can be done) post edit. Please make sure that clothing is ironed, especially shirts. Try not to wear shirts that are too tight, straining around the buttons or seams doesn’t look great. I have found this to be an issue sometimes with superfit lovers of the gym!
Consider the background you may be photographed against. If you are wearing a white shirt against a white background, it may blend too much. If you have particular brand colours, you may also want to incorporate a detail with those in if you can.
Whilst often portrait shoots are mainly about headshots, do also think about footwear. There maybe an ideal situation where in fact a full length shot works well, especially if there are team shots involved.
A lot of people find it easier to relax with their hands in pockets, so you may prefer to wear something with pockets.
Looking your best – Please do not wear a heavy moisturiser or one with a sunscreen or containing any zinc oxide. They’re great for protection but reflect flash light strongly and can lead to a person looking shiny or parts of their face being overexposed. It’s not a flattering look.
I’ll often ask if you have a favoured side which is something a lot of people haven’t considered. If you are not sure, just try a few selfies either side or ask friend/ family member to do it for you and have a look at the images to see if you do have a preferred side. Using photographs works better than just trying to work it out in the mirror.
If you always wear glasses then please feel free to wear them in the shoot, you don’t need to remove them unless you want to. You can always try some images with and without them if you are unsure. If you could please make sure that they are clean, smudges do show up and are difficult to remove.
If you are unlucky enough to have a patch of bad skin on the day, don’t panic, we will edit that out for you.
Hands – This may seem a little unusual to consider in a portrait shoot, especially when I’ve said that you may want to put them in pockets. If there any shots which involve you working at a desk, maybe chatting, holding a mug of coffee, your hands and more importantly your nails will be on show. Chipped nail varnish or hands that are still recovering from a session in the garden are not a great look. Please remember to just give them a little attention before the shoot. Please note, I am not asking for a full manicure, just ideally no chips and no soil under the nails!
General – we will go through the posing with you on the day of the shoot. If something doesn’t feel likes it’s you, then please let us know, admittedly we’ll have probably picked up on that before you and won’t put you in that position, but if it doesn’t feel right, then do just let us know. We want you to look and feel good about your images, not dread seeing them or having them used.
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. you can email me at sara@saraporterphotography.co.uk