Andrew Buxton Photography : Preparing For A Photo Shoot

I have put together the following list of tips and suggestions from my own experiences and the written experiences of other photographers and models on and around the internet. I will add to this list as time passes and new lessons have been learned!

Each photographic session is different in one way or another so not all of the points below will apply to your shoot, but common sense will guide you and ensure you increase the chance of your shoot being a success.

The points below apply whether you are a working model or a person who is just looking to have some nice pictures created.

Don't go "Over The Top" with facial cream products that are going to make your skin shine, it reflects flash light harshly!
Some nail varnish is worse than no nail varnish. If your varnish is cracked or partially missing either remove it entirely or re-paint your nails. The less time a photographer has to spend in photoshop, the faster you'll get your images!
Make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before your shoot. This will ensure your eyes are at their freshest and brightest and help keep those bags to a minimum! You'll also feel a lot better about yourself and this will come across in the photographs!
If you have a party or gathering the night before your shoot try not to drink too much as this can result in an "off" mood the next morning and can make you feel dehydrated and tired. All of which will directly affect the way you look in your photographs.
If your shoot is in the morning have a good breakfast, if your shoot is in the afternoon have a light lunch.
Don't worry about facial blemishes, spots or small scars. All the pictures will go through post production retouching and the marks will be removed.
Try not to put too much make-up around your eyes, less is more! You don't want the make-up to take focus away from the colour and pattern of your eyes.
Take a bottle of water and a straw to your shoot. This will ensure you stay hydrated and the straw will lessen the damage to your lipstick.
If you are going to be revealing your skin at a photo shoot, be sure to arrive wearing loose fitting clothes. Lines caused by bras, tight fitting trousers and socks do not look good in a photograph and can take lots of time to vanish.
If you have tan lines that you know will be on show during your photo shoot, it is probably best to postpone your shoot. Book for a time when the tan lines are gone or significantly less visible.
If you need to shave any parts of your body prior to your shoot, do this the night before or the morning of the shoot. This will give you the closest shave possible.
During your shoot try to relax and be yourself. We've all seen pictures of nervous and tense people in photographs and they don't look good. The more you relax the more natural your pictures will appear.
Bring someone with you to your shoot. You may feel a lot more relaxed with someone there that you can laugh with.
Give some thought to your fingernails if you know your hands are going to be on show during your shoot. Ensure nails are clean and buffed.
Wear clothes that you like and will feel very comfortable in. Your comfort level will come across in your finished photographs.
Bring footwear that will compliment your selection of clothing.
Avoid wearing black clothing under thin white clothing like shirts and blouses.
Avoid selecting sleeveless and short sleeved shirts as upper arms can be distracting.
If you wear perfume to your shoot, ensure it's very light. Most studio environments are small and you don't want to overwhelm the photographer with your perfume.
If you know a make-up artist is going to be present for the purpose of making up your face, arrive with no make-up on. This will speed up the process as you'll have no make-up to remove.
Keep your clothing simple in colour and design. Dense patterns and lines can be distracting.
If you plan to change your clothes once you arrive for the photo shoot, wear a button up shirt and not a pullover. You don't want to ruin your hair or make-up.
Dark coloured clothes are very slimming whilst lighter clothes serve to emphasise your body and shape. Bear this in mind when you make your clothing selection for your shoot.
If you wear glasses and would like your portraits to include them, contact your optician and pick up some empty frames. Or remove the lenses just for the shoot.
Most studio shoots will have a stereo playing in the background, it is there to provide a relaxing environment, as a photographer we want to play music you like, feel free to put in a request.
Pack for your photo shoot the night before, it will spare you the morning rush to assemble all the clothing you need.
Arrive a little early for the photo shoot, around 10-15 minutes early.
Ensure you have the address of your shoot location the night before. You will also need a contact number in case you get lost of delayed. If you need any of these, call to get the information.
Always call to confirm your shoot. Either the day before or on the morning of the shoot. This is where you should take the opportunity to get address and telephone information.

This article was last updated on 26th September 2009