How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot

Welcome to Texas. It’s hot here.

I’m originally from Florida, so I welcome the rays of the sun. I would rather be too hot than too cold, and I am thrilled to have snowy New York winters in my rearview mirror. But that said, I fully recognize that it is difficult to look good for the camera when it is 100+ degrees outside. In today’s blog post, I will be sharing with you my top tips for how to beat the summer heat during a photo shoot. Most of these tips involve a bit of pre-planning for your outfit, but there are also some things your photographer can do to help you stay cool and comfortable.

How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot: Your Outfit

Your choice of fabric matters. Natural, breathable fabrics are the foundation of a successful summer photo shoot outfit. Cotton, linen, silk, rayon, or chambray are all good options because they allow for more airflow. You don’t want to be wearing fabrics – such as polyester or pleather – that keep heat close to your body.

Be loose, be free. Loose fitting clothing is going to keep you at your coolest. Think flowy dresses or a maxi dress for women. For me, try a crisp shirt that doesn’t require being tucked in.

Lighten up your color palette, but don’t wear white. Most people would immediately choose the color white for a summer outfit. However, white has a tendency to make you look washed out and will blow out the highlights on the camera unless the settings are perfect. Everyone looks better in a little color, no matter how pale that color may be. Indeed, bright colors are always a great option, just stay away from dark colors that will soak up the sun. My advice is that you find a color that looks good on your skin tone, and then choose a lighter shade for your outfit.

Dress in layers. Want to look smart during your photo shoot? Dress in layers so that you can remove excess clothing as necessary when you get hot. Wearing a sleeveless top underneath a loose-fitting blazer is a great way to balance a look.

A little bit of skin goes a long way. It’s going to be tempting to peel off all your clothes when it gets hot. Keep it classy and remember that a little bit of skin goes along way. Also, remember that if you have a body part you want to de-emphasize, then cover it. Hate your arms? Sleeves are the answer.

Do a double check with sheer fabrics. Wearing a sheer top is a great idea. But just make sure that you can cannot see through the material. No one needs to expose more than they plan to during a photo shoot.

Clothing Items to avoid. Tight jeans (or tight anything) and dark colors may look (figuratively) hot, but I would avoid these at all cost. Dark colors, especially on top, will show sweat stains like nothing else. And nothing says hot, sweaty mess like sweat stains in a photo.

How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot: Your Accessories

Your feet need to breathe as well. For ladies, this means it’s open-toed sandal time. For men, you can do the same or perhaps go for an easy loafer. This is not the day to wear socks and lace up Oxfords, if you can avoid them. Oh, and if you are exposing your toes, just remember that it’s time for a pedicure.

Accessories are what separate us from the animals. You can take a basic maxi dress to the next level with an interesting necklace or earrings. Accessories will take your outfit up a notch, but earrings will never make you sweat.

Bring your sunglasses. Sunglasses always make you look cool; this is truth.

How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot: Your Hair & Makeup

Use suntan lotion, liberally, but put it on well before your shoot. I use 70 SPF suntan lotion before I go outside every day. However, if I apply it right before I leave the house, I end up looking like I’m wearing a mask of clown makeup. Put your suntan lotion on all over your body because no one needs to look like a lobster by the end of your photo shoot. But just make sure you put it on well in advance.

Lighten up on the makeup. You know that your makeup is going to be the first thing that melts in the heat, so try to look as good as you can with minimal effort. A tinted moisturizer or bronzer would be great. For your eye makeup, try waterproof varieties of eyeliner and mascara that won’t be running down your face.

Blotting paper is the way to go. If you have already started to sweat, then packing on more face powder is only going to give you a cakey complexion. Instead, invest in some blotting papers to soak up the sweat. I found these blotting papers at Sally’s Beauty, and they come in an array of skin tones.

Go for an easy updo with your hair. Heat and humidity are the enemies of good hair. And frizzy flyaways are the worst things to tackle in Photoshop. It is almost impossible to edit out a head full of stray hairs. So, do yourself a favor and pull your hair back into a ponytail, or stick enough product in your hair so that you can combat the elements for at least an hour and a half.

How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot: Things to Bring

Bring plenty of water. You want to stay hydrated before, during, and after the shoot. Of course, if you want to slip in a glass of bubbly or two, that also counts as hydration.

Bring a sweat rag. If your photo shoot is going to be in Texas, then you know you’re going to be sweating by the end of the shoot. Bring a washcloth or towel to sop up the mess and always block, don’t rub, to avoid messing up your makeup.

Bring a mirror and back up makeup as necessary. Like I said, you are going to be melting in the sun. Make sure you have enough back up makeup on hand to repair as necessary.

How To Beat the Summer Heat During a Photo Shoot: Working with Your Photographer

Find the best time of day for your photo shoot. I have found that the hottest part of the day in San Antonio is not actually at noon, but around 4 PM in the afternoon. This means that you are going to want to start early in order to beat the heat. Lighting-wise, the best time of day is always going to be ‘golden hour’: either the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. If you are a morning person and don’t mind getting up at the crack of dawn, then an early photo shoot is going to be your coolest option. However, if afternoon is your only choice, then plan to start as close to sunset as possible. For example, if the sun sets at 8 PM, I would safely start the photo shoot at 6 PM, to allow for enough time.

Get the plan of attack ahead of time from your photographer. For any of my photo shoots, I always visit my venues ahead of time and have an exact idea of where I’m going to place my couples as well as the route we are going to take during the photo shoot. When I craft a shot list for a session, I always take into account the comfort level of my clients. This means that we will stick to shady areas as much as possible. If we are at an area, such as the Missions, where there is very little shade, then I warn my clients ahead of time and make sure that we take lots of water breaks. No one needs to suffer for their art.

Conclusion

If you can’t take the heat, then get out of Texas. High temperatures are just a way of life in the Alamo City, but there are ways to look good, no matter the temperature. Thinking about your outfit and makeup ahead of time and working with your photographer so that you schedule your session at a time and location where you can both be comfortable is key.

Enjoy the images, and I will have more photo adventures for you next week!

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