Photo Shoot Details to Remember
Whenever clients hires me for a portrait session, I always give them a full set of tips that includes the basics of what to expect when you step in front of the camera. But beyond the basics, there are a few portrait particulars to pay attention to that can really make or break a photo. In today’s blog post, I tell you my top photo shoot details to remember in hopes that your next session goes as well as Yadelyn’s Gantry Plaza State Park shoot.
Meet Yadelyn
It was such a pleasure to photograph Yadelyn and her family over at Gantry Plaza State Park. This park is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite photo shoot locations in the city. Yadelyn booked this session in order to celebrate her upcoming 18th birthday, and I have to say, she made my job very easy. With stunning good looks and such ease in front of the camera, what started as a family portrait quickly morphed into a fashion shoot.
Top Photo Shoot Details to Remember –
Hair Bands, Hair, and Nails
Yadelyn’s portrait session went off without a hitch, but there are always a few particular things that someone can forget until you see the resulting photo. I always think it is far better to get your house in order, so to speak, and take care of all the details before you jump in front of the camera. This way you save yourself from seeing any issues, and you save your photographer a lot of editing time. So without further ado, here are my top photo shoot details to remember:
Ladies, take the hair band off your arm. This gets me all the time – both as a photographer, and as a frequent hair band wearer. Everyone forgets to remove the hair band until you see the photo, so take off any hair bands (and for that matter, any jewelry, name tags, etc.) before you start your portrait session.
Speaking of hair, take care of flyaways. Stray hair is one of the most difficult things to correct in Photoshop. Most of the time, loose flowing hair can’t be avoided and often gives a fashion shoot feel to the session. But if you are prone to hair out of place, stick on a little extra gel.
Everyone will notice your wrinkles. Taking wrinkles out of clothing through Photoshop is nearly as difficult as getting rid of flyaway hairs. Make your life, and mine, easier by remembering to iron your shirt before you step in front of the camera. Trust me, everyone will notice that you didn’t use an iron.
Pay attention to your nails. Yadelyn had a fantastic manicure before our shoot and her white nails looked great on camera. All too often, however, nails go neglected before a shoot. You might think your nails won’t be seen, but the reality is you might hug your kids or partner in a shot, thus showing your hands close to your face on camera. For men, especially, I see a lot of neglected hands. No one needs to get a full gel manicure, but just make sure your nails and cuticles are neat and clean.
Top Photo Shoot Details to Remember –
Session Logistics
Wear comfortable shoes. I use a variety of location backgrounds in all of my portrait sessions. This means clients are walking from spot to spot. Granted, no one is going any place too far and I always keep my locations realistic depending upon the shoot (wedding portraits tend to pretty much stay in pretty much one spot). That said, you will be moving, so make sure you wear, or at least bring with you, a set of comfortable shoes. Ladies, this is particularly important if you plan to wear high heels. In this case, if you are going to be slipping into walking shoes, then make sure the walking shoes are easy to get on and off your feet. Sandals, slippers, and slides are the order of the day here.
If you are going to change clothes, make it quick. You can do a full head-to-toe transformation during your photo shoot, but bear in mind that it takes time to change outfits. In particular, there is the issue of finding a private spot in which to change clothes. Now with the Covid-19 pandemic, lots of formerly public restrooms have closed. As a result, see if you can limit your outfit change to accessories and a jacket. The easier it is to slip into a new identity, the less time is taken away from your portrait session.
Limit your luggage. When you are traveling with kids, you always have a lot of ‘stuff.’ As someone who has to cart around a lot of ‘stuff’ for each photo shoot, I feel your pain. Just keep in mind that you will be moving from location to location during your portrait session, so make sure that you can easily move your luggage. Leave as many extra toys at home as you can.
Enjoy the Gantry Plaza photos, and if you are interested in celebrating your own birthday – Yadelyn style – with a personal photo shoot, then drop me a line and let’s chat!
If you would like to see more images from my portrait portfolio, then please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com
