Photoshoot Prep 101: How to Prepare Your Mind & Body For a Photoshoot
Question...
Does anyone really have their every-day self-care routine together? 🤔 #AdultingIsHard
In one of our most popular blogs to date, we talked all about how you can prepare for your upcoming brand photoshoot: choosing a photoshoot location, curating the perfect outfit(s), and so on.
And in that blog, we failed to mention the most important part of photoshoot preparation – YOU!
TL;DR: There’s no right or wrong way to prepare. The right pre-photoshoot routine will leave you feeling like your very best self - both mentally and physically. Both of these characteristics are the key to a successful photoshoot.
Disclaimer: We understand that only you know what is best for your body. So, we ask that you take everything we say here with a grain of salt. These are the base recommendations we make for every client, but at the end of the day, you should do whatever it is that YOU need to do to feel prepared for your photoshoot.
Without further ado, here are our general recommendations for preparing your mind and body for your upcoming photoshoot!
4-6 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
It's go time! (Almost.)
By this point, the biggest details have been solidified:
The date and time of your photoshoot
The location of your photoshoot
And thanks to these rock-solid details, you’re already feeling much better about your upcoming shoot and are ready to mentally prepare yourself for your big day ahead.
We’ll meet one more time in this window to talk about creative details and align our visions. But in order for this meeting to go smoothly, you’ll need to do some homework first — and don’t worry, we promise it’s fun!
One of our favorite ways to mentally prepare for your photoshoot is Pinterest! Yes, you heard that right!
Scrolling through the app to find some Pinspiration (get it?) before our meeting allows us to deep dive into your creative vision.
After our confab, using the pins and ideas that you’ve brought to us, we’ll create a creative brief that recaps our meeting and outlines your entire shoot down to the time and place to what props you should bring.
…Now back to Pinterest because we aren’t done here yet!
Not only can you use Pinterest to plan your outfit, we highly encourage you to use it to plan and practice your poses. Spend some time a few weeks before your shoot sourcing your favorite poses, then practicing them in front of your mirror.
Seriously! We mean it!
Don’t worry – we’ll always be around to guide you into a pose the day of, but practicing your poses beforehand and getting comfortable in them can bring you a lot of confidence on photoshoot day.
Plus, seeing all of your photoshoot inspiration – poses included – can really help you imagine yourself the day of confidently doing your thang!
Shortly after you’ve nailed down your Pinterest board, it’s time to get serious about your hair and makeup, ladies and gents!
Right about now is your last chance to book an appointment with one of our very own hair and makeup artists! Each person who’s a part of our photoshoot crew is someone we wholeheartedly trust to bring any and every vision of our client’s to life, so always know that you’re in good hands!
The last few weeks leading up to your photoshoot, you are more than welcome to schedule any pre-photoshoot beauty treatments – haircuts, nails, tanning, and so on. That goes for you too, gentlemen! (Unless, of course, you want that fresh fade for photoshoot day… in that case you might wait until the week of your photoshoot!)
You might also sit down at this time and start gathering up the actual outfit(s) you’ll be wearing on photoshoot day. Start setting items aside or creating an all-exhaustive list of items you’ll need to pack on photoshoot morning. Trust us, future you will thank us for this tip. You might think you’ll be able to remember the finer details the day of, but things can get crazy quick!
This is also the perfect opportunity for some last-minute shopping if you’re in need of anything else to complete your look.
Oh, and don’t forget your photoshoot accessories and props!
Not sure what to bring for your props? Start by thinking of things that make sense for the vibe of the photoshoot. For instance, if it’s a brand photoshoot, you might consider bringing your laptop or favorite journal.
But if it’s a photoshoot for a special occasion like an anniversary, your wedding invitation or even your rings are good ideas for props. As a general rule of thumb, think about the everyday tools and items you use to do your job, or the things that best represent you and your personality. Still not sure? Let's brainstorm together!
1 WEEK BEFORE YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
YAY! It's finally happening! (Later this week…)
I promise we are just as excited as you are!
Call us overprepared, but to us, there is no better way to calm our own nerves than to plan and prepare for your big day. We'll be spending a lot of our time finalizing any last-minute details for your shoot and reviewing the goals, inspiration, and overall vibe for your photos so that we know we’re showing up the day of feeling prepared and inspired!
With your photoshoot just a week or less out, now is your last chance to pack, plan, and prepare for the big day.
Go ahead and take your ‘fit to get pressed, dry cleaned, or steamed. This extra step will really show through in your photos and help take things to the next level.
Finish packing all of the items you’ll be needing on photoshoot day.
Find a hype person to bring with you the day of! Seriously – it won’t bother us to have one more person around to help raise your spirits during your photoshoot!
And we genuinely encourage you to put together a photoshoot playlist. If you’re the kind of person who needs a good beat to get in their boost mood, by all means, bring the music with you! Anything that makes you feel more comfortable, we’re with it. Plus, we love connecting with our peeps through music!
[Insert anything else here that gets your head in the game and leaves you feeling more comfortable, confident, and inspired for your photoshoot.]
Last but not least. Don't forget to take a moment to relax. This is a celebration of you and everything you do. That’s all!
THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
How exciting!
A few quick things to remember here:
Triple-check your packed bags to make sure you have everything you need. Yes, triple-check it.
Pamper yourself and get your head in the game. Take a long bath or a hot shower. Go on a scenic drive to wind down. Spend some time outside at night listening to the sounds of the world and appreciating this incredible place you are in. In other words, relax!
Carry out your normal skincare routine - don't overdo it or change it up just because tomorrow is a special day. You don't want to irritate your skin the night before your photoshoot!
Every culture and every person is unique. Do what YOU need to do to get ready!
Moisturize, hydrate, and get some good sleep.
If you're laying in bed late at night not able to sleep because you're so excited for tomorrow - we are too! We can't wait! Now try to get some sleep!
P.S. If you use the Calm app, we love using their Sleep Stories to soothe us to sleep on those restless nights. Try it out!
THE MORNING OF YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
WE COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED!
You've done most of the preparation you can do at this point so there are really only a few key things to keep in mind the morning of.
Relax. Get your head in the zone however you can. Give yourself lots of extra time to prepare this morning so that you don’t have to rush and get all frazzled on the way out of the door!
As far as food, we all know what it’s like to be hangry, and no one wants these vibes on set, especially you, our superstar! It helps to eat nutritional, balanced meals before your photoshoot. But we won’t judge you if you decide to bring something to snack on, too - whatever keeps you happy and full!
We want you to feel your very best during the photoshoot and these strategies can help you get there. At the end of the day, do what you need to do to prepare. Again, you know your body best!
The same goes for getting ready that morning. You decide whether you need to wash your hair or not, or what you can do to prepare your body. Regardless of your beauty routine, our go-to hair and makeup artists will be there to help you finish!
Double-check that you have everything you need one last time… and then you’re ready for your special day!
Once you show up to your photoshoot location, we’ll take it from there. Settle in and enjoy this experience.
AFTER YOUR PHOTOSHOOT
We're not time travelers, but we already know that your photoshoot is going to be a total success!
There's really not that much left to do now but wrap up your photoshoot. We'll get with you within a few days of your shoot to cull (select) the final photos you want to use, send them off for retouching, then celebrate the success of our photoshoot and clarify the next steps.
Give yourself a pat on the back! Take yourself or your loved ones out for a treat afterwards because, after all, you are looking and feeling your best- maybe a drink? Can we come? 🤪
Congrats again! We couldn't be more proud of you!
You are an incredible, hard-working human being with a lot to celebrate and we are genuinely honored to be a part of that celebration.
READY TO DO THIS THING?
WE ARE TOO!
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