How to plan and prepare for your photoshoot
I recently spent the evening with my sweet cousin to take her high school senior photos. The sky was littered with the perfect amount of wispy white clouds and the sunset reflected the dreamy golden hues of the wheat field onto her tanned summer skin.
It was p e r f e c t i o n.
And it was perfect for many reasons- the beautifully cooperative weather was just the icing on the cake. I have never seen such a detailed and precisely planned out evening from the side of my client and as much as I pride myself on details, I must admit I was taking notes! As I continue to educate my clients on how to best prepare for their session, I want to share these tips to make your photography session as seamless and stress free as possible.
Plan your outfits… and your details.
I always encourage my clients to plan out their outfits before hand. I share the best colors to wear on camera (muted tones or neutrals) and pick out accessories that showcase their style. My cousin came ready with multiple outfits (six to be exact) and six baggies of accessories to match every outfit. Along with that there was a neatly written handout that detailed each outfit and accessory coupling as well as what outfit paired with what location. This made changing outfits easy and quick and she ensured that she would not clash with the scenery. I highly encourage clients to spend a hour or so before your session putting on your outfit, moving around in it and pairing it with accessories and shoes.
Multiple locations? Do a test run.
I love when my clients choose multiple locations! In this particular session we were racing against the sunset to make sure we got that dreamy golden light. To make sure that we’d be able to hit all the locations, they did a test run beforehand: driving, parking, and getting to spot they wanted the shots at.
Now, not everyone will have the time to do this or may not know the locations they want to shoot at- but if you do have a running location list, be cognizant of travel time both, especially if you are driving between locations. You want your session to be taking pictures, not driving between locations.
Bring your makeup for touchups.
You are looking picture perfect when the shoot starts out. But, as you go through the shoot, quickly continue to change outfits you may find that you need a touch up of powder or gloss. Driving or walking between locations is a great time to add another coat of gloss, brush the flyaways down and powder your T zone. Every session is different, but as you begin to dream about your photoshoot, I hope you can utilize these tips to make your session stress-free!
Interested in working with me? I’d love to capture your special moments. Contact me to learn more!
Paul & Emily
For a wedding at the end of December, we lucked out with the most gorgeous sunny day. Emily and I lived together while we were attending college in Tacoma, Washington. I remember late nights praying together for our future husbands. She watched Michael and I marry right out of college and waited patiently for the man of prayers to come into her life. And wow- did the Lord answer her prayers. It was such an honor to capture their wedding day and see just how faithful God is. Between the perfect for pictures weather at the beach and the better than real life ceremony at City Central in downtown Tacoma, these two have a day that I’m sure they’ll never forget!
Bridal Falls Styled Shoot
Wedding season kicked off for me a few weekends ago with the dreamiest of styled shoots.
It felt fitting, it was a typical PNW day with sunshine, heavy rain and pretty much everything in-between. Good news— these two didn’t care a bit and were the best sports as we had them play in the rain. They are getting married in a few months and their chemistry was so real! It was such a joy to spend a rainy afternoon with the two of them as we wandered through the beautiful grounds of Bridal Veil Lake in the Gorge. If you haven't been out there- I highly recommend it. I could get lost in the greenery and the lake in the middle is dreamy. These two ended the shoot riding off in a canoe together- as the heavens opened up and the rain fell all around them. You know what they say about a rainy wedding day… it brings good luck!
Lauren & Ernest
When I asked these two what they wanted to incorporate in their shoot they said books and pizza! I knew instantly that our shoot was going to be pure magic. Lauren and I met in college and I've watched her and Ernest write their love story and I was so honored to shoot some adorable and fun pictures for them before they finally tie the knot this summer. Spoiler alert: we spent so much time in the bookstore and soaking up the rare February sunshine that we didn't even get to the pizza. Alas, we'll save it for next time! I hope you enjoy these two as much as I do!
