The Perfect Prep for a Photoshoot
So you’ve booked your session and you’re wondering what to do now. Here is your guide to ALL the things to perfectly prep for your photoshoot to guarantee your photoshoot will run smoothly, you will look your best and you’ll feel like amazing!
AS SOON AS YOU BOOK:
Start thinking about your skin and hair. Book yourself a Salon visit for the week that your session is booked! I recommend 3-7 days before! You definitely want that fresh cut and/or color before you get in front of the lens.
If you don’t have a regular Hairstylist here are a few stylists and salons I recommend:
Sacramento Area:
Bay Area:
Fringe Salon - Peninsula
Allure Salon - East Bay
Code Salon - San Francisco
Other Areas:
Seela David Salon - Chico
** These stylists and salons are recommended based on my personal experience working with them OR by clients who have come in with amazing cuts/colors for their sessions. I cannot personally guarantee results and can only recommend them based on results I’ve experienced.
On the day of your session, you will come with clean & fully dry hair so the stylist can get to work immediately. The stylist may contact you prior to your session with additional instructions.
It’s also great to start a solid skin routine as soon as you book. There are many ways to healthier skin and most of it is ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE!
These tips are from my own dermatologist and esthetician! I wanted to give you all the best tips I can!
WASH YOUR FACE! So much can be done by ensuring that you are washing your face every morning and every night. Listen, do you need perfect skin for your photoshoot? Heck no! We all have flair-ups, whether they are hormonal or environmental but let’s do the most we can to look our best! Gentle, fragrance-free face soap like Cetaphil is best, however, if you have one recommended to you by a professional, by all means, use that.
DRINK MORE WATER! Your hair, skin, and nails will thank you! Skip the soda pop once-in-awhile for a big glass of water! How Much Water Should You Drink? Multiply by 2/3: Determine your weight and multiply it by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily. For example, if you weighed 125 pounds you would multiply that by 2/3 (.67) and learn you should be drinking about 84 ounces of water every day which is about 10.5 cups of water. PRO-TIP: I fill up several water bottles a day with around the exact ounces I need per day with ice water so I know I’ve gotten my daily recommended amount and it works wonders!
MOISTURIZE! It’s never too early to start moisturizing. Determine the moisturizer that works best for your skin type and use it often! Don’t forget to moisturize your neck and chest too!
SUNSCREEN! Wear plenty of it! Especially on your face and chest. Tan lines aren’t a good look for a photoshoot! And sunscreen keeps you youthful, my dermatologist recommends it for ALL shades of skin.
HORMONAL ACNE & Other skin conditions: If you have hormonal acne or another skin condition, many of these tips can help, but may not solve your issues completely. Speak to a dermatologist if you aren’t seeing the changes you’d like after all these steps.
2-4 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR SHOOT:
If you opted for a package with a Fashion Consult, once you book you will receive an email to schedule your consult that is around 2 weeks - 1 month before your session. During the Fashion Consult, you choose outfits from the LMC Style Closet and bring some of your favorite outfits and clothing pieces from home and we will mix and match for the perfect recipe for YOUR photoshoot! Choosing your outfits will also help indentify which locations will be best for your shoot.
Make a nail appointment! Or pick a nail color that will work best with all of your outfits. It is not required to get your nails professionally done, but it is recommended. You don’t need acrylics or anything fancy but clean, moisturized hands ALWAYS look good in front of the lens. You should make your appointment OR paint your nails the DAY BEFORE your photo shoot so you don’t risk chipping them.
Not sure which color to pick? When in doubt, a nude, light pink, clear shiny, or french tip style nail is the perfect neutral for all outfits and colors. I recommend shiny over matte colors as shiny nails denote healthy nails.
Stock Photo Provided By Fotolia
SHOP FOR YOUR SHOOT:
Once you’ve had your Fashion Consult, you should finalize your shopping list. Sometimes during a Consult you’ll find you end up needing something small like a basic solid tee or new jeans to go with that cool shirt you tried on. Now is the time to do that! If you did not opt for a Fashion Consult, you should start finalizing your outfits 2 weeks before your photoshoot so you aren’t stressed out the day before you’re in front of the lens.
3 DAYS BEFORE:
WAX or PLUCK YOUR BROWS: Now is the time! Any waxing to the brows, face, underarms etc should be done 3 days before so your skin can heal. If you pluck or wax the day before your photoshoot makeup will not adhere to the skin as well as it should because your skin releases oils on newly waxed/plucked skin. Wearing brow or face makeup within 24-Hours of waxing/plucking can intensify any irritation and may clog your still-open pores as well.
2 DAYS BEFORE:
Pack your photoshoot bag! You have your outfits, you have your list…Make sure you iron or steam and hang clothing that needs to be hung, fold up the other items and put them in a bag so you’ll be ready to go on the day of!
THE DAY BEFORE YOUR PHOTOSHOOT:
Paint your nails so it coordinates with all your outfits or go to a pro-salon.
Drink plenty of water.
Moisturize the day and night before.
Pick out something to wear to the shoot that is cute but functional so hair, makeup, and changing into your clothing for your shoot is easy. I recommend wearing a tank top so you can easily change out of it without getting makeup on your clothing or messing up your hair when changing. Bring a light zip-up jacket as the studio is always set at a temperature of 68 which is optimal for my equipment.
Wear comfy slip-on shoes so you can walk around between locations.
SEE YOU SOON!
XoXo,