Five tips for preparing yourself for your photoshoot
We all hate having our portrait photographed, this is what can you do to help ensure you end up with a photo you love? Here’s my five tips for preparing yourself for your photoshoot.
1. Choose flattering clothes. Most people know the style and colour that flatters them.
If you have a feature you’re less happy with, use accessories to distract (if possible). For example, a scarf around a long neck. It’s important to pick the clothes that fit your personal or company brand. If you’re a creative personality known for never wearing a suit, there’s no need to wear one for your photo. However, looking smart and presentable with ironed, clean, smart/casual clothes will be important.
2.Make sure you use a professional photographer with a professional studio and lights.
Getting a colleague or friend to take a picture will never give the same professional outcome that will flatter. So many amateur photographs suffer from bad exposure and if that’s not enough to persuade you perhaps this is - the right lighting can make all the difference to eliminating dark bags under the eyes and complimenting different shape faces.
3. Ensure the background does not distract from you.
A mobile/business studio is always going to be far better in terms of the background, or at the very least find a plain, nice, light wall. So many so-called professional shots contain backgrounds of bars/holiday restaurants/other people or objects/unsightly walls or fences. It’s distracting and it’s unprofessional.
4. It’s hard I know, but try to exercise a positive mindset before the shoot to love the camera.
The photoshoot is happening. You want the photo to portray you as a confident professional who clients trust to handle their business. Yes, it’s a case of stepping out the comfort zone and acting a little. But take a hint from the top models who look right into the lens; imagine something that makes you smile and your personality will shine through. You never know, you might even enjoy yourself!
5. Depending on your business, add a creative edge by including a prop or accessory.
It can add interest or an element of fun to the photo, portray what you do and make you stand out from the crowd. For example, the image here is from staff portraits of a hair and beauty salon, they each choose a favourite work item which I then incorporated in the shoot. If there’s something similar that works for you, or even an unusual but complementary business setting, then let your photographer help you get creative.
If you follow this guide, your photoshoot will be a painless, even fun experience, with spectacular results. Good luck!