Photo session check-list
My tips & tricks to optimise your experience with me!
Welcome to the photo session checklist section of my Client Lounge, where you’ll find everything you need to know ahead of our session! I’m thrilled you decided to book me and can’t wait to meet you!
First off, have you also taken a look at my client closet and seen anything you would like to borrow? Have you also taken the time to read my styling assistance guide?
Great! Now let’s move on to what you need to bring to our lifestyle photo session!
Feel free to make some tea, grab a pen and take some notes of what you’ll need to think about or bring to our session. Ready? Perfect, let’s go over your photo session checklist!
✓ Your chosen outfits. The first thing you need to think about are your chosen outfit(s) – whether borrowed from my client closet (let me know what you want me to bring!) or your carefully selected outfit! Beige, white, neutral, light and pastel colours look great in photos, that being said, I do love a pop of colour (red, rusty orange, mustard, etc). Avoid overpowering and distracting patterns as they tend to take away the focus from you. I personally prefer long / flowey dresses when shooting outside as they photograph amazingly well – you can wear them on their own in the spring or summer or you can pair them with a chunky knit cardigan in autumn and winter (depending on the different outfits and dresses you will wear, the best bra colour is nude colour as it will allow you to wear dark, white and even see-through options). In a nutshell: pick outfits that you feel super comfortable and confident in, but make it seasonal. Whether we are shooting in summer or winter, we will be embracing what that season is all about – keep in mind that you can always book me for another session in six months time when the light and nature elements bring another type of magic (my regular clients tend to book me twice a year as they want updated and seasonal family photos throughout the years!). Seasonality is key, but another styling hack when shooting in groups is to colour coordinate and complement: we want to avoid everyone looking too matchy-matchy. Choose your outfit first, than plan the rest of the outfits around yours – you are the star of the show! Remember, I want you to feel not great, but AMAZING! Any doubts or areas of uncertainty, reach out to me to ask me what I think about your styling choices, I’m always happy to help!
✓ Hair & make-up. As you’ve seen from my work, I’m all about the natural look, but I also want you to feel confident. If you want to go for a goddess look, have some light curls to add some volume. Feel free to have a look at Pinterest or Youtube tutorials for some hairdo inspo! Click here to see some gorgeous romantic half up dos looks. My top tip for make-up is to put a little more than what you normally would – photos tend to not reflect the makeup so you need to overdo it just a tad! Make sure to choose a type of make-up that opens your eyes instead of closing them (I love recommend using a beige or white eye pencil on the waterline to make the eyes pop!). If you wear self-tan, please don’t overdo it! My shooting style embraces warm colours so you will get a ‘natural tan’ – wearing fake tan may lead to a skin looking a bit orangey which we’d want to avoid! Make-up can help you feel confident, but I know a trick or two to capture your beauty in the best light (literally!) and I’ll make sure that your natural beauty will shine through!
✓ Outdoor sessions. If we’re shooting outside, bring some layers to keep warm should it get a bit chilly! Don’t forget to also bring a small bottle of water if it’s a warm day, tissues, baby wipes if you have a child who can get a bit messy, hayfever tablets if you have allergies and your favourite lipstick if you need to touch up! I always bring a pocket mirror with me so you’ll be able to do a quick make-up and hair check if needed during our session. Make sure to bring a bag where you can chuck everything in!
✓ Indoor sessions. If we’re shooting at your home, please make sure that it is as decluttered as possible! I will be shooting in the most luminous rooms of your home, which means that you can store away anything that’s not essential away in other rooms.
✓ Maternity sessions. My maternity dresses from my client closet are clients favourites as they photograph amazingly well and are super flattering (+ it’s pretty handy not having to buy a maternity dress just for our shoot!) so feel free to borrow one! Keep in mind that you can wear two different outfits (we can go for ‘normal’ look that reflects your personal style and go for some ‘goddess’ with one of my dresses and crowns!). Regarding props, feel to bring a baby scan, baby shoes and any baby-related props or accessories that would make the photos more personable! Want a personalised message on my lettered board? Do let me know what message you want me to create not later than 24 hours before our session! Click here to see examples of messages!
Don’t forget that you will look gorgeous no matter what! Maternity sessions are one of my favourite type of sessions because we get to celebrate womanhood and motherhood at the same time – it’s all about YOU. You are the star of the show and I’m rooting for you! I will make sure you have an unforgettable experience before the little one comes!
✓ Branding sessions. If we are shooting at your workplace, make sure that it is clean and decluttered. For styling, I’d recommend wearing your work clothes/ uniform. For images taken at a coffee shop, bring your own belongings as props - aka your laptop (give it a clean/ wipe!), a notepad, pen, and your phone. I’d advise wearing a ‘smart casual’ outfit that represents you as the person behind the business – stay clear of brights/ flashy colours, logos, distracting patterns, wearing all black and chunky jewellery. Make sure to bring one outfit per location. I’ve found that putting your chosen outfits on a hanger in your car helps keep all your different looks compartementalized and ready to grab when we hit the next location! Please make sure your clothes are ironed and crease-free ahead of our session - an additional retouching fee might apply to remove creases and wrinkles from clothes. For any outfit inspiration, I’d recommend going on Pinterest and seeing what other business owners who share the same role/ job title are wearing in their lifestyle branding session. Feel free to run your outfit options by me before our session and I’ll let you know if it will photograph well or not!
✓ Plan ahead. Don’t leave the planning and packing to the last minute! I HIGHLY recommend packing everything you’ll need to bring in advance (by the night before our session) that way it’s ready to go on the session day. Only bring what you need in terms of outfits and props, I wouldn’t want you to be overwhelmed and feeling like you need to wear countless outfits or bring a dozen props! If it helps, take photos of the exact items you will be bringing or write them down in your notes, then pack it all in a bag ready to go on the session day!
✓ It’s pamper time! Yep you heard me: get yourself pampered! Most of the time, hands end up being seen on your photos, so feel free to go all the way in pampering & self-love: offer yourself a mani before getting your portraits taken! Getting all dolled up helps a lot with self confidence and to feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Another pro tip is to rest up before our session! When I was doing fashion photography back in Paris, models would moisturize and drink lots of water the evening before our session (bonus points if they could get lots of sleep!). I repeat: moisturize and drink water way more than you normally would! Doing so will give you that goddess glow at our shoot and you will feel fantastic!
✓ Relax, be yourself and enjoy this experience! Don’t worry about feeling ‘awkward’ or not knowing what to do, I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve to make our session amazing and I’m known to make people feel very comfortable and relaxed! I won’t make you pose, but I will give you prompts to allow natural and emotive moments to unfold. My photography style is all about movement, emotions and relationships, and I will encourage you to interact with each other as much as possible. I love including in my sessions activities that my clients like to do – whether it’s having a picnic, playing cards and games, reading books, going hunting for bugs, playing with the dog(s), enjoying a cheeky beer, etc. I will bring my props box but do feel free to bring any props that would make the experience more personable. If you’re coming with your child(ren), bring along their favourite toys and books to include in the photos - I’ve had clients bring their children’s bicycle, kite and even rocking horse which made the session extra unique! If you have any ideas and would like to run them by me, feel free to do so - you’ll find my Whatsapp number in our email communications :)
Don’t forget that you will look amazing no matter what and I will make sure you have an unforgettable experience and receive photos that you will forever cherish!
Thank you for choosing Constance Doyle Photography - I can’t wait to meet you!!
Constance x
