We’ve written some tips here so that you can get the most out of us. Most people have never had a professional photo shoot before so we want it to be an enjoyable experience and have you keep coming back to us to update your portfolio. So here’s some shoot advice for new models to help preparing for the shoot.
What should I wear?
This is totally up to you. Wear clothes that you think you look great in. And look through our past work or in magazines for inspiration. But here are some ideas that always work well:
- Jeans, short shorts.
- Cool and unusual tops (knit tops, button up tops, business shirts, sheer silk tops etc) Can work really well when mixed with bikini bottoms or boy shorts.
- Summer dresses are always beautiful.
- Swim wear – needs to be a bikini or one piece that really flatters you
- Any props like hats, neckties, men’s shirts, jackets, scarfs etc.
- Several styles of underwear. Can work really well when mixed with other outfits.
- An assortment of shoes to match.
- Accessories like earrings, bracelets, necklaces etc
- A robe or towel to wear between changes during the photo session
- A bottle of water to keep hydrated
“Wear like colours but not the same.Stay away from stripes, logos or patterns.If you are more formal, then dress up, if your personality is causal, then dress casual. If you love your clothes, wear them, if you don’t… then don’t. Unless you are some cool rule breaker then forget all of that crap I just said and dress like yourselves or dress like whatever you want to be and if its new to me or hard to photograph then maybe i’ll be challenged and get excited and shoot a lot more…
Dress in a timeless manner and you will have timeless images, dress in banana suits and you’ll images that no one else will have for a long time.”
Hair and Make up?
Either hire a professional, get a friend to do it for you or do it yourself. Whatever works for you. If you are happy doing your own hair and make up then you are most welcome. If you are not that confident then check out our “Vendors Page” where you can see some people we recommend. Just make sure hair and make up is fully completed before you arrive at the shoot. And during the shoot carry a small kit to do touch ups, like lip balm and powder particularly if its a hot day. If you are doing it yourself the most important factor for me is that the makeup is even.
Practice your Poses
This may sound silly and you may feel a bit silly doing it at first, but if you practice your poses in the mirror, you will do better during the shoot. It’s like anything, practice makes perfect. If you were a professional dancer or singer you wouldn’t go on stage without some practice… and the same thing goes for models. And there are two basic things you need to practice in front of the mirror. You facial expressions and your general body movement.
Facial Expressions – Look in the mirror and see how many different looks you can give with just your face. From your super cool look, sexy seductive look, cute & playful etc. There are literally hundreds of looks you can do with just your face. Just moving your mouth slightly can change the entire look and the facial expressions in photos are what give the image life.
General Body – Look in the mirror and watch your body as you move and see what look good. One way to do it is to put some music on and pose to the music moving seamlessly from one pose to another.
A model would also benefit from taking dance, yoga, martial arts, acting classes, or any other kind of class that either teaches you how to move (and be aware of your body) or how to emote.
Lastly
Make sure you get a good nights’ sleep so you’re not looking tired on the shoot. Have a good breakfast or lunch so that you have lots of energy. And bring a sense of humor because the shoots are a lot of fun.
by Adam Cavanagh
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