Pay special attention to the smallest details of your appearance. The camera can be quite unforgiving at times and highlights the smallest flaws. Your costumes and your physical appearance should be in their best form. Don’t forget to check your nails, however you wear them they should be well maintained and clean.
- Keep everything that you need to carry with you for the shoot ready the day before the shoot. This too will put you in a relaxed frame of mind and help in being punctual.
- Please pack your belongings in a way that leaves your clothes wrinkle free.
- You should have an idea of how they look in different poses and angles. Try different facial expressions in front of the mirror.
- Don’t hold your breath for a pose. The concentration usually shows in the picture.
- Hold your stomach taut to give a more toned appearance to the abdomen (even if you are in great shape).
- Most people, including models, do not have very good posture. Unless you’re going for a casual look, keep your back straight and your shoulders up.
- Don’t always look straight at the camera. Instead, use a variety of head and eye positions: Try turning your head, tilting your neck to one side or the other, or looking off to the side for some poses.
- Listen to what the photographer tells you. He can see you through the camera. You can’t!
FAQs about Portfolio Shoots
- How many outfits should I bring?
Definitely more than 1 and we can get as many as 5 in your session. The main reason it should be more than 1 is because you always need a choice. Although most people call to get their portraits done for a specific reason, there are countless reasons you may need professional portraits and it is always great when you can match the look to the purpose.
- What clothing should I bring?
If in doubt, bring a lot. Together we can always narrow down when you arrive. You can also carry lots of colourful shorts; jeans & t- shirts; dungarees & capris; caps, hats, soft toys, goggles and sports equipment. This depends on the kind of portfolio you are looking to get made. Colors of clothing is important too. For the more “professional” shots, stay neutral – blacks, tans, creams. The one exception to this is if your brand is a color, for example red, by all means wear red! But for the images that are more fun, images that you are going to use on social media, color is great. Stay true to your personality. These images are really about your branding. Showcasing you in the many facets of your professional life. Social media is part of your professional image as well. You will want some non traditional images to pepper in your social media images.
- What about makeup?
Truthfully, we would prefer that you allow us to schedule you a makeup artist. Especially if you don’t normally wear much makeup. The makeup artists that we use understand how makeup reacts to the professional lighting we use for our sessions. But if you want to do it yourself, please keep in mind – no shimmering makeup. The lights can wash the skin tone out and the pick up sparkles where you don’t want them. - What to wear for corporate head-shot? In corporate or business portraits, the clothing should not distract from you – you should avoid any distracting patterns or prints. It is also advisable not to wear much jewellery. For men it is recommended that you wear a business suit with a shirt and a tie. For women we would recommend a coloured blouse with a suit jacket. Bringing a suit jacket gives you another option even if you would like to shoot in a simple top or a blouse. For your top such as a blouse it is important to wear one colour either white or brighter colours such as red, orange which usually work particularly well with corporate images. Avoid wearing too much black if you can. It is not recommended to wear all black clothing for corporate photography. It is always good idea to bring few business clothing options for your shoot.
