How to Prepare for Your Photo Session

When having your portrait taken, there are areas where a little advanced preparation can make a huge difference. If you neglect them, an otherwise perfect photo could end up with distracting elements.

Exfoliate. A nice, soothing session using a grainy scrub (or gently rubbing your skin with a washcloth) on your face and body is an indulgent way to spend an evening. It is best to exfoliate a couple of times before your appointment, but be sure to allow a few days between ‘treatments’, as well as a couple of days after the last one before your shoot.

Get a Facial. If you want to go into pampering mode, be sure to do your facial at least a week before your shoot. Since facials tend to cause redness, a week usually allows enough time to heal.

Wax Eyebrows. If you decide to have your eyebrows waxed or threaded, be sure to schedule the appointment for at least a few days before your photo shoot. Otherwise, an eyebrow trim/touch up at home could be done a day or two before the shoot.

I highly recommend treating yourself and get all these things done by an aesthetician.  All you have to do is lay back and enjoy the truly relaxing experience. 

I have a great person to recommend- Jenny Haugen at Vitality Skin Care. She’s the best. https://www.vitalityskin.org.  

While photographing Karin, who is an aspiring model and actress, for her profile photos, I asked if I could take a few more shots of her.  I wanted to photograph her in the style of my Fine Art Children’s sessions. Karin was excited and eager to comply.

We got some lovely photos of her. Karin, who is age 12, was unbelievably comfortable in front of the camera and easy to work with. Which I have to say,  makes it doubly fun for me. This photo was one of her absolute favorites from the session, and actually, it was my favorite as well.

Showing the “Before and After” photos can be amazing to see the evolution from straight out of the camera to my finished vision. When I take a photo I am always seeing the vision of the finished photo instead of what the camera actually sees.

Besides all the planning, designing, choosing the lighting and posing in order to get good photos,  next comes the vision I want to create in photoshop.

As you can see, I changed the color tones, did some skin retouching and added texture in the background to create a much more dynamic image.

 

Roses. Chocolate. A cheesy stuffed animal. While these things work for your favorite valentine, why not do something unexpected?
One of our favorite things to do is to go on an adventure in a new part of town that we have never explored. Bundle up, dress cute, and just go on a walk. As you walk by the stores, talk about this last year. What have been the things that you’ve been most excited about? Where do you think you could have improved? What has been going on in your life that your significant other doesn’t know about? Find something that you love doing together. Go dancing. Go rock climbing. Find a random frozen yogurt place and pile on the toppings. Go back to the place where you first met. Where did you have your first date? Is there anything that you used to do together but don’t anymore because you “don’t have time”?
Can’t afford a night on the town? Can’t find a babysitter? We know how that goes. Find a great movie on Netflix that you have been saving and snuggle up to watch it together. Or watch an old favorite. One of my favorite sites for dating ideas is actually http://www.thedatingdivas.com/ They have tons of printables and games and more ideas than you could ever imagine for just having fun together as a couple.
More than anything, this night is about the two of you. So make it count!

I don’t offer newborn sessions anymore but I will do them once in a while for those I know or if you twist my arm a little(LOL). Here are a couple from one of my latest sessions one with mom and one with mom and dad. I love to have these in B&W so to show the emotional connection they have with each other.