In the days leading up to their private outdoor photo session, I’ll send clients a pre-shoot email containing recommendations and practical advice for getting the most out of the occasion. For the benefit of prospective clients interested in outdoor photography services, I thought it would be nice to share some of this info here.
Choosing the Best Date and Time to Suit your Schedule
Make sure that you’ll be on form for your outdoor photo session. For example:
if you’ve arrived in Paris from a long haul flight, think about how much time you are going to need to recover from any jet lag and get used to a new time zone
if you’ve planned an evening celebration, are you going to be fresh for an early morning photo shoot the next day?
do you have something important planned just after when you intend for the shoot to take place, that will be on your mind whilst your being photographed?
There is often so much of a temptation for vacationers and holidaymakers to try to fit so much in that such practicalities are overlooked, and this is all the more the case when booking photography services far in advance. Whilst it may well be possible to get through a photo shoot no matter your mood, the reality is that no matter how resilient you are, if you in any way fatigued or preoccupied during the shoot, this will inevitably show on your face and will come across on every photograph.
On the Day of your Shoot, Be Sure You Allowed Enough Time
When fitting a lifestyle or portrait session into your schedule, remember that you need take into account a lot more than just your time in front of the camera. So that you are calm, relaxed, looking your best, work out how long you’ll need to:
prepare yourself (hair, makeup etc)
prepare your clothing (if you’re a couple or group, does your attire compliment one another’s?)
travel to the arranged meeting point
book a driver (if necessary)
The more time you allow, the more relaxed you’ll be, the better you’ll look.
Hair…
With regards to preparing yourself for your photo shoot, if there is just one aspect you focus on, assure that your hair is tidy. Loose, uncontrolled hair can conceal facial expressions (yours and those of the people you are sharing your photo shoot with) and thereby render photographs unusable; I simply cannot express how many otherwise great candid photography moments I have seen wasted due to this. Obviously, this point is much more of a concern for those sporting longer hair, but just because you may have easily manageable short hair, doesn’t mean it should be ignored!
Although during a shoot, a photographer can draw your attention to any issues with your hair (requesting that you comb it back etc), this is extremely unpractical as it will waste time and compromise your posture and your movement; having to correct your hair in between each photograph is not something you want to have to do…
Even if you prefer to wear your hair more loosely because that is what you are accustomed to, if you’ve the choice, I always recommend wearing your hair tighter, so that it falls (ideally) behind you ears; from there, there is no chance of it concealing your face, either directly or by casting a shadow.
PS - For those thinking that hair can be easily corrected through editing / retouch, think again: unlike skin correction, any hair repair that can be done (correctly) in post-production really is minimal.
Clothing (1/3): Look
If you are a couple or group, I cannot recommend enough that you choose clothing that goes well together. This isn’t about wearing perfect complimentary colours or identical styles (although if you can and want to do this, great!); it’s about making sure that your individual clothing choices don’t clash. Remember that if you book a photo shoot with your partner or family, you’ve done so to celebrate your being together; it’s great, therefore, if your clothing can also visually communicate this notion.
Clothing (2/3): Accessories
I welcome clients to bring any accessories that they would like to wear for certain shots, so as to add variety to the photographs they’ll receive. However, with that, I offer the following advice:
Limit any accessories to items that you are able to fit in a compact bag / purse / handbag that you are also happy to be photographed with. Too many items will be cumbersome to carry around, and if you’re not happy being photographed with whatever you’ve brought them in, you’ll have to always leave the bag on the floor (and keep your eye on it…); both of these things will detract from the rhythm of the shoot.
Only bring along accessories which you’re sure will both match and enhance your chosen outfit in some way. Be selective, as less is usually more !
Clothing (3/3): Practicality
By its very nature, an outdoor lifestyle shoot demands a fair amount of walking, therefore I give the following tips:
Make sure your main shoes are comfortable to walk in; if you want some full-body shots of you wearing elegant high-heels, by all means bring such items along, but rather as an accessory you can slip on for certain shots ; Paris may be a rather flat city, but to get the most out of exploring it, your feet can be exposed to a number of uneven surfaces (including cobbled streets, stone staircases, wooden bridges, and gravel paths).
Bring a coat only if you intend to be photographed with it for at least the majority of the shoot, otherwise it will just become a large and cumbersome accessory to carry around with you and keep an eye on. An exception to this “rule” is in winter, when a coat is somewhat of a necessity here :)
