WDO Photography

The following are some tips that will help make your photos great. I won’t refuse to take your picture, nor will I necessarily be able to tell right away that “you didn’t follow step 12” but for the sake of looking great and having a better time at the shoot the following tips will help out.

There are some lists on the Internet of things to avoid eating before a photo shoot. Though I think most of these are not grounded in fact you should be aware of things that cause you to have breakouts and also avoid treatments like Retin-A or other products that will cause your skin to peel. This can be impossible to cover with make-up. I will digitally work on individual spots and small breakouts but it is best to start with as few blemishes as possible - you'll feel more confident and your proofs will be done MUCH faster.

One tip that I always find helps is to exfoliate the night before the shoot. Don’t get too rough and don’t do so right before the shoot. I’ve seen clients and models show up shortly after exfoliating and often we have had to wait until their skin calmed down before we could shoot a single picture.

Remember - this is about you! Let's have fun!

Water

When you arrive I will offer you water - that’s because 9 out of 10 clients don’t drink enough water in the few days leading up to a shoot. Water is vital.

Water is what pulls toxins from your body; if you don’t get enough water the body tries to rid you of them through your skin. We both want pictures of a beautiful you, not of your toxins. Try to make sure that several days before the shoot you start to add more water to your diet. Yes - you are going to have to use the restroom more often.

About Perfumes

No matter how much you put on your photos will not carry the scent you wear the day of the shoot unless you spray the prints when you get them. In other words - wear little to no perfumes or colognes to the shoot. If you like a sent and it makes you feel more confident when you wear it bring it with you to the shoot. Other people there (including me) may be sensitive to the sent and it could cause a migraine. If the photographer gets a migraine your pictures are not going to turn out well.

The same goes for on location shoots. If you burn a lot of incense or scented candles please let some fresh air into the area before the shoot.

Making Up

Avoid making yourself up too far in advance of the shoot. You should have virtually no makeup on until an hour or two before the shoot. Makeup for a photo shoot is not the same as makeup for an evening out - it is heavier. Please bring your makeup with you

Read the following guide to doing your make-up: article.

I only disagree with one point in the article listed above - “Match the foundation to your chin and neckline” - you don’t want to have a neck and face that are two different colors - you should carry the foundation makeup down your neck onto any part of your chest and shoulders that will be exposed.

One other resource is Mary Kay’s website which has a virtual make-over that can help you to match the colors you should use to your skin tone. Visit it here: Mary Kay Virtual Makeover.

A Word About Antiperspirants

Avoid any antiperspirant that might clump or leave white residue behind. It will be hot - the lights that I use can make you perspire. You should wear an antiperspirant so that you avoid sweat stains but if you will be wearing anything close to sleeveless you will want to wear a clear antiperspirant.

I Could Just Dye

If you dye your hair make sure that you get your color touched up a few days before the shoot or at the very least that your roots are not drastically different than your hair color. I always recommend going to a professional. Your pictures are special and you want to show them off. Spending a few extra dollars to have someone who knows what they are doing dye your hair is better than having to pay for two photo sessions.

I recommend dyeing a few days prior to the shoot in the event that if something was to go wrong you have time to reschedule the shoot and also because once your hair is washed once or twice the color tends to look more natural, the scalp is clear of the dye but the color is still vibrant and fresh.

Speaking of hair - don’t over condition your hair either. You want your hair to be manageable.

Raising Eyebrows

Plucking is important, even for some guys. Plucking is also an art and unfortunately some people can only draw stick figures. If you need help often times I suggest going to a salon. Be careful when picking someone to pluck you. It is an art but it is also a craft. There are guidelines to plucking. The arch of the brow should be shaped properly and crest at the right point, the tip of the nose, the end of the eye and the end of the brow should all meet on an imaginary line.

If you are plucking your own eyebrows please read this article from About.com’s beauty section: article.

No Tan Lines

Avoid over-tanning. This is a tip that gets lost on teen girls too often. A nice tan looks good - gives you a glow, overly tanned skin looks dry, leathery, and unhealthy. Worse than a bad tan are tan lines. These days tan lines are less of an issue as most people who tan do so at salons where they tan their whole bodies rather than on the beach. That being said if you schedule your shoot after a trip to the beach you run the risk of being too tan or of having tan lines.

In the end a little bit of color is nice but don’t go overboard.

Tough As Nail

This tip tends to be lost on men more than the women but it is just as important.

Use your photo shoot as an excuse to pamper yourself - you’re worth it. Get your nails done. Chances are high that your hands will be in the pictures. You should have nails of the same length and they should be well shaped and look healthy.

If there is any chance of having your feet in the pictures get a pedicure as well. Avoid painting your nails but if you must use colors that won’t clash with your cloths. Try neutral colors that help to accentuate rather than colors that draw attention. The photos are about your eyes and your face, not your nails.

I hope that you find these tips helpful. They will make your experience easier and the photos will turn out that much more amazing. Just know that when you’ve trusted yourself to professionals you will feel more confident about how you look at your portrait will be stunning and full of that confidence.