How often do I have to have photoshoots? Normally, once a month. Do I just show up and start taking pictures? Ha! Nope. I wish it was that easy.
There’s so much preparation that goes into making sure your photoshoot goes the way you want it to. I’ve only been blogging and influencing for 7 months and I learned quick; you plan to fail, if you fail to plan.Things don’t just happen by chance. You plan it out that way.
9 things I do to prepare for a photoshoot
- Book my photographer: I don’t have my photographer on retainer yet, so I have to make sure she is available for the weekends that I need her. She fills up fast for each month, so time is of the essence.
- Choose my content- I always ask myself this question, what is the point of the photoshoot? I like to have in mind what kind of content I’m looking to create so that my photos can go with my topic. (here’s a secret, I sucked at this part when I first started)
- Pick my location and notify my photographer- this is why selecting your content is important. If you’re shooting beauty content, you’ll more than likely need an indoor shoot. It’s not likely that you’ll be doing a street style shoot when you’re talking about what mascara is your fave.
- Create a mood board on Pinterest- I head to Pinterest and get inspiration on looks and shots. After you’ve gotten enough, send the board to your photographer. This will help make sure you’re on the same page with your photographer and so they know the vibe you’re going for.
- Pick your outfit and accessories: After you know what vibe you’re looking for, you should have an idea on the type of outfit that will go with your vision. Do you need an evening gown? Pajamas? A purse? A towel?
- Decide on Makeup- with the vibe you want, what kind of makeup do you need? Natural? Dramatic? Are you doing your own makeup? Do you need to hire your own make up artist? All things you need to think about and potentially book ahead of time. No need in waiting until the last minute.
- Props- does the vibe you’re going for require a prop? For example: umbrellas, make up brushes, a beach ball? What would enhance your looks or make them better? Do you have the props already? Do you need to DIY them? Do you need to purchase them?
- Poses- this part is super important. Think of the poses you want to do ahead of time. You don’t want to get to your shoot and then not know how to pose. Not sure of how to pose? Go to your Pinterest board that you created for this shoot and look at how those people are posing in the inspirational photos you pinned. Those will be a good starting point for you to get ideas for poses for your photo shoot.
- Shot list- the last and probably most important part- your shot list. This is what can make your photoshoot a success. Make a list of all the shots you’re looking to gather for your photoshoot. Get as detailed as possible. For example: leaning against the wall, walking across the street, smiling, not smiling, close up of my handbag, photos of me sitting on a bench. The more items on your shot list, the better. This will give you lots of variety when you get your proofs back. After you’ve compiled your list, send it to your photographer. They will thank you for this and probably hold you accountable so you can get every shot you’re requesting.
I know. These 9 things are a lot, but it’s helped me be so much more thorough with my photoshoots. I’ve gotten so much more variety with photoshoot since I’ve implemented all these steps. I hope this helps! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
