How To Prepare For A Lifestyle Shoot
Hi, I’m Laura. I’m a Family, Lifestyle, and Headshot Photographer in the Kissimmee / Orlando area. Today I’m going to give you tips on how to prepare for your Lifestyle Photoshoot. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newbie, it’s good to be prepared and set yourself up for a successful photoshoot. Let’s get into it.
Plan your outfits
When you book your Lifestyle shoot, your first thought should be “What am I going to wear?” Knowing what you have available is important. Be organized and prepare your outfits days ahead of your session. If you opt to purchase new clothes online, make sure you order them way ahead of your session just incase they don’t fit or don’t arrive on time.
2. Bring multiple options
Add some contrast to your photo collection by adding in multiple clothing options. During your session you will be prompted to change when your photographer feels it’s time.
I recommend the following:
one dress option
one business casual
one casual
Three options are great, Four options are even better. A realtor may want to consistently dress smart throughout their session and just add in one causal outfit. If you’re working on your brand as a baker, you might want to dress more casual. If you’re a dancer, you may want to wear clothes that you would wear to dance in. You get where I’m going. It’s really up to you but having those options and adding contrast to your session is definitely important.
3. Share your inspiration
I always recommend that my clients visit Pinterest and search their specific type of lifestyle or branding shoot. That way they can find and share any inspiration, or share any ideas that they might already have. Communicating with your photographer about what you expect from your session is super important, that way they can present you with work that you love. It’s definitely a team effort and bouncing ideas off each other is always encouraged prior to any photoshoot.
4. Don’t forget the props
Props differ for each type of lifestyle or branding shoot but basically you want to show your target audience who you are and what you’re all about. If you’re a Realtor, bring props that pertain to being a Realtor (Laptops, phones, iPads, pens, paperwork). If you work in a bakery you could bring a few baking items, food items such as cupcakes, or an apron.
5. Bring your wallet
Adding a drink or some food to your photos is always a fun option. A lot of my clients opt to do a portion of their session inside a cafe or restaurant.
6. Expect to spend some time with your photographer
Lifestyle sessions are lengthy. They can range from 1-2 hours depending on what it is you’re trying to achieve. Expect to spend 2 hours with your photographer and don’t plan anything else immediately before or after your session.
7. Be well rested
Make sure to drink enough water and get plenty of sleep the week of your Lifestyle session. Having good energy and being in good spirits is extremely important for your photoshoots as it all translates on images.
8. Give your photographer time to edit
A lot goes in to editing lifestyle photoshoots from editing objects out, airbrushing, color correction, the list goes on. Give your photographer two weeks to complete their project. If you have a deadline, make sure to complete your photoshoot ahead of time so that you’re both not in panic mode.
9. Most importantly, HAVE FUN
At the end of the day, we want you to be happy. Have fun with this project. Laugh, smile, joke around, do goofy things and laugh with your photographer. Good energy translates on image so the more fun you’re having the more chance you’ll love your photos! This is your experience and we want you to have a good one.
