Written by: Leila Amber
Going to a professional photoshoot should not be a stressful experience. You should enjoy this special opportunity and most of all have fun. The secret to a successful and stress-free shoot, though, is ample preparation. You must consider the two major aspects of the shoot in particular:
- The theme and/or the mood;
- And the look that your photographer or stylist wants to achieve (including the clothes, shoes, and accessories that you’re going to wear)
To further help you prepare, we are going to share with you some of the best tips that you can keep in mind during the day of your shoot. Let’s get started!
Choose an Appropriate Style
As we have mentioned above, the first thing that you must consider before preparing for a photoshoot is the overall theme or mood that your photographer is going for. After all, this will be the lifeline of your shoot. It will dictate what you are going to wear, and even how you are going to pose later on.
In some instances, especially if you’re commissioning the shoot yourself, the task of deciding on the theme falls on you. If you need some inspiration, then here are the trendiest themes right now:
- The Documentary Shot. In a nutshell, you can say that this theme is a subtype of journalistic photography, especially with the aesthetic. The main difference, though, is this one is staged for a more dramatic effect. This is a great theme to use especially if you’re having this photoshoot to highlight one’s profession.
- Going Creative. For portraits, we recommend exploring a creative concept, such as a fantasy or collaged concept.
- Mood. There’s a reason why travel images are very Instagrammable. It combines picturesque sights and your sense of style in one image. Imagine, rolling your wheeled briefcase in a stunning dessert while you’re nailing a bohemian look. Perfect.
- Vintage. If you can’t travel to another place, then why not travel to another time instead? Borrowing the elements of the past makes up for an interesting yet classic photoshoot.
- Cosplay. Finally, you might also want to consider traveling to another reality and dressing up as one of your favorite characters, fictional or otherwise.
What to Wear
Once the overall theme has been decided, it won’t be as challenging to conceptualize the perfect look. In fact, you can easily get a lot of inspiration online. Finding the clothing and footwear pieces to achieve that look, though, is another matter entirely. There are three ways to go about it:
Make Use of What you Have
First, you can make use of the pieces that you already have. It’s definitely more cost-effective this way, especially if you’re only expecting to wear this look once. You can also consider taking the DIY approach to do minor or major tweaks to your existing pieces depending on your sewing skills.
Shopping for Ready Made
If the look is simply unachievable using the pieces that you already have in your wardrobe, then it’s settled. You should go shopping for it. We recommend checking out online clothing store options. Shopping this way is more convenient and offers unlimited choices.
Going Couture
Finally, if you really have a specific look in mind, then you simply have no choice other than to get your look custom made. This is certainly what we recommend for creative and unique concepts like cosplay.
Take Accessories
Now that you have your clothes ready, all you need now are accessories to complete your look.
Jewelry
There are different kinds of accessories that you can incorporate into your look, but for us nothing replaces the timeless charm of fine jewelry. You can also consider using costume or fashion jewelry as long as they are chosen in good taste.
Men’s Leather Gloves
For men, nothing spells elegance and drama better than a pair of men’s leather gloves. This accessory goes well with a huge variety of looks and certainly lends itself to a more dramatic shot.
Bags and Belts
And of course, don’t forget to add a belt to your look, if needed, and a bag to tie everything together. After all, that’s what accessories do. They either serve as a focal piece to add that missing oomph to a shot, or they serve as a supportive anchor to pull an entire look together that would otherwise look visually cluttered.
Of course, we encourage you to explore other style options as well aside from the ones we have shared above. However, by keeping the tips that we did mention in mind, we’re sure that it will be of great help in starting your pre-shoot preparations.
As a parting gift, here’s one final tip: if possible, don’t forget to add a special detail to make the image your own and show your unique personality. It doesn’t have to be something obvious. It can be as subtle as your natural smile. Good luck!
