How to prepare for a portrait session

Preparing for a portrait session takes less time than you might think. The main thing is not to try to turn yourself into someone else. Below is what actually helps, and what you can safely leave at home.

Clothes

Bring two or three outfits you feel comfortable in and love. Not the “right” ones — your own.

• Solid colours read better on camera than busy prints.
• Warm and neutral shades — beige, ochre, brown, grey — work almost always.
• If in doubt, bring clothes you have already worn: they fit as they should, and you move freely in them.
• Do not forget shoes: they appear in the frame too, especially in full-length shots.

I always say: it is better to bring extra and leave it in the bag than to spend the shoot in the one shirt that turned out to be uncomfortable.

Face and hair

You do not need a new manicure or an elaborate hairstyle for the shoot. Come as you look on a good day.

• Make-up — your usual, perhaps a little heavier than during the day: the camera “eats” some of the contrast.
• If you colour your hair, it is better to do it a couple of days before, not on the day of the shoot.
• Drinking water and getting enough sleep is banal, but it shows in photographs.

How to behave in front of the camera

Do not rehearse a smile and do not look for a “comfortable” pose in advance. The task of a shoot is not to catch you in a lucky pose, but to catch you.

On a shoot I start with simple questions and ask you to move: walk, adjust a sleeve, look out of the window. Movement releases tension faster than any instruction.

If you feel you have frozen, say so. It is normal and easy to fix.

What to bring

• Two or three outfits and shoes to match.
• Water and, if the shoot is long, a small snack.
• Anything that makes you yourself: a favourite book, a cup, a playlist — if you like.

Props are optional. Most often the strongest frames are made without them.

What happens after the shoot

I select the frames, edit colour and light and assemble the gallery. 10–14 days later you receive the selected photographs in high resolution and separate files for printing.

If you are unsure what to wear, send me photographs of the clothes before the shoot. I will help you choose. It is easier than worrying about it on the spot.