Preparing for Your Photo Shoot Pt. 3 – Get Ready!

You are well on your way to having a successful shoot! You've researched the industry and found a great photographer that meets your needs as well as some fabulous aesthetics professionals to complete your shoot team. That's a lot of work in and of itself so congrats on getting it done AND on budget (that's important too, right?!).

Below is a standard checklist of things you want to do several days prior to your shoot date:

• Wardrobe: If you haven't done so already you should begin compiling all the clothing and accessories you will need for your shoot. If you are using a designer/wardrobe stylist this element of the preparation phase should be a breeze as he/she will handle most of the details based on the type of shoot being conducted. If you can't afford a wardrobe stylist simply speak with your photographer and makeup artist to decide what would work best for the shoot. The color background being used as well as the makeup selection will be heavily influenced by what you wear so choose wisely.
  
• Hair & Skin: Make sure you do any waxing required 2-3 days before your shoot to allow any redness to subside. Areas of major concern are your lips, chin, legs, forearms and, if shooting swimwear or lingerie, your bikini area. As for your skin you want to exfoliate to remove any dead skin and use a moisturizer to soften your skin.
  
• Nails: Be sure to only use clear polish or a French manicure on your nails. Absolutely NO colored polish! Also, if you anticipate shooting barefoot make sure you get a pedicure and exfoliate your feet so they look their best and remember that you want both sets of nails to look the same; don't wear a French manicure and use clear polish on your feet!
  
• Your Smile: VERY important! If you are a smoker or regularly drink coffee or other beverages/foods that stain your teeth you should take time and undergo a full cleaning so your smile is at its brightest. Also, when smiling, make sure you smile just wide enough to show your teeth but not so wide as to show your gum line. This may take some practice and now's as good a time as any to get in front of the mirror and perfect your winning smile!
  

By now you should have also mapped out how to get to the shoot location and relayed it your Aesthetics Team if they are unfamiliar with the photographer's studio site. Remember, you don't want to tarnish your reputation by being late so plan ahead to ensure you arrive in a timely manner. In Pt. 4 of this series on preparing for your shoot you will learn what to bring with you in your model's bag and why it's important to have one. Don't miss it!