How to prepare for your photo shoot
A photo shoot can feel daunting. You wonder how to stand, what to wear, whether you will feel comfortable. Yet with a little simple preparation, the session becomes an enjoyable time, and the photos reflect that. Here is everything I suggest to my clients before the day.
Your outfit: comfort comes first
Choosing what to wear is often the first source of worry. My golden rule: wear something you feel good in, not something you bought specially for the session.
Avoid prominent logos, very busy patterns and neon colours: they draw the eye to the clothes rather than to you. For couple or family sessions, coordinate your colours without dressing identically. A sense of harmony is enough; there is no need for a uniform.
The location: somewhere that feels like you
The setting says as much as the outfit. In Dordogne, the choice is almost endless: riverbanks, the narrow streets of Périgueux or Sarlat, sunflower fields in summer, vineyards in autumn, a forest in low, slanting light... I can suggest places to suit the mood you are after, but if there is a spot that means something to you, a garden, a neighbourhood, a corner of countryside, we can happily go there.
The time of day: light changes everything
Outdoors, the time of the session matters as much as the place. Midday light is harsh: it casts shadows under the eyes and makes people squint. I prefer to work during golden hour, within two hours of sunrise or in the two hours before sunset. The light is warm and soft, and it wraps around faces in a way nothing else quite matches.
In winter, that golden light lasts for much of the day, which makes it an ideal season for outdoor photos, contrary to what people often assume. In summer, it is best to avoid the hours between noon and 4pm and to favour the end of the day.
On the day: how to arrive relaxed
Give yourself plenty of time to get there. Someone who arrives flustered by the journey or by parking needs ten minutes to unwind, and those ten minutes show in the first photos. Arrive five to ten minutes early, take a breath and look around. Every session starts with a bit of conversation: we talk, we walk, and the photos follow on their own.
You don't need to know how to pose. Guiding you is my job: I give you simple directions and tell you when to move, when to look away, when to laugh. Most of my best photos are taken in the moments between poses, when people forget they are being photographed.
If you come as a couple or as a family, talk to each other, hold each other, and look at your children if they are with you. The way you naturally are together is always more beautiful than any staged pose.
The small details that make a difference
Think about your hair: there is no need for a trip to the hairdresser, just a style you like and recognise yourself in. For make-up, stick to what you usually wear. Heavy make-up can look artificial in photos if you normally wear little or none.
If you wear glasses, bring them, along with a pair of frames without lenses if you have one. Lenses can pick up reflections depending on the light. Above all, don't go without your glasses if you wear them every day: they are part of who you are.
Finally, if you are bringing young children, plan the session just after their nap or their meal. A well-rested child with a full tummy is a cooperative child. And if the session heads off in every direction, don't worry: I'm used to it, and the unposed photos of your little one running all over the place are often the most beautiful of all.
