Everyone knows you should choose an photographer with a portfolio you love. What shockingly few realize is that choosing a photographer who’s portfolio you like won’t yield similar photos unless you also follow that artists process.
Contacting a photographer because you love their work, and then asking them to recreate someone else’s work you found on Pinterest is a classic example of this dichotomy. Every artist has a unique process to create images like they show.
If you love my portfolio and want pictures like I show, this post will provide an overview of my process. I created this overview so you can know what to expect when you book your photo shoot with me!
Portrait Consultation: Great Photos Start With A Plan
Every photo shoot with me begins with an initial consultation usually via phone or video call. This consultation is critical to the success of your photo shoot as it helps me get to know you and better understand how you’d like to be photographed.
Knowing which images from my portfolio you like most for instance will help me clearly understand what you like stylistically. Discussing these details ahead of time allows us to thoughtfully plan your photo shoot so I can get photos for you.
One of the key aspects of this planning process is figuring out and scheduling all of your personal care appointments leading up to your photo shoot.
This is important because to get the best portraits possible, we need to get everything as good as we can in camera. To this point, there is no single thing you can do to prepare that will make everything turn out amazing. Looking good in your pictures happens by doing lots of little things that build up to an amazing result.
Another thing we’ll cover at your consultation is how you’ll want your final photos presented. By reverse engineering how you intend to display your images, it becomes much easier to capture the photos you want.
As an obvious example, a Torchon fine art print you hang on your wall should probably be captured differently than a headshot you plan to use online. Knowing this detail ahead of time can literally make or break your photo shoot. It can also make the portrait process more efficient and reward you with much better photos.
In short, the success of your photo shoot depends on coming up with a good plan at your portrait consultation. Contacting me on Wednesday to have your picture taken on Saturday never yields better photos then a thoughtful, well planned session with good communication. It’s very much worth the extra effort.
Reserving Your Photo Shoot Date
Most people book their photo shoots immediately following their initial consultation. By submitting your deposit, you will reserve your photo shoot date, your makeup artist, cover the cost of your photo shoot and one image reveal session. Images from your session can be added to your booking fee if you know what you want. You can also submit your deposit and purchase your images later at your photo reveal if you’re unsure of exactly what you’ll want.
Photoshoot
On the day of your photo shoot you you’ll bring your outfits you’ve chosen and we’ll take care of the rest! Your features will be enhanced by my makeup artist and I will coach you every step of the way to ensure you look your best.
Since I believe in doing the absolute best thing I can for everyone I photograph, it’s important to remember that a photo shoot with me is a long event usually lasting anywhere from 4 to 8 hours.
It depends on the intended session obviously but for women, thorough hair and makeup usually takes an hour and a half to two hours by itself.
Your photo shoot after your makeover will require an additional 2-6 hours depending again on specifics. It’s important to keep this time frame in mind so that you don’t over plan your day. This can compromise your photos by rushing you session.
Photo Reveal
Roughly three weeks after your photo shoot we will meet up again for your photo reveal. This is when you’ll get to see your pictures for the very first time and purchase any images you want from your photo shoot.
My price menu explains all the different ways I can deliver your portraits to you and every option includes full res digital files. Although it’s always best to do your reveal in person, it’s also possible to do your reveal via a video call. This is usually the best option if you’re traveling in for your photoshoot for instance.
Conclusion
I hope this overview gave you some clarity on what to expect when you book your portrait photo shoot with me. If you like my philosophy of what makes a good portrait and would like to book a session, feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to do this for you!
