If you’ve never done a photography session before, you might find the idea a little daunting, but don’t worry! I’m here to make it fun and easy.
Location
First off, we’ll figure out a location for the shoot. This should usually be somewhere fairly close or equidistant to both myself and you, so no-one is having to trek for miles. It doesn’t have to be super fancy – it just depends what is available nearby. And by nearby, I’m thinking less than an hour’s journey.
Consider some of these options:
- The coast – always great because you can make really nice photos pretty much whatever the weather is doing.
- Hilltops and mountains – as long as these are fairly accessible and don’t require a day’s hike to get there, a good hilltop is fantastic for views and scale.
- Parks and gardens – nothing wrong with a good park, particularly if it’s filled with interesting features such as water, trees, flowers and paths. Botanical gardens work well. But if the park is somewhat desolate, maybe pass!
- Home – yep, good old fashioned home is great for a photoshoot – particularly if you’ve got a place you’re proud to show off. If you can’t imagine anything worse than this, no worries – we’ll go elsewhere!
- Urban setting – if you’re near a city with cool locations and buildings, then this can work well. I really love taking photos in a city because there’s always something interesting whether it’s a graffiti wall, a cafe, square or dockside. Also, because there’s so much motion happening in a city, it can be really cool to use this to isolate you as the subject with everything else moving around you.
Timing
Next, we need to work out when to do the photo shoot. This will obviously depend on availability, but also time of year and time of day.
Which Season?
Winter – the light is in short supply, but when the sun does poke out, it can be quite beautiful. If we can arrange something during the daytime, whilst the sun is out, this can work just fine. It’s a bit of a wrap up warm affair though. So bear in mind the look you’ll have. You might like that cosy vibe.
Spring – Particularly after the clocks have gone forward at the end of March, Spring is always good to shoot in. Flowers are coming out, leaves are fresh and vibrant and there’s a general feeling of freshness and possibility! Can still be a little cold at times, which may necessitate more layers.
Summer – Long days mean it’s easiest to find a time to shoot and the temperature going up is good for evening shoots making things comfortable and allowing you to have a greater choice of clothing. Only downside with Summer is that it can be busy (for me in wedding season as well as for you with holidays and general life stuff!) and the light during the day can be quite harsh. But evenings really open up as a possibility which makes finding a time easier.
Autumn – One of the most beautiful seasons, and life often gets less busy than in Summer. This is a great time for photo sessions. Ideally before the clocks go back at the end of October.
Time of day
The best time of day for beautiful photography is usually the last few hours before sunset. This light is lower and softer. It creates more beautiful shadows that create dimension and drama. The last light of the day is also warmer and there’s always the chance of a nice sunset. But being the UK, it’s not always possible to get that light and if it’s just cloudy, then you still get softness, but without the warmth. So if it’s not possible to find a nice sunny-ish evening, a cloudy day will work just fine instead.
Cloud acts like a giant diffuser of the sun’s light, and this creates softer shadows which is much more flattering for portrait photography. It’s much easier to work with a cloudy day than mid day in full sun, which is harsh and creates all kinds of unwelcome shadows – not to say it can’t be used, if you know what you’re doing!
Finally, it’s good stay fairly flexible once we’ve agreed on a location and time of year. We’ll hopefully plan the session for a week in a given month, and on the run up, I’ll keep an eye on the weather forecast and then we’ll firm up exactly when we’re going to do the shoot.
What to Wear
Gone are the days when you’d wear matching colours like you were the Back Street Boys or those family photos from the 2010s. That now looks really cheesy and dated.
Instead of ‘matching’, think ‘complimentary’. This just means choosing colours that work well together. Complimentary colours are actually colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. So for example, blue and yellow/orange are complimentary. So are magenta and green. So are red and cyan.
Then there’s analogous colours which are colours that are near each other on the colour wheel like yellow, green, orange or green, cyan, blue.
It’s usually good to pair bright colours with bright colours, or muted tones with muted tones.
If one of you wears a bold pattern, the other should wear plain. Subtle patterns might be ok together, but it’s best to err on the side of caution.
And it hopefully goes without saying that you probably want to go for a cohesive style or overall level of smart / casual, and to make this appropriate for the settings we’re going to be shooting in.
I can’t tell you exactly what to wear, but I would suggest you go for something that is fairly elegant, smart or pretty, and that is appropriate for the season. We don’t want you overheating, or getting cold. For ladies, a dress is nice in Spring and Summer. Guys – it’s good if you don’t wear jeans – go for smart trousers and a nice shirt without a tie. A jacket is good if it’s colder. Shoes should also be smart and match the outfit well – no trainers unless it’s definitely part of the look!
Do’s and Don’ts
Do Travel Light – bags and coats can be awkward to have to consistently put on and take off, and carry around. Dress for the climate and aim to go without a coat if you can. We’ll keep you moving to keep off the chills!
Do leave the phones in the car – it’s highly unlikely you’ll need them, and they look awful in trouser pockets.
Do bring ideas to the table – if you’ve seen a pose you like and want to try, that’s fine to offer it up – along with any other ideas you both have. It’s a collaboration!
Do bring some other clothing items – If we go from one location to another, it might also be useful to have another outfit or at least other pieces you can put on or take off that will change your look. This could also apply to putting your hair up or taking it down, ladies, to change up your look.
Do try to forget about the cameras and connect with your partner – the more you can actually be real and authentic, the better your images will be – and the same goes for your memories of the shoot.
Don’t feel like you have to constantly look at the camera and smile – Particularly for me, I like to take a lot of shots of you interacting with each other like I’m a fly on the wall, rather than have your face aching from all the fake smiles. In fact, you can ignore the camera unless I ask you to look at it directly. There’s nothing wrong with a more serious face (although we’ll probably leave out frowning) it can make for a more moody or romantic vibe.
Don’t be a statue – you’re a couple and only you know how you’re comfortable interacting with your partner, so don’t be afraid to move, place hands where they feel comfortable and help you connect and stay in the moment. I’ll give you direction here and there to optimise sometimes, but just little things usually, like ‘turn slightly to your left’ or ‘chin up a little’, but rarely do I micro-manage your positions.
Don’t expect it to be over in an hour – it takes about an hour for us to warm up and get comfortable with each other, so expect to go for an hour and a half to 2 hours for best results.
Don’t wear sunglasses – it’s ok for one or two shots, but ultimately we want to see your eyes! Windows to the soul and all that.
Do be open minded – and don’t worry! – Come with an open mind. I’ll try to make things as fun and easy as I can. Nobody has to do anything humiliating. These photos are for you, so I want to make images you’ll be proud to share. Ultimately, this is a great opportunity to get to know each other better so that when your wedding rolls around, we’ll feel less like strangers and more like friends. Plus, you’ll have the experience of doing photos already, and you’ll be that much more comfortable with the whole process.
Do Enjoy it!