How To Plan For A Blog Photoshoot

Hey y’all, it’s Lois here again!

I wanted to help share more tips for anyone interested in the world of content creating and probably have some questions of what goes down during a blogger shoot.

B O O K I N G

Number one, if you don’t have a calendar on your phone or a planner to refer to, I highly suggest getting one of those before going on a booking spree and setting up future dates with your photographer and then forgetting about it. Your photographer takes these appointments seriously and blocks them off in the calendar for you. I usually try to send a text a couple days before the shoot reminding clients of our shoot that week, but it would be a huge deal to do your part as well and have it down on a calendar that you are constantly looking at. I say all this because I’ve had very interesting experiences when it comes to booking. So, please respect the time and seriousness of booking with your photographer before scheduling a time and date, make sure to double check that you don’t have something going on the same day & time you book your shoot. Your photographer spends, time, gas, money, etc. just to show up and be there for you. Please be considerate of what they have to go through and show up at the agreed upon meeting time. If anything does comes up, please make sure to inform your photographer if you are running late or give a 24 hour notice if you will need to reschedule.

Also, for content creators I understand there is a higher turnover for photos, so when booking a shoot, please be aware of the time it takes to process your photos and that the photographer may be working on multiple projects at a time. I want to do my best to meet everyone’s deadlines, so make sure to give an allowance of 1-2 days for turnaround time.

O U T F I T S

I usually get asked, how many outfits should one bring to a photoshoot? It totally depends, because I’ve had clients who were able to knock out 9-12 outfits in one hour, but the majority I would say would be 4-5 outfits depending on how fast you change. It honestly takes a couple of sessions til you find your rhythm and know how many you can knock out within an hour. I always recommend to my clients to bring an extra outfit just in case there’s still enough time to fit one more in!

Also, below are some helpful tips from my girl, Stacy Davis who I work with. (By the way, you gotta check out her blog and instagram.) She’s a stylist and she was awesome enough to share with me her notes on how she prepares before for our session!

What you can do is take a picture of yourself with your phone the day before your shoot of each outfit you’ve planned so that during the shoot you can refer back to it as a guide for each look. It can help remind you of the small details you could miss, like the jewelry that goes with that outfit or a prop or product needed for those certain photos, even what color lipstick and hair!

C H A N G I N G

Another question I get asked a lot is where do bloggers change during the session? Majority just change in their car - it’s easier and saves a lot of time instead of getting your next outfit from the car and trying to find a bathroom to change in. Dresses are the easiest and quickest to change in and out of, jeans are the more difficult ones and also leggings, so usually those are saved for last. Also, if you plan on changing to darker lipstick, it’s best to save that for the end of the shoot with the pieces you want shot with it, because it’s hard to go back to a lighter color after that.

If you’re conscious about being possibly seen when you change in your car, I would recommend purchasing a sun visor to cover your windshield. It helps a great deal to make you feel more comfortable when changing.

W H A T T O P R E P A R E F O R

During summer when it’s super hot in Houston, I would suggest bringing extra make up like foundation or powder to touch up during your photo shoot. Also, if you’ve never heard of oil blotting sheets with powder they have saved me! Or just bring a napkin or handkerchief to pat your face lightly in case of sweat. Also a tiny handheld rechargeable fan has helped me get through a hot day of shooting.

I remember learning a little secret when I was shooting with a clothing brand: They would bring along a Wrinkle Free Spray, because man, you’ll never know how that could come in handy when we have sensitive fabric that gets wrinkled easily!

One other thing we sometimes forget is the right underwear for your outfits. I usually recommend close to flesh colored undies because they usually don’t stand out under clothing. Also, know if you need to bring a strapless bra for certain looks.

L O C A T I O N

I’ve got you covered when it comes to locations. If you don’t know where to start, I always pick a spot that has a variety of backdrops for each outfit and that isn’t too crowded or hard to find parking, so you have less to worry about if it’s your first shoot. However, if you have your own location in mind to suggest, I’m very open to that as well!

P O S I N G

I have a whole blog post to help you out on this subject! Check out: Posing Tips For Beginners

D E L I V E R Y

When working with content creators, as a photographer you cannot impose your own style, mood and color/filter on a blogger. I understand that each blogger is their own brand, has their own style & aesthetic of what they’re going for and trying to accomplish on their page, so as a photographer for content creators, I have to learn how to adjust to their style, which I don’t mind at all. I love being able to exercise my art in different ways to fit the client’s needs. So if you want bright and airy, I can do that. If you want moody, I can do that. If you have a specific filter you like using, I can work with that too. I’m here to help your brand and vision come to life.

Alrighty, I know this was a lot and I know we can’t always have every shoot down to a T. It’s totally normal to not always feel 100% during every single shoot, sometimes the weather or other circumstances can become factors to hinder you, but let me just encourage you THAT IT’S OKAY AND TOTALLY NORMAL to feel that way. I always tell my clients, the good part is YOU ARE HERE. YOU SHOWED UP. YOU ARE CHECKING A GOAL OFF YOUR LIST. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING EXTREME, BUT BEING CONSISTENT. PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION. Just remember that. So no matter what happens, just have fun!

I really do hope these gave you some ideas of how to feel more prepared for your next or first shoot!

Miss working with all my Houston Blogger girls!

XOXO,

Lois