Step-By-Step Guide to Planning Your Upcoming Portrait Photoshoot

You hunted for the best commercial photography studio, reviewed recommendations from friends, or checked photographer directories and found the best in fine art photography in town. You checked out their Instagram and got blown away by the positives in their social media. All indicators show they are the best in portrait photography and headshots, and nobody can convince you otherwise.

Or, you didn’t!

Now that you are set to go for that portrait photoshoot, and you can’t quite decide the outfits to wear, the poses to sit, and everything else, there is nothing to worry about. As newbie client, planning your upcoming portrait photoshoot for the first time will appear daunting – I know. Thankfully, this step-by-step guide is specially curated and tailored for you, especially if you are in Florida and are visiting the best Orlando portrait photographer for a shoot.

6 Important Steps in Preparing for Your Photo Session

1.  Make your BOOKING well in ADVANCE

The fact that a particular photo studio is the best in portrait photography and headshots in Orlando, Florida, could mean that they are the most popular. It may equally mean their clients are so many that the photographer’s days are fully booked. Or, maybe they have an elaborate shooting plan that involves making prior bookings.

As you prepare for your upcoming photoshoot, book your session well to take advantage of it. Walk-in sessions are mostly impermissible in photo studios and even those that allow do not guarantee an extended photoshoot session. Further, anyone who walks in and requests for photography could end up with low-quality and ill-prepared portraits. 

Advance bookings are essential in outdoor photo sessions. As any commercial photography expert, including the best Orlando photographer, will tell you, pre-session consultations are invaluable. Through a pre-visit, you can check out their portfolio, consider reviews, and decide whether they are worth choosing. Further, you will get to explain your expectations, table your perspectives, and inquire whether they have the props and costumes you expect. 

Remember, the key step is to make your booking well in advance. 

2.   Pick a CONCEPT and a Perfect SETTING

Have you chosen a concept for your photoshoot? 

If you have yet to learn, your preferred photographer should suggest a couple so that you can choose from them. A good selection may include fine art photography, landscape, portrait, and street photography. Depending on your pick, the photoshoot may happen indoors or outdoors. The good thing about having a fantastic commercial photographer is their understanding of these and ability to create stunning shots regardless of the concept.

A portrait photoshoot can happen anywhere that a classic headshot can be taken creatively, as the main idea is to have an incredible artistic portrait. 

3.  Pick the right OUTFIT

Are you aware that some clothes pair well in a photoshoot?

As you pick your preferred attire for the day, always go for those you are most confident and decent in. Clothes that flatter your figure and enhance your look are way better for a portrait photoshoot, and you can pack several of them. However, if you can’t decide, ask your photographer; they ultimately know better. 

You may want to know whether that blue shirt, grey suit, white blouse, or plain tie is excellent for your portrait. Other vital information you could seek may include color pairs, layers, and textures of your outfits and which combos will enhance your visual narrative. 

4.  STYLE your Hair, do your MAKEUP, and have those nails DONE

You will want your photos to look amazing once framed and delivered. Have your hair done a day or two before the appointed day, or go for that haircut and ensure it is done meticulously. If you postpone this to the material day of the shoot, you could end up with unforeseeable inconsequence.

Still, make sure that you arrive for the photoshoot camera-ready. Most commercial photography studios, including the best in portrait photography and headshots in Orlando, Florida, do not have in-house hair and makeup services. Remember to have your nails done well before the day of the photoshoot. 

5. Have you figured out any POSES for your portrait photoshoot?

If you did some research on the best poses for portrait shoots, you should have discovered thousands of them. You will get thousands of them on Google, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, and your photographer will add a few more. However, to help you avoid those goofy office headshots, you can select a couple and practice at home before the visit. 

Notable portrait photography photoshoots, according to some of the best Orlando photographers, include:

•           Strong shoulder pose: with the camera on your left or right, stand up straight, let your head lean forward slightly, and face the camera with the camera-facing shoulder raised to add dimension to the image.

•           Red carpet pose: this is the classic hands-in-pockets portrait photography pose among men or the ladies’ casual hand-on-hip pose.

•           Street-style pose: Google will show a confusing mix of this pose, but for a professional portrait photo, you can opt to stand and directly face the camera with the legs crossed at the calf or ask the photographer to crouch right in front of you and shoot from below the eye-level so that you appear taller.

•           Natural smile pose: recreate your genuine smile for your head-on portrait. 

•           Elegant hands pose: seated on a high seat chair, you can face the camera directly or turn towards it and let your chin rest on one of your hands. 

•           Angled face pose: alternatively, turn your head so that the camera captures three-quarters of your face, with both eyes focused on the camera.

Other poses worth trying include the natural walking pose, indirect gaze, looking back over the shoulder, standing with one leg in front of the other, and the one hand on the hip pose. 

6.  VERY IMPORTANT: Arrive early

It’s important to arrive on time for your photoshoot so you don’t have to rush. Give yourself plenty of time to get settled in and to get comfortable with your photographer.

Take Away

Ready to bring your vision to life and create timeless portraits? Don’t wait any longer. Take the first step by booking your portrait photoshoot well in advance and start planning your unique concept, outfits, and poses. As the best Orlando portrait photographer I’m just a click or a call away, waiting to make your portrait photoshoot a memorable and enjoyable experience. Get started today, and let your inner beauty and personality shine through your portraits. Your journey to capturing breathtaking moments begins now!