Portfolio Photoshoot
In this photo Katie is wearing an adidas top that was just a normal t-shirt, but we encouraged her to roll it up and we tied it at the back with a bobble. This made the outfit compliment her figure by showing off her slim waist and curvy hips.
If you want some more info on how our portfolio shoots work, or how to prepare for one, then you are in the right place.
We shoot from our flat on York Place in Scarborough. We have a studio set up in our spare room, which also has a toilet and shower attached. Shooting from our home enables us to offer a nice comfortable shoot, and it is in an ideal spot for us to offer varying locations for your portfolio shoot.
Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult throughout the duration of their photo shoot. 16-18 must be dropped off by an adult so they can sign for the shoot, the adult is then welcome to stay for the duration if they wish. Over 18's do not need another adult present, but if they wish to bring company they are welcome to do so.
When you arrive we will sit down in our living room, have a chat and discuss the plans for the shoot ahead, we will ask you to lay out your clothes and we will discuss what types of photo you are after. When it comes to changing we will wait in the living room, while you go through to the studio to change, we have a mirror set up in there and there is a toilet & shower attached to the room.
We are very relaxed and parents/friends are welcome to walk about freely between both rooms and the kitchen, but we do find we get the best results from our models when they are not being watched over, so they can relax and take it more seriously.
Preparing for the shoot!
A portfolio shoot is totally based around the types of photos that you would like to have taken, we will certainly offer input, but the final images will be based on the types of photo you are after. This being the case, please take the following tips and tricks as guidelines and not definitive rules.
Firstly try not to bring everything you own ;) instead try to bring sets of outfits that you think will look good. It works best if you have ideas of outfits you would like to wear for the shoot, rather than a lot of clothes which we then try and match together. We might make suggestions based on what you bring, or how we think you could improve the look for the photo, but it always helps us if you have a good base to start from.
Whether you want photos for a professional reason or just for fun, the ultimate aim of a portfolio shoot is to get photos of you looking your very best. With that in mind it is very important that any clothes you bring are clean and ironed...... fake tan stains and creases show up on high res digital photos, especially when in the studio, please don't think these can be edited out after, as that is often not the case. The same applies for any accessories you bring or shoes (especially ballet/pointe) as clean as you can get them within reason.
Regardless of age, it is important that you think about things like underwear in relation to your outfit choices. You may bring the most beautiful photogenic light coloured top, but if the only bra you have is luminous pink then it will definitely show up under studio lighting. Think about things like the colour of bra and if you have a strapless bra (or if you can tuck your straps in) with you for off the shoulder tops etc.
When it comes to shooting in the studio there are no limits to what you can wear, we have done everything from implied nudity & Lingerie (18+ only) to Fancy dress and ballerinas. We suggest thinking outside the box in the clothes that you bring, you want photos that stand out so just a normal outfit you might wear on a Saturday night out might not be ideal, but with a little tweaking and wearing it differently or wearing it with other clothes/shoes/accessories that you usually wouldn't can make it stand out and striking.
Below are some ideas and tips that should come come in handy for your photoshoot
Top half
Off the shoulder tops work great - Denim Shirts - Oversized shirt, like a boyfriend shirt - Checked shirts - Bodies - Retro tops - Bralettes - Crop Tops - Mesh tops - Oversized Jumpers - Leather Jackets - Winter Coats
It's good to bring colours that suit your skin tone, especially when it comes to shooting on location. Bold colours like Maroon and royal blue etc. go well, also Black and White always works well. Where possible it is good to bring seasonal clothing and colours i.e. if we are shooting outdoor in Autumn it's best to bring scarves etc and clothes in autumnal colours.
Bottom Half
Formal dresses - skirts - denim shorts - hot pants - leggings - coloured tights, if they can add to your look, we don't advise skin coloured tights.
Try to bring a variety of things for the bottom half, people tend to empty their bags and realise they have brought 2 pairs of jeans and 20 types of tops.
Shoes & Accessories
Shoes that compliment your outfits are great, we often like to change things up for example maybe put a pair of Dr Martens with a pretty dress etc. We don't recommend bringing any more than 4 pairs of shoes as we tend not to use more than this. Pair of trainers, Pair of boots, Pair of heels and a second pair of either of the former.
If you have any special hobbies like dancing or football etc then make sure you bring the footwear and any other clothes/props you would like photos in. Things like Tap shoes, pointe shoes, roller skates, guitars, skateboards, anything that shows off your personality and interests work great.
For Accessories you want to bring things like hats, scarves anything quirky, geek glasses, baseball caps, chunky watches can work well with some looks. With other jewellery we always have to be careful not to have too much going on at once, but we will discuss things like this as we work out the looks early on in the shoot.
Hair
Make sure you bring the necessary things with you to change your hair mid shoot if you wish to, we often suggest putting hair up etc to change looks and give you a good variety in your photos. There is always time in a shoot for you to curl or straighten your hair if you wish.
Make Up
It's best to come to the shoot with minimum make up on, especially if you are wanting head shots as part of your portfolio shoot. Bring the necessary make up with you to change your looks and once we have discussed what kind of photos you want. We don't expect major changes, simple things like changing lip stick or add smokey eyes will dramatically change a look.
Other Preparations
I would say the best way to prep for a portfolio shoot is as if you are planning for a prom, definitely don't make any dramatic changes to your look in the run up to the photoshoot. If you want to fake tan, make sure you do it at least 24 hours before, you don't want streaky tan lines as they can't be easily edited out of a photo.
Have as many early nights as possible in the lead up to a photoshoot, drink lots of water and don't go out and get drunk the night before. It's simple stuff that helps keep your complexion looking it's best. Don't worry if you have spots as we will always do everything we can to make your photos look as perfect as possible. Sophie is an excellent portrait photo editor, however as stated above, we can not spend an hour+ on each photo trying to remove someones streaky tan lines that could have been avoided pre-shoot.
With nails feel free to paint them, but make sure you do fingers & toes. You definitely need to make sure your nails are looked after for the shoot, as chipped unevenly painted nails are very noticeable on photos.
Like I said at the beginning, these are all just tips to either help put your mind at ease about the shoot, or help you get the most out of your photoshoot. I can promise you that we are very easy going and just want for you to have the best photos possible from the day. If you have any questions for us then don't hesitate to get in touch.
Andy & Sophie
