Whether or not you’re “into” photography, there are many reasons to stage your own photo shoot! Photography is a skill that is guaranteed to come in handy, and as a mother who wants to capture ALL (let’s cap that…ALL) those special moments, it’s something that has become especially dear to my heart!
Now, here’s your disclaimer: I am without a doubt an amateur photographer. To this day I do not know what MANY (most?) buttons on my camera do. Is that bad? Maybe. But I’m on a journey of learning, as is everyone, in one regard or another. Nonetheless, from the photo shoots I’ve done, I’ve leaned things that I know people with less experience than myself will find helpful. Professionals will look at my photos and find countless flaws, but that’s ok! They are expected to produce flawless images and in return get to charge professional rates! This post is meant to help the newest photographers out there!
There are many scenarios where staging your own photo shoot is a good idea:
- For your blog or small business
- For a casual shoot of children, family or friends
- To practice your skills
- For Instagram or other social media content
- To make a portfolio
- For amateur photo contests
- As a creative outlet just for fun!
Our family recently had a autumn photo shoot done, and I knew I wanted the photos to be unmistakably high quality as they were destined for frames in our stairwell, where we’d look at them multiple times a day for years to come. We went with a local photographer who was still in art school, but I could tell by her work on Instagram that she was already very talented. We were ECSTATIC with the outcome, and after seeing just a few photos both my husband and I knew we made the right decision to go with a pro and not get a friend of family to take them (and end up with my quality of photos…or worse!).
With that said, there are a few *definite* scenarios where you REALLY want to go with a professional:
- Weddings! Weddings! WEDDINGS! (this is one time in life you do not want to save money)
- Engagement photos
- Newborn baby photos (these require very careful and SAFE circumstances…if your photographer doesn’t seem to think so, don’t use them)
- Yearly (or less frequent) family shoots where the photos are destined to be enlarges for frames
- Head shots, if you want to be discovered as the next Jennifer Lawrence
Don’t try to save money on these, or there’s a good chance you’ll regret it.
Here are my top 10 tips for how to get your best fall photo shoot!
1. Find a Subject (to uhh, shoot)
Depending on the reason for a shoot, there are various ways to go about this. Often, friends or family will be interested in participating, especially if you can take decent photos. It’s basically a free photo shoot. Whether the photos you share with them are destined for Grandma’s fridge or for Instagram, who’s saying no?!
I didn’t have anyone I knew to shoot for this blog post, so I put up an ad up online looking and met Erin! Erin recently finished her Masters in Psychology and is starting her own counseling service (go get it, girl!), and was happy to just help out another woman doing her ‘thang, plus, she was interested in having a photo taken for her upcoming business website. To sweeten the deal and thank her for participating, she received a Starbucks gift card and all the photos.
Meet gorgeous Erin!
When putting an ad up online, make sure to cover the basics. This is generally what I write:
If you are going to be putting the photos online, or anywhere in print, ensure you have the subject sign a photo release form. You can make one from scratch or update something like this one I found online.
2. Prep Tips for Your Subject
Here are a few preparations your subject can take to help look and feel prepared. You can suggest them or even forward this post if you feel uncomfortable (as I do because I am awkward):
- Dry skin is visible and causes makeup to flake
- Drink lots of water to keep the skin hydrated
- Do a facial scrub three days before the shoot will help. My favorites are the Clinique 7 Day Scrub or a simple lemon and sugar scrub (start with 1 tbsp and squeeze in lemon until it becomes scrub consistency). Be sure to choose what works best for your skin type!
- Don’t wax anything on the face within a week of the shoot in case of redness or irritation
- Watch YouTube videos about posing. I like:
- Jana Williams Tips on How to Pose in a Photograph and
- How to Look Good in Every Photo by Carly Cristman
- Avoid foods that make you bloated 48 hours before the shoot (if you’re someone who gets visibly “puffy” after consuming these, like me)
- Depending on the nature of the shoot, it may be a good idea to take this opportunity to refresh any of your normal beauty routine (hair trim, root touch up, nails etc.)
- Don’t take yourself too seriously! Stay relaxed, go with the flow and have fun! This ain’t for Vanity Fair!
3. Embrace Your Equipment
It’s 100% ok if you don’t own a DSLR, or whatever the latest craze is in cameras is. If you’re not a pro or serious photo hobbyist, why would you?!
We happen to have a Canon Rebel as we were gifted a very generous Best Buy gift card and it was the most practical thing to buy from there. However, embrace the tools you have and make the most of them. Whether it’s a point and shoot, or a cell phone camera, make sure you have read about all the settings. There are also a plethora of tutorials on YouTube, like this one about how to shoot on an iPhone, so take advantage of these free resources!
Every photo in this post was taken on the DLSR unless otherwise stated.
Below, one photo was taken on my Samsung S5 and on the other my Canon DLSR. Can you tell which is which? Scroll down to find out if you’re right!
So, could you guess?
The one on the right was taken with with my Samsung S5 camera, and the one on the left on my DSLR. After I edited them, I actually think I prefer the cell phone version!
Here’s another taken on my S5 cellphone camera:
4. Location
The idea of a DIY photo shoot is about working with what you have. My ideal location for the shoot was a grassy natural reserve in the breathtaking valley the Rocky Mountain foothills, however, I wanted to illustrate how you can work with what is accessible so opted against it. Be PRACTICAL, yo!
The actual location I chose was a park in the center of a city, full of people walking their dogs, kids playing on play equipment, and green utility boxes. But we worked around this! Always check out the location beforehand, and make a list of the best spots on-location to shoot in, as well as ideas for poses in those spots.
5. Make a List of Poses
As I told Erin before the shoot, I made a list of the exact poses I wanted to get as I knew that if I didn’t, I’d get to the shoot and be like, “ummm, stand there and smile?” I sent the list to her before the shoot so she knew what to expect.
Start by looking at Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration, and save the poses you like.
My actual list for this shoot is pictured below. Is it s mess? Kind of. Did I get every shot I wanted because of it? Yes.
6. Keep Fashion Neutral
When done right, I believe neutral colour palettes easily exudes an air of class in any situation. For an autumn photo shoot, where you want the colours of nature to pop to catch all those #fallvibes, it’s especially important for your subject to not wear colours in their makeup of clothes that will clash and make the photo feel tacky. This will also make it easier for you as the photographer to pull off a more professional and properly staged looking photo.
Go with:
- Neutrals, such as:
- Tan, grey, taupe, camel, black. I’ll cheat and consider blush pink a nice neutral here, too.
- Keep pops of colour warm:
- Burgundy
- Burnt orange
- Marsala
- Forest green
Avoid:
- Bright colours that contrast with natures colours, such as:
- Bright blues, purples, or any primary colours
- Busy patterns
- Patterns that feel they belong in another season (i.e., tropical shirts)
Sweet autumnal lipstick colours:
- Clinique Lip Colour and Primer in Bare Pop
- Cheryl x L’Oreal Paris Limited Edition Lip Kit in Paint it Burgundy
- MAC Matte Lipstick in Studded Kiss
- OR…just a dusting of Burts Bees Lip Balm, because natural is always in
Of course, these are suggestions, and the subject should ultimately choose makeup and wardrobe that enhances their natural beauty.
Fun Accessory Ideas:
- Riding Boots or ankle booties
- Apples (to hold, or eat…get creative!)
- Plaid scarves
- Beanies
- Floppy hats
- Pets! A cooperative puppy or kitty makes a wonderful addition! Wrap a little scarf around them to amp up the cuteness! Look at this guy!
7. The Magic of Golden Hour
A fall themed photo shoot is THE perfect opportunity to embrace the warm, buttery light of golden hour, where foliage glows and skin becomes even more beautiful. This magical time is found about one hour before sunset, but you’ll want to arrive two hours before to ensure you have ample time to set up, account for any mishaps (runny mascara that needs fixed), and get your list of shots without feeling rushed. This will also give you time to play with the light and get creative with poses once you are out there.
8. Capture the Season in Creative Ways
Here’s where things get really fun! In addition to golden hour, which stamps “autumn” into every photo, take advantage of your seasonal surroundings. For a fall shoot, capturing the turning colours of the trees is a must!
In the below photo, I had Erin sit on the deck with her back to me. I kept it tight, because there was a major road just out of shot, and a man walking his dog on the other side of the lake! But in this photo, you’d think Erin was on dock in cottage country, preparing to have wrap up in a cozy, fleece blanket and roast marshmallows over a bon fire while drinking a pumpkin spice latte.
The below photo was all about timing as I had Erin throw leaves up in the air. So fun and it totally invokes feelings of childhood autumns spent raking leaves in the yard!
Here, I had Erin lie down in the leaves, and strategically placed some around her head and in her hair:
9. Watch For Details
It surprises me how much even professional photographers overlook details, especially ones that they don’t/can’t fix when editing. Lipstick on teeth, crooked jewelry, visible bra straps, or a hand in a awkward position can make or break a photo. Not to mention, awkward things in the background…like a dog going potty in the corner of your family wedding shot.
Things to watch for:
- Hair out of place or sticking up
- Lipstick on teeth
- Scuffs on boots
- Jewelry out of place
- Clothing tucked in wrong spot
- Leaves on clothing
- People or things in the background
Below, take note at the difference necklace placement makes. On the left, your eye is drawn to the necklace as it’s crooked, where as in the right, it’s visible, but does not draw the eye away from the subject, Erin! In both cases, as the photographer I should have noticed the little stand on hair sticking up so we could adjust it. Finally, Erin was more prepared for the shot in the right photo which resulted in a more natural pose (in the left photo she had just been quickly trying to make her necklace look crooked, to my request!)
Having an active good eye IN THE MOMENT, and being equipped with a brush and some baby wipes will fix most of these in seconds.
Here’s an example of where having a good eye is important. The below photo would have been better without the electrical box on the right side.
10. Edit, Edit, Edit!
If done right, just a few minutes of editing can take your photo from “meh” to “wow!” I have used Adobe LightRoom, but there are a plethora of paid and free options. If you are shooting on your phone and don’t plan to transfer to a computer, learn about the editing options directly on it such as apps!
When using programs like LightRoom there is the option to purchase pre-sets, including fall toned ones. For my editing, to keep a fall look, I set my pre-set to accentuate warm tones.
I hope you found the information in this post useful! Let me know in the comments below!
