Your senior portrait session is coming up! You’re going to have so much fun. What can you do the week before your photo shoot to prepare?

Here’s what I recommend you get done the week before your photo shoot.

The Week Before Your Photo Shoot

Get some rest!

The last thing you want in your senior pictures is to look tired! If you’re able to plan your shoot when you don’t have crazy deadlines at school or late practices with the team, that’s ideal! In the week leading up to your photo shoot, I recommend getting AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep, if not more. You want to look well rested and not have to deal with tired bags under your eyes.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Youth has its advantages. Typically you have good skin. However, it’s always a good thing to make it even better, right? One way you can do that is by hydrating! Drink lots of water – not soda, not sugary drinks, not coffee (and if you do drink these, make sure you’re chasing it with water!). Proper hydration will give your skin a beautiful, natural glow and help stave off break outs. You should also be moisturizing to hydrate your skin that way. One awesome natural moisturizer is coconut oil (as long as you’re not allergic!). Just apply to your skin after taking a shower and the moisturizing effects last all day!

Finalize your outfits

I’m sure you’ve pulled your outfits or gone shopping for something special. The week before your shoot is the best time to decide and narrow your choices. Most clients bring between 4-6 outfits for their senior portrait session. If you have ten outfits, try to narrow it down to your favorite six. If you absolutely cannot narrow it down, bring them to your session and I can help you decide. Keep in mind which outfits are your absolute favorites and must-haves.

Save your favorite hair and makeup looks

If you haven’t already, start checking out my Pinterest boards for hair and makeup looks for your shoot. Pull inspiration from magazines, blogs, and catalogs. Save the photos that you love the most to your phone so that you can show your hair and makeup artist the day of your shoot. Sometimes it’s hard to articulate a certain style or look, so by having a photo to help you explain what you’d like, it makes it way easier with a photo. For example, a “smokey eye” may look one way to you and another way to the makeup artist!

Organize your outfits

Once you’ve chosen your outfits, it’s time to organize them. By doing it ahead of time, you won’t be scrambling on the day of your photo shoot stressing out trying to find accessories or undergarments that you need. I suggest putting together individual outfits on a hanger – the top, bottom, layers, dress, and add the accessories and undergarments (think about if you need a strapless!) so that they are all together. If you have a garment bag, place all your outfits in a garment bag for easy transportation. This will also help keep your clothes wrinkle free by hanging them up!

Stop using salicylic acid for the week

If you’ve been battling a breakout, go ahead and use your pimple creams and gels with salicylic acid. However, if you can, discontinue use at least a few days before your shoot since it tends to dry out your skin (that’s how it gets rid of blemishes). If you have a blemish on the day of your shoot, don’t worry at all, your makeup artist will be able to conceal it, and I’ll be able to Photoshop it out if it appears in your photos. I got you covered!

Know all the details

A week before your shoot, I’ll typically send you a text message or email reminder. I’ll remind you of the makeup artist studio address and arrival time, or if the makeup artist is coming to you, I’ll remind you of the appointment time. Be sure to keep your appointment times, and strive to arrive early. If you are late to your appointment, that will cut into your shoot time…and we can’t control the sun setting. Also, be sure to check on directions and driving times ahead of time. Apps like Waze and Google Maps will give you traffic updates so you can plan accordingly.

I hope these tips for what to do the week before your shoot were helpful!

If you want more information about a senior portrait session or are ready to book your shoot, click here!