How to prep for a lifestyle session and why you will be fine.

You have probably read several articles of this type, I promise I'll keep it short, fun and honest! 

First, what is a lifestyle or personal branding shooting? Well, that's also what I sometimes call behind the scenes sessions, it's a mix of casual portraits and professional backstage pictures.

Because people, all of them, enjoy seeing you. Whether you’re selling a product or offering a service, they’re buying from you, because of you, so they want to see the face behind the ‘brand’.

If you’re thinking “okay but I’m only selling illustrations online, they don’t care.” Trust me they do!

As a photographer I thought the exact same, surely people just want to see my finished pictures right? Well, yes, but they most definitely love seeing how I create those pictures, probably more than the actual pictures ahah and they will love seeing you as well. 

Photo by Laurelle

So, you've booked that lifestyle/branding session with me (yes I'm the only photographer on planet earth thank you) cool, now you can panic for a bit, don't worry, I always panic before a shoot as well, I'm anxious, that's what I do on a regular basis.

Now breathe, my job is to make you as comfortable as possible during these weird sessions (I mean, the sessions aren't weird, although I am often miming to help and it can look odd from the outside, it's just weird to pose in front of a camera, guess why I'm behind it? ) I’ve shot with an array of people from professional models to those who have never posed in front of a camera before.

Rest assured, we will meet to chat a few days before, so I can start to understand your business, your brand and most importantly you. I ask a lot of questions, but they all have a purpose because it’s about storytelling. I had a client last month who chose me because she said my photos “were showing more than just the photo, it had an energy, a feeling, a story” and it’s exactly why I want to know everything.

Before you’re session I will ask if you have an existing logo or branding, to see if you have colours for your business, or colours that you like wearing? Don't wear heels if you're not used to wearing heels, you will end up feeling uncomfortable, (unless you are one of those magical swans that can walk in heels all day long), don't wear that new pair of trousers if you can't move in them, same conclusion, don't wear those fancy new shoes… You get the drill. Do it as Nirvana says, come as you are. You're showcasing yourself and your business, it needs to be all you. 

Don't get me wrong though, if you have a fancy dress that makes you feel amazing or a brand new suit that makes you feel like a million pounds please, wear it, it has been proven that the way we dress greatly influences how we carry ourselves and that it helps to feel confident. So wear that fancy outfit, as long as you're COMFY! Because we're going to spend at least 1h30 together, and also, you might want to wear different outfits. 

Try to get a good night sleep the night before, don’t worry if you haven’t, even if you’ve had no sleep at all we can work with that. Firstly, dark circles are in, everyone’s tired these days. Two there is something magical called photoshop that I can use to make you look like you’ve had endless nights sleeping-beauty style. Thirdly, I have a network of hairdressers and makeup artists that can do wonders if you want to hire their services. I’m basically wonder-woman with a camera, my lasso is the USB cable I use to upload photos on to my laptop. 

Am I doing too much? Probably.

Do I care? Not really!

Ultimately, it’s all of this background work, including the bad jokes, that helps you to relax and enjoy yourself while I’m shooting.

Now back to practicalities, such as locations. I’ve worked with lots of different people, in very different locations; from a brand designer in her office to a chef in his kitchen, a social media manager and events creator at her event, and a skincare creator in her lab… The location has meaning, and we can figure out where to go during our chat. It can be outside (always with a back-up plan because we live in the North of England, not Ibiza), in a cafe where you often go, in your office, in your house, we can come up with some really creative ideas. That’s what happened with my friend Louisa, and she ended up on the front page of the Journal last year! There are no written rules, we create them to fit you and your business, that's all.

So now that you know more, book a session with me! And if you have more questions, don't hesitate to get in touch either in the comments below or by email. I look forward to hearing from you!