How to Prepare for Your Portrait Session
How to prepare for your portrait session.
You've booked your session. Maybe you're excited. Maybe you're a little nervous. Maybe you've already started mentally cataloguing every photo of yourself you've ever hated and wondering if this will be more of the same.
Here's everything you need to know before you arrive — starting with the stuff that matters most, and ending with a practical checklist you can actually use.
It won't be. But let's make sure of it.
The most important thing isn't what you wear. It's how you feel when you walk through the door.
Start hereThe mindset work.
Most people spend the most time thinking about the wrong things before a portrait session. They obsess over outfits, worry about their hair, wonder if they should get a haircut. All of that matters, and we'll get to it. But none of it is the most important thing.
A portrait session asks something of you that most people don't expect: it asks you to be present. Not performing, not posing, not managing how you look — just present. Available. Willing to let something real show up on camera. That's the difference between photos that look technically fine and photos that actually feel like you.
I'm going to be directing you throughout. You don't need to know what to do with your hands or how to hold your face. That's my job. Your job is to show up and trust the process.
Before your session, ask yourself: what do I want someone to feel when they see these images? Confident? Warm? Serious? Creative? A sense of the feeling gives us something real to work toward.
A tired face is a tired face. Get a good night's sleep before your session. Drink water the morning of. Do whatever you need to feel like yourself — not a depleted, behind-on-everything version of yourself.
Don't book anything stressful immediately before. Don't arrive rushing. Build in a few extra minutes to arrive, take a breath, and settle in. The first ten minutes of a session are often the least relaxed.
What to wear.
Clothing is communication. What you wear in your portraits tells people something about who you are — or who you want to be seen as. Start with intention, not inventory.
Instead of looking at what you own and trying to figure out what works, start by asking: what do I want these images to say? Professional and sharp? Creative and distinctive? Warm and approachable? Then find clothes that say that.
Bring two or three complete outfits — not twenty. Two or three, chosen with intention. We'll pick together once you're here and I can see them in the actual light.
- Solid colours — navy, forest green, burgundy, charcoal, warm neutrals
- Simple textures — linen, knit, well-cut cotton
- Clothes that fit well and you feel confident in
- Layers — jacket on/off gives you two different looks
- Very bright whites or neon colours — can affect the light
- Busy patterns — small checks and narrow stripes can create moiré
- Clothes you're not comfortable in — discomfort shows
- Anything brand new you haven't worn before
If you're considering a haircut, do it at least a week before — not the day before. Fresh haircuts can feel unfamiliar, and that discomfort reads on camera. Same goes for significant changes to facial hair. Arrive feeling like yourself.
Four things that make a real difference.
Sounds obvious, but low blood sugar makes people distracted and irritable. Have a proper meal or at least a solid snack before you arrive. You'll thank yourself.
For longer sessions: a comb or brush, blotting papers if your skin tends to get oily, any lip product you typically wear, and a small bottle of water. You probably won't need most of it — but it's good to have.
Once we start shooting, phones are a distraction — both practically and psychologically. Checking how you look in every photo mid-session is the fastest way to get in your own head. Trust the process. You'll see everything when we're done.
If something feels off — the light, the pose, the direction we're going — say so. This is a collaboration. The more you communicate, the better the work. Nothing you could say would be the wrong thing.
The practical checklist.
Screenshot this. Go through it the night before your session.
- Session date, time, and location confirmed
- Travel time accounted for — plan to arrive 5–10 minutes early
- Nothing stressful scheduled immediately before
- 2–3 complete outfits chosen with intention
- Each outfit includes shoes and any relevant accessories
- Everything steamed or ironed — wrinkles show more on camera
- No new clothes you haven't worn before — comfort matters
- Haircut done at least a week ago if needed
- Facial hair decisions made and settled
- Nails tidy if hands will be visible
- Good night's sleep, water in the morning
- Proper meal or snack before arriving
- Small kit packed — comb, blotting papers, lip product, water
- Phone on silent, ready to put away once we start
- Thought about how you want to feel in the photos
- Reminded yourself: directing is my job, showing up is yours
You are more photogenic than you think.
I've photographed a lot of people who came into a session convinced they weren't photogenic. People who told me, with genuine certainty, that they "never photograph well."
Almost without exception, they were wrong. What they'd experienced before wasn't their face being unphotogenic — it was a session where no one asked the right questions, took the time to build some ease, or created the conditions for something real to happen.
That's what I'm here for.
See you soon.
You're all set. We'll take it from here.
Download the checklist above and go through it the night before. If anything comes to mind — questions about location, what to bring, what to expect — don't hesitate to reach out. There are no small questions.
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