Portrait Session Guide 2023

My goal is to capture the real you in a natural and captivating way. I have some tips that may help you prepare for the session or just to have in mind as you get ready:

I offer you direction and posing tips as I am taking your photograph. I love to capture you and your family or loved one interacting naturally. Along with direction, I’ll also just let you enjoy your time together and capture those in-between special moments. 

• Come well rested. The best face is one that has had some beauty sleep (or if needed, coffee!)

• Wear clothes that you are comfortable in and shows you at your best. Perhaps this means steaming your shirt to get rid of wrinkles, or knowing what outfit has worked for you in the past and shows you at your best light and form. Neutrals, soft colors, or bolder solids are great. Examples like Navy, White, Light Blue, Green. These images are meant to show off your best so try to choose colors that compliment your skin tone, hair, and eyes.

Consider the purpose of your portrait. For work headshot I would suggest covering your shoulders because the skin on your shoulders can distract from your face. If your business is outdoors or training, you may want to have an athletic tank or uniform. V-neck shirts for the ladies can elongate your neck and draw the eyes to your face. Consider whether you want your hair up or down and what best represents you. Less busy patterns can be good to keep the focus on your face and eyes. But ultimately, BE YOU! How you feel in what you wear is even more important. What makes you feel confident? And please feel free to message me photos of ideas if you need help choosing.

Look in the mirror before you leave for your photoshoot. What you see in the mirror, how your clothes fall, any lines under clothes, undergarments showing or poking out, is what the camera will see.

• Arriving promptly to your session will give us the maximum shooting time for our session.

Expect to enjoy yourself! We will have fun during your session and hopefully create memories while capturing timeless images you will look back on for years to come.

My goal is to keep the colors of your skin and surroundings as true to life as possible while still looking like a professional, edited, image. I use bright whites, deep darks, and keep that film feel for coloring. Feel free to browse through my website to see the style and colors I use. If there is something specific you are looking for, I would be happy to talk about it. Ultimately the edited look and finish of the photos is representative to my brand so I ask that the final edits not be filtered with phone apps or altered in any way when shared online or printed. 

Please reach out for any questions and I look forward to seeing you at your session! 

Ruth Hayden Photography