Should not have to say this but . . . come with freshly clean hair

• Cut/color – 2 weeks prior to your session to avoid any ‘surprises’
• Roots – unless you are going for the Ombre look (which looks awesome) touch them up
• Tame the Frizzies – Lots of great products out there can smooth stray hairs.  Smooth and polished looks best
• Bangs – Style them and ‘cement’ them in place.  If you like wispy bangs, style them to perfection and spray heavily with hair spray. Even a slight breeze can make bangs go bonkers
• Ponytails – AVOID them, Not even on kids.  Bows, ribbons, flowers & hats – all are great accessories.  Bring them instead of wearing them, to avoid FLAT hair before your shoot

In general – make up will generally photograph 2 shades lighter – so you will need more makeup, but not too much. Even if you are going for the ‘Natural’ look, apply some make up to avoid looking washed out.Some tips:

• Eyes – Keep in mind that eye colors should be matte.  Anything shiny tends to look oily in photographs. Mascara is a must and don’t be shy. Experts say to ALWAYS do the bottom lashes first, then apply to top lashes to avoid getting mascara on your upper lid.  Also, sweep upper lashes toward your temples to give a sultry shape to the eye
• Lips – Natural or Vivid? Either will work.  Avoid super shiny lip glosses since the reflections can be difficult to photograph.
• Face – Mineral makeup looks amazing in person, but the high reflective qualities makes your face appear flat & oily. Try a matte foundation and powder for a flawless photographic face (remember just a tad bit darker than normal).  Since you lose some shadows with photography, you will also want to accentuate the contours of your personal facial features to assist in you looking like yourself.

Nails are more noticeable than you think – treat yourself to a manicure and/or pedicure

Quick Tips:

• Camera will see every detail – better to have no polish than chipped polish
• Men can use a good manicure too, buff those nails out

I often joke that people’s clothing choices either ‘Kill the photo’ or MAKE a ‘Killer photo’!  All joking aside . . Here are some tips for killer wardrobe choices!!

Consider a few of things:

1. Consider your home decor – make sure that the color theme of your clothing will easily integrate into the color theme of your home!  Your clothing choices are just as important as other more technical details such as: location, pose and lighting
2. Coordinating Colors is different than ‘matching’ colors. It’s really hard to perfectly match colors, even whites . . . unless everyone is wearing the same exact shirt (which make you look like an athletic team).  Take the time to think about the color of the background of your location and start coordinating clothing options that will look good together.
3. Comfortable You should be able to sit, squat and stand comfortably in your clothes, if you are uncomfortable it will show in your face!! 
4. Flattering Your clothing should flatter your body (arms, legs, booty and tummy)  – ask for our What to Wear for Your Body Type guide!

Individuals | Groups:

• Choose subdued colors that allows you to SHINE – For groups/families – Limit color palettes to a MAX of 3 colors that work nicely together
• Similar tones for top & bottom make you look taller
• Choose fitted vs tight clothing
• No graphic tees – too distracting – Keep you ‘Budweiser’ shirt at home – SOLIDS work best for groups
• Blend your socks/shoes with your legs (or pants)
• Jewelry – Individuals – simple or bold – we can accessorize here; Groups – go simple – we don’t want to ‘stand out’ from the pack!
• Ladies!!! include a pair of ‘walking shoes’ – especially if you’re planning on wearing heels for your portraits, you’ll need some comfy shoes to walk around in

• No spray tan 
• If waxing, at least 2 days before 
• No new products (within 3 days) 
• Go matte: no gloss, glitter, etc 
• Apply makeup in good light 
• Go heavier than usual