PHOTO SHOOT READY!?

//PHOTOGRAPHY * : : . .
noun | pho·tog·ra·phy | /fəˈtäɡrəfē/
: the art of taking + creating moments!

Congratulations,
you just booked a Photo Shoot
with Derrick Lampkin Glamour!
If you are New Model and
this is your first DLG Photo Shoot:
Thanks for working with me,
lets build the dream!
This will serve as a guide
to help you get Photo Shoot Ready!

If you are a Returning Model:
Welcome Home… lets get to work!
This will serve as a refresher
to what we have already built on.

MINDSET

+ First thing First, always remember that modeling starts with your mindset. You have (2) Looks: Inner-Look and Outer-Look:
Your outer-look is the beauty that we see.
Your inner-look is the beauty that we don’t see,
unless that’s all you can see.

Let me explain: You can have on the best outfit, your makeup can be perfect, and it can even be your dream location. But if your mentality isn’t right, the photo shoot won’t come out right. Just think about this, the camera only captures what it is focused on. So, when you are doing a photo shoot, your mind must be like the lens on the camera, only focusing on the shot you have right there. This allows you to savor the moment but not get caught up in it. This also creates a healthy track for your career. Shot by Shot, Shoot by Shoot, Campaign by Campaign.

LOCATION

When you are doing a photo shoot, keep in mind the location you are shooting at. If you are in a studio or home setting you can be laid back and just focus on posing. When you are in a location like a park, beach or downtown, I would suggest looking at some photos of the location or visiting the location before the shoot. This way, you understand the environment you are going into. Also, you will know what to add to your Photo Shoot Check List.

SKIN CARE

Your skin is the most important part of your body as a model.
Before the makeup, wigs, nail art and all the other fun things that come with shooting come into play, you must be ready to play. I say this to encourage you to take care of your natural hair and nails because if you must shoot without the glam team, you still can kill the shoot. Your face is the first thing people see. So, keeping your face fresh and hydrated will help limit makeup time or even kill the need.

For the rest of your body, lotion or oil is key to a photo shoot. You will be surprised how vividly dry skin shows up in photos. Ashy feet are the worst. Especially when you have your toes painted a bright color, and you’re posing against a white background. You will tend to fade into the background instead of standing out. When your skin is hydrated during a shoot it creates a glow on your skin that attracts the flash and helps you stand out from the background. This captures the full color of the skin in the photo, giving you a better result in the end.

NAIL KILLER

Chipped finger-or-toe nails can kill a close-up photo.
It’s better to have natural nails than to hide that one nail. That one nail can kill your favorite photo. So, you must commit to the shoot. If you do have your nails done, you must be careful with your outfit selection.

NAIL RULE:
Your nails should match your outfit
or compliment the photo shoot.

So, your commitment level is a little higher with this one. If your nails don’t match your outfit, I’m sorry but you must remove your polish or repaint your nails before the shoot. An all-white outfit always look good when your nails are all-white. Now, I will say all-white does go good with a lot of other color schemes, but all-black sets don’t so be careful. To help with this you can bring press-on nails or commit to a color scheme.

If you are shooting Sockless,
you must remember that you are
modeling from head to toe,
and you should match from head to toe!

The golden rule here is: If you can’t match your nails with your outfit, at least make sure your hands-and-toe nails match for a photo shoot ( And, no, you don’t have to go to the nail shop for every photo shoot, if it’s for a special event or client then go all-out) but for practice shoots and refreshers you can do it yourself. I would suggest doing it the night before your photo shoot, this way you can take your time.

HAIR

Always embrace your natural hair look.
If your hair is naturally curly,
rock it curly.
If your hair only looks good in an afro,
rock the fro!
If braids are your thing,
then let them swing.

The point here is to embrace your natural look your first few photo shoots, then switch it up. Now, if this is an Empowerment Shoot for yourself, I would suggest you go get done or go do your best hair style or do something shocking to remember this moment. If it is something that you can do/maintain, I recommend getting your hair done the day before the photo shoot and wrapping it up. This eliminates one thing to be stressed about.

If this is your Shocking Reveal, I would recommend getting it done the same day as the photo shoot so we can capture the fresh look. Also, if it is possible, have your hair stylist come to the photo shoot and make sure the new look is always looking right during the shoot. This is a game changer! But if a stylist isn’t available, I would suggest keeping your hair wrapped up or covered until you get to the photo shoot.

posing

If there is anything that you want to try or add to the photo shoot please let me know before the shoot so we can incorporate it. Practice your favorite poses/looks at home before your photo shoot or bring inspiration photos with you. To make it easy to keep track of, I would suggest making a Pinterest board or save them to an Instagram Collection to refer to at the shoot. Photographers love reference photos. It can help our vision or show us what you are envisioning.

Photo Shoot Protocol

On the day of your photo shoot, take a quick shower or bath before coming to your shoot. This jumpstarts your mental process. Take this time to wash off whatever will affect your energy during the shoot. Start to envision your photo shoot before you even get there. This way, you are already in a clean head space.

Try not to eat anything heavy before your photo shoot. My go to is a smoothie, light salad, or fruit. If you don’t use dressing, then you can eat a salad or just veggies while getting your makeup done without compromising the look.

When you come to your photo shoot, I suggest that you wear something comfortable. Even if you only have one or two outfits to shoot in, you can still wear something laid back because you should be relaxed before your shoot. Also, this protects your looks especially if you have spent money/invested into your photo shoot outfits or they have sentimental value.

If you are shooting barefoot or with heels and your wear shoes and socks to your shoot, I would suggest bringing some comfortable slides. When you first get to the shoot, you can take off your shoes and socks and let your skin breathe so you wont have those sock lines in your photos. This also apply if your shooting in swimwear or lingerie. If you are wearing jeans or tight pants, when you first get to the shoot change and put on your robe. This gives you time to get adjusted and let your skin breathe.

Your robe is a relaxing factor too. If you are feeling anxious during the photo shoot, step away put on your robe and reset. If you get stuck during a pose just yell out “Reset” and we will stop and rethink the shot!

Your after-shoot outfit should be something comfortable (usually the same as what you wore to the shoot), unless this is your Grand Reveal Photo Shoot, then you must go out after your shoot!

Please remeber that most photographers can take up to a week to finish editing and return your photos. If you have any Behind The Scenes (BTS) Photos, you should save them. One suggestion is to wait until you get your photos back, then post your BTS. This way, it’s not too much attecipaction for your real photos, beacuse you can release them within 24 hours of the BTS. The second suggestion is to post your BTS Photos after you release your edits. This way, will pull attention back to your full photo shoot!

Most importantly,
have a good time and remember who you are!
LET’S SHOOT! * : : . .

PHOTO SHOOT CHECK LIST
Here are list of some key things that you should bring to your photo shoot,
along with something you can do so you are Photo Shoot Ready!
* Photo Shoot Outfits
* Shoes/Slides
* USB drive
* Accessories
* Make Up Bag
* Jewelry Bag
* Brush/Comb
* Robe
* After Shoot Outfit

PHOTOHRAPHER’S CHECK LIST
* Camera/Lenses
* Lights
* Empty Memory Card
* Fully Charged Batter
* Camera Bag
* Waters
* Towel
* Wet Wipes
* Disinfecting Wipes
* Photo Shoot Layout