18 Tips on Preparing For Your Senior Session: Guys | Grays Harbor Premier Photographer

1. Bring Extra outfits! (More than you think.) Think something cool that shows your personality as well as something nice that mom would be proud to hang on the wall or send in announcements. Maybe even something dressy (dress shirt and tie for an example.) Start putting it all together, or shopping for items you need. Bringing plenty of items will give us flexibility in matching your clothing to backgrounds and surroundings.
2. Hang It Up Please don’t come with everything stuffed into a gym bag like many guys have done. Haha! Make sure items are free of wrinkles and ready to go ahead of time. Then by taking a minute to hang everything will make for quick on-the-spot clothing decisions and keeps clothes looking great. 
3. Dress in layers for variety and simple change-ups. (ex: tank, shirt, button downs, jackets, sweater, scarf, etc.)
4. Bold/ Solid colors look best. Not a rule, but they often photograph better than patterns & pale pastels.
5. Avoid Shirts with Logos these can be distracting.
6. Haircuts at least one week prior. We all know we hate our hair the first couple of days after a new haircut! So give yourself time to get used to that new cut or style. 
7. Don’t Wear a Hat before the session (hat hair) but feel free to bring some.
8. No Sun Glasses before your session either, because they leave red marks on nose, but bring some as a prop if you’d like for a shot or two.
9. Fresh Shave (but don’t shave 5 minutes before the session. This makes skin blotchy and red.)
10. Glasses Most lenses have a glare. The safest option is to check with your eye doctor and ask if they’ll loan you a similar pair without lenses. Otherwise, I can do my best to shoot at angles to minimise the reflection, or you can remove your glasses entirely for the shoot. My rule of thumb however is, if you wear your glasses most of the time, we keep the glasses on for the shoot because it is part of your style and who you are.
11. Braces can be removed in Photoshop for an extra charge of $10 per image. Otherwise, try not to worry about them. Give a natural smile and enjoy yourself. A good smile with braces is far better than the awkward smile that comes when you try to hide them.
12. H20 Staying hydrated helps your skin by preventing breakouts and giving you great skin. So start making it a habit now, weeks before your session, to get the best results.
13. Facial Blemishes tend to get WORSE when handled/scratched/picked, so do your best to refrain from handling those bad boys. If you don’t already, start a routine now, to wash and care for your skin daily. Clear skin is a HUGE confidence booster. — Don’t worry though. We all get surprises and I can edit out the small stuff easily! 
14. Brush/Comb for on site touch ups. (Gotta keep Mom happy, right?)
15. Baby Wipes for shoes/feet. This is surprisingly a big help if we are shooting outdoors. I try to keep some in my go bag, but I run out quickly with all the shoots I do on the beaches or in muddy or wet areas.
16. Shorts (bike shorts, spandex, underarmor) something to wear under clothes for easy outdoor changes is helpful, but not necessary. I do have a portable changing room for outdoor, on location shoots. But by having something else on underneath, you will feel more comfortable making those quick changes on location.
17. Friends & Parents are welcome to join you and often can be a help. However, if they distract you, it may be best to meet them when the session is over. You’re welcome to have a couple of shots with a girlfriend, best friend, sibling, or parent at no extra charge.
18. Weather Don’t worry about clouds because they actually even out the light and make for ideal shooting conditions. But falling rain may be an issue depending on the look of the shoot or how severe the weather may be, and we may have to reschedule. Juli will try to contact you first, but feel free to email Juli if you have any doubts or concerns.

ARRIVAL…
Arrive a little early, or on time to your appointment. Showing up late means you lose camera time, and we don’t want that. If you’re coming from out of town, give yourself plenty of time to find your way around.
Please don’t forget to turn off your Cell Phone at the session
And lastly, if you have a remaining balance on your Session Fee, it’s due when you arrive.