Preparing for a Flawless Photo Shoot: Your Ultimate Checklist

A portrait session is a special occasion — one where preparation makes a genuine difference to how you look, how you feel, and ultimately to the quality of the images you take home. Use this guide as your complete checklist for getting ready, covering everything from skincare in the days before to mindset on the morning of your shoot.

In the Week Before Your Session

Skin and face: Exfoliate gently two to three days before your session to achieve a smooth, even complexion. If you’re planning a facial, book it at least one week in advance — never the day before, as redness and sensitivity need time to settle. If you use whitening products for your teeth, start a few days before for a subtle but noticeable effect in close-up portraits.

Eyebrows and lashes: If you have your brows shaped or tinted, do this at least a week before your session. Same applies for lash tints or extensions — give them time to settle and for any minor irritation to pass. The goal is for everything to look natural and well-established rather than freshly done.

Hair: If you’re having a haircut or colour, book it one to two weeks before your session — new cuts need a few days to settle, and fresh colour can sometimes look very vivid before it beds in. For the day itself, style your hair however feels most like you; your photographer will give guidance if anything needs adjusting for specific shots.

Wardrobe Preparation

Prepare four to five outfit options, covering a range of styles — something polished and classic, something more relaxed, and perhaps something that feels a little more special or expressive. Check each garment in advance: make sure it’s clean, pressed, and fits the way you want it to. Clothing that fitted perfectly six months ago may tell a different story today, and you want to know before you’re in the studio.

Lay out your accessories alongside each outfit and think about which combinations work best. Pack everything the night before so that on the morning of your session, you’re not hunting for your favourite earrings or realising your best blouse needs ironing.

For professional headshots, prioritise clean lines and classic professional tones. For a personal portrait or signature portrait experience, you have more latitude — bring pieces that reflect your personality and make you feel like your best self.

The Night Before

Rest: This is not the night to stay up late. Sleep is the single most powerful thing you can do for how you look on camera — it affects skin quality, eye brightness, and the overall quality of presence you bring to the session. Aim for a full night’s sleep.

Hydration: Drink plenty of water in the 24 hours before your session. Hydrated skin photographs with a depth and luminosity that dehydrated skin simply cannot match. Limit alcohol the night before, as it dehydrates quickly and shows around the eyes.

Lay out your outfits: Do this the evening before so that morning is calm. Confirm your arrival time, check your route if the studio is somewhere new, and set your alarm with enough buffer to arrive unhurried.

On the Morning of Your Session

Eat a proper breakfast — something grounding and sustaining. Don’t arrive on an empty stomach; it affects energy levels, focus, and presence. Arrive to the studio relaxed rather than rushed — give yourself time to transition from whatever came before into the headspace the session deserves.

Arrive with clean, moisturised skin and your natural hair — professional makeup and styling will happen at the studio before the shoot begins. You don’t need to arrive camera-ready. You need to arrive.

The Mental Checklist

Beyond the practical: give yourself permission to enjoy this. A portrait session is a rare thing — time and attention focused entirely on you, guided by someone whose job is to show you at your absolute best. The clients who get the most from their sessions are the ones who arrive open, curious, and willing to trust the process.

You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to be naturally photogenic. You need to show up. Everything else is handled. Explore our luxury portrait experience for full details on what to expect from your session.

One Final Thing

The most prepared clients we work with are not necessarily the ones who arrive with the most perfect skin or the most carefully chosen wardrobe. They’re the ones who arrive having given themselves permission to be in the experience. Who’ve decided, ahead of time, that this is worth their full attention and presence. That they deserve good portraits, and they’re going to let themselves have them.

Physical preparation matters. Wardrobe matters. Rest and hydration matter. But none of it matters as much as the decision to show up fully. Everything else follows from that. We take care of the rest — including the professional makeup that’s included in every portrait session with us.