Photoshoot
prep guide
So you’re hopping
in front of the camera
Keep reading for styling tips, location & session ideas, as well as ways to prep on shoot day!
The ultimate goal - comfort. that being said, we want you two to feel 100% like yourselves in every aspect. Your photography session is a chance to showcase your love in all its authenticity, and gives us plenty of options to have fun and be creative!
I had too much to dream last night.
Wear, travel, and do the things that make you nostalgic.
I had too much to dream last night. Wear, travel, and do the things that make you nostalgic.
What do i wear? Is there colors to avoid? What about my favorite leather jacket?
Wear neutrals - they go with everything! Think earth tones + subtler colors - browns, tans, olives, creams, whites, blacks, blues, burnt oranges, etc
We recommend keeping a soft color palette in mind when selecting outfits. Opt for outfits with light tones and muted shades. Ulra-bright, bold, or neon colors can bounce onto other colors + onto your skin creating unwanted color casts!
Don't try to match your outfits exactly. Wear outfits and colors that compliment each other, but aren't exact copies of each other.
Keep it simple, yet layered: think leather jacket + white tee + blue jeans + accessories (but put your own spin on it!)
Make your shoe choice (or barefoot choice) wisely: i.e. if our location requires walking/hiking and is mostly or all grass, heels probably aren’t the best bet!
Always bring an extra pair of shoes. Sometimes spots can be muddy if the location experienced rain recently - it's always a good idea to have back-up!
Items that move, like dresses that flow or have a slit add so much energy and movement to the images, and jeans that allow you to move comfortably (wouldn’t want to rip your pants mid snow-ball fight!)
Iron or steam your clothes beforehand to avoid wrinkles.
Cut any tags and ribbon hanger straps beforehand so we don't see them hanging out of your clothes!
Photoshoot Ideas
Themes:
Picnic
Pillow fight
Skateboarding
Bike riding
Motor cycles
Sledding
Snowball fight
Champagne pop
Shotgun a beer
Bring your fur babes!
Photograph each other
Smoke bombs
Locations:
Forest
Lake
Open prairie
Beach
Downtown
Record Store
Bar
Coffee shop
Rooftop
Greenhouse
In-home
On the road
Location, Location, Location
Some of our favorites,
Downtown Elgin
Elgin, IL
Access to rooftops, shops, restaurants, bars, boutiques, bridges, and many architectural buildings
There's also a riverwalk nestled in the heart of downtown!
Oakhurst Forest Preserve
Aurora, IL
Bathroom available on-site - convenient for outfit swapping!
Has walking paths, open fields, hills, picnic tables, a fire pit, a lake, and a dock!
A fairly popular area, so we will see some friendly faces walking by!
Elburn Forest Preserve
Elburn, IL
Has a winding walking path + open fields.
About a 5 minute walk down the main path to get to the open fields
Very private location - won't be seeing many people walking by!
Walking distance from a downtown area with antique stores & vintage ice cream shop! - a must!
Lake Run Forest Preserve
Aurora, IL
Bathroom NOT available on-site
Has a winding walking path + open fields
Takes about a 5-10 minute walk to get to the main part of the forest preserve.
Very private location - won't be seeing many people walking by!
Winding Creek Conservation
Hebron, IL
Bathroom available on-site - convenient for outfit swapping!
Trails through the prairie + forest, as well as a bridge across a pond!
Semi private location - it's set back & not many people know about it!
Glacial Park
Richmond, IL
Porta potty available on-site, convenient for outfit swapping!
Has walking paths, open fields, hiking to hills, a creek, and a wooden bridge!
This conservation space is huge - so make sure to pack comfy shoes for the hike
A fairly popular area, so we will see some friendly faces walking by!
Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve
Sycamore, IL
Bathroom available on-site - convenient for outfit swapping!
Walking path through open fields + forest
Very private location - won't be seeing many people walking by!
This is a perfect location when you're bringing your furry friend along!
KD Park
Twin Lakes, WI
Bathroom available on-site - convenient for outfit swapping!
Has walking paths, open fields, hills, picnic tables, a fire pit, a lake, and a dock!
A fairly popular area, so we will see some friendly faces walking by!
Rooftop Parking Garage
Burlington, WI
In Burlington's beautiful downtown area
Walking distance to shops, restaurants, boutiques & bridges.
Very private location - no one parks at the tippy top of the parking garage!
It’s shoot day - Don’t panic, we got you. Prep with us!
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Remove keys, phones, sunglasses, apple watches, and hair ties from your wrists ahead of time and avoid putting anything in your pockets!
If incorporating ring shots, make sure to have clean or freshly painted nails.
Don't forget any props you might want to incorporate! (ex: for maternity shoots - ultra sounds, baby shoes, baby onesies, due date board, etc)
If bringing additional outfits, keep them on hangers or in a baggy so they don't get ruined.
Prep a backpack with snackies + water bottles (especially if we'll be hiking!)
Bring extra make-up for touch-ups.
For colder sessions - bring a coat, hand warmers, and gloves (anything to keep warm)!
Always do something with your hands - we like public displays of affection! No chicken-pecking kisses - if you’re gonna smooch on camera, make it a real one and be careful not to smoosh noses. If we can tell you’re faking, the camera can too - let those emotions run wild!
Don't look directly at the camera - these moments should be real and authentic, so we want to catch you two in the moment interacting with each other. If we need a few shots of you looking at the camera, we'll tell you. Otherwise, pretend we're ghosts!
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In regards to hand/ring shots, make sure nail polish isn't chipped and/or your nails are cleaned up, and remove hair ties from wrists!
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If we have a little rain accompanying our shoot (drizzling is OK, but down pour - that's a hard nope from our camera hehe), we will be in touch late morning/early afternoon the date of your scheduled shoot with a backup date/plan!
In the meantime, we'll be sending up some messages, praying for no rain and mega amounts of sunshine for us all to enjoy together.
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We offer lifestyle portrait sessions, focusing on true-to-life moments in your natural element. Of course this could include at-home sessions, adventure sessions, outdoor spaces, and locations that may or may not require permitting and/or rental fees. In the event your dream session location requires a permit and/or rental fee, we will be sure to do the research to provide you with the details to help you obtain the permit or complete rental fees. We've done this plenty of times!
Rain dates are often pre-scheduled because it's the Midwest and sometimes we can observe what we like to call, 'whiplash weather'. Hello random unpredictable thunderstorms! We always try to lock in a scheduled date + a rain-date if we are currently in a rainy season at the time of booking.
Maternity & newborn sessions - run on babies schedule. We know the babes run the show. Our biggest suggestions for maternity sessions, are to aim between 6.5-7.5 months for a number of reasons: 1. we want you to be comfortable if you opt for a space that requires some walking or extended foot travel; 2. sometimes babes surprise us and show up earth-side when we least expect it ('hello' to Nicole's first born who graced us an entire month early). Newborn sessions run on babe's schedule - which we know can be different for everyone and change as the days go. Our top suggestion would be to schedule those after the first AM nap - typically between 10A-11A!
Family sessions, particularly with younger kiddos, the kids again run the show! Circling back to the lifestyle element of our art and those 'lived-in feels', we 100% prefer it if we let the kids take the wheel. Allowing a play vs. posed environment helps us showcase your families truth authentically!
Portrait Session Off-Season: November - February
Inspo on
the blog,
For more ideas to get your wheels turnin' & location suggestions, peek at our blog posts for engagement sessions & family sessions!
