Before your appointment
Practical advice on clothing, grooming, posing and what to bring to your professional studio session.
Arrive ready and relaxed
It is completely normal to feel nervous in front of a camera. Our photographers give clear guidance throughout your session, so you do not need modelling experience or a collection of perfected poses.
A small amount of planning will help the appointment flow. Decide which clothes and accessories you want to use, save a few photographs that show the mood or poses you like, and arrive with your hair and grooming camera-ready unless professional styling has been arranged.
What to bring
Your choices should support the purpose of the photographs while still feeling recognisably like you.
Bring options that fit well, photograph cleanly and create different levels of formality.
Arrive as you would like to be photographed so your booked time can focus on the pictures.
Posing preparation
Reference images give the photographer a useful starting point, but natural expressions and small adjustments usually create the strongest portraits.
Practise standing tall with relaxed shoulders. Try turning your body slightly away from the camera, then bring your face and eyes back towards it. Keep hands relaxed and move the chin subtly forward rather than lifting it.
Coordinate colours without dressing identically. Couples can practise standing close and leaning gently towards one another. Groups look more natural when people are staggered at different heights instead of forming a rigid line.
Children rarely need formal posing practice. Bring a familiar toy, book or activity and plan around sleep and meal times. For fashion or creative portraits, simple walking, turning and changes of weight can create natural movement.
On the day
After the session, selected photographs can receive natural digital retouching. If you are arranging photography at an office or another setting, see our on-location photography guide.