Getting prepared for a photoshoot: essentials for your small business's first photoshoot

​Never participated in a photoshoot or hired a photographer before? Not really sure how to prepare or what to tell your photographer? Consider this episode to be your pre-photoshoot guide to approaching the experience with confidence.
 
Because chances are you’ll need photos that look professional for your website, brochure, etc. at some point!
 
What this episode covers:

• What this week’s episode is brought you by: Blog On: A Blogging Starter Kit for Entrepreneurs, an e-book by yours truly.
• Why I chose to have yet another photography focused episode (there have been two others so far, not including this one for instance)
• The focus of Mira Whiting’s business (in other words, what she photographs/ who she photographs)
• What portrait photography actually is
• Why Mira sees the essence of people as being the focus of her sessions
• How the locations and settings Mira suggest varying from person to person, profession to profession
• How newborn shoots tend to be different than professional shoots
• The importance of breaks and heating in newborn sessions
• What she communicates to her clients about pre-photoshoot, especially in terms of what is the most special to them/ what they want to focus on.
• Why she finds that with kids especially communicating with them about something they’re interested in is so important.
• Why connecting with her clients as humans is so important for Mira.
• How she uses this same tactic to do her business photoshoots as well.
• The attire that is the most practical, and how to judge what works best for your industry.
• The misconception that people have that you need to be super dressy regardless.
• Why Mira encourages her clients to take pictures with their cellphone of things they’re considering for their photo shoot for their attire, in order to get feedback.
• Why Mira encourages her clients to consider outfits that are a little bit modular.
• Why bringing along lots of accessory options is such a great idea
• How changes in light and weather can impact the photographer’s decision for what accessories are appropriate
• Why planning out your outfit can mean that the various angles you use won’t change up what’s necessary to make the photos ready for everything from brochures to website banners.
• The secret to preparing from a confidence point of view: reducing the amount of negative self-image, and how to get rid of that completely. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the people who love you the most making you feel better about yourself.
• How Mira tries to use the same approach with her clients: and why it’s so much about reminding them of their own self-worth.
• The unfortunate reality that negative self-image is so engrained in adult women especially
• How the selfie has changed our perception of how pictures are taken, and an important tip that it’s standard practice to shoot from slightly above.
• How Mira’s physical size contributes to how she approaches her portrait photos, especially because so many of the adult women she photographs are about the same size.
• The conversational feel that Mira typically goes for and what it entails.
• The importance of talking to your photographer if you have particular needs and insecurities they need to know about.
• When Mira thinks they her clients are at their best during a photoshoot, and how she creates a judgement free zone.
• How this tends to vary with kids, and how she finds letting them have input helps.
• How she uses things like telling jokes to ease children into the process.
• Why one of the most important takeaways from this episode is that it’s all really just about communication and being heard to pull off great results, rather than the “scary” medium of the camera.
• Why Mira wishes less people were scared of the camera, and what she wants people who feel that way to remember. And…the fact she is totally sympathetic as well.
• How that experience with hating being on camera helps Mira understand her clients.
• The fall and winter sessions Mira is looking forward to the most.
• Unfortunately, the audio for the Patreon page got cut off a bit. If you want to donate, go to patreon.com and then search for “rosemaryrichings” (all one word)

 
About Mira:
Mira is a portrait photographer living just outside Boston with her husband and three kids. Mira works with families and individuals who want updated portraits, striving to make everyone more comfortable in front of the camera. She is the recipient of the #1 Readers’ Choice Award and HulaFrog’s Most Loved Family Photographer Award and has placed as a finalist twice for the Boston A-List Best Photographer award. When she isn’t behind the camera, Mira enjoys spending time with her family, knitting, and cooking.
 
Where you can find Mira Online:
Visit her website: http://mirawhitingphotography.com/
Like her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/mirawhitingphotography
Follow her on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mirawhitingphotography
 
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