Why Preparing for Your Photoshoot Matters
If you’ve booked a branding or family photography session and it’s coming up soon, it’s very normal to start worrying about how you’ll look. The good news is this: looking great in photos has far more to do with how you feel than with suddenly reinventing yourself.
Great photos come from strategic preparation, not from complicated routines or expensive last-minute fixes. And “strategic” can be refreshingly boring. In fact, the simplest things tend to make the biggest difference.
Your goal is not to look different. It’s to look confident, rested, glowing and unmistakably you.
Follow these tips to give yourself the best possible foundation, then trust me to take care of the rest.
Start With Sleep (Your Main Beauty Tool)
If you do only one thing to prepare for your photoshoot, let it be this. Prioritise sleep.
Being well rested instantly makes you look better in photos and feel more confident. But there is also a lot happening behind the scenes while you sleep.
First, your lymphatic system gets to work. This is why a lack of sleep often shows up as puffiness and dull-looking skin. Second, your body heals inflammation. Goodbye, hormonal breakouts. Third, your nervous system gets a proper reset, which improves posture. Good posture reads as confidence on camera and actually helps you feel more confident too. Finally, tired eyes simply do not photograph well. Redness and dryness show up quickly in photos.
Try to protect your sleep for a few nights leading up to your session, not just the night before.
Hydration: Inside and Out
You’ve heard this one before, but it matters. Drink water.
If you are not a big water drinker, start gradually a week or two before your photoshoot. I personally find it easier to front-load hydration by drinking a couple of glasses of water as soon as I wake up.
Proper hydration signals to your body that it does not need to hold on to water, which often results in less puffiness overall.
Avoid alcohol and too much caffeine the day before your session. Both dehydrate you and interfere with sleep, which shows on your face.
Hydration works on a delay.
Gentle Movement to Reduce Puffiness
Looking fresh and rested depends heavily on your lymphatic system doing its job efficiently. Sleep and hydration are non-negotiable, but movement plays an important supporting role.
Lymph moves when muscles contract. Gentle, regular movement helps things flow. Yoga, pilates, stretching, walking and light mobility work are all great options. Aim to move a little every day, especially in the days leading up to your photoshoot.
What you do not want is to suddenly start a new strength training or high-intensity routine in the couple of weeks before your session. Sore muscles and low-level inflammation can affect how comfortable and relaxed you feel while being photographed.
Face Massage for Photoshoot Prep and Glow
Face massage is one of my favourite preparation tools. When I do it regularly, I notice my forehead is more relaxed, which means fewer headaches and fewer lines. Jaw tension in particular can make smiles look less natural and can cause facial muscles to tire quickly during a session.
There is plenty of conflicting advice about when face massage should be done, but my view is simple. Do it when it fits into your life.
I usually do it before bed and often wake up with a fresher-looking face the next morning. It also works well as a screen break if you spend long hours at a computer.
Here is my go-to quick and easy routine from Valeria Vexler.
Relax Your Smile (Tongue Circles Exercise)
Here is a quick exercise that genuinely works: tongue circles.
You can do them anywhere, anytime, and as often as you like. I often do them while driving, usually on the same stretch of road. It has become a habit.
Tongue circles help relax the muscles around your mouth, reduce jaw tension, prevent tension headaches and support a more natural, relaxed smile. They can also help with gentle jawline toning without clenching or forcing expressions. Here is how to do it:
Skincare: Stick to What You Know
When it comes to skincare before a photoshoot, the main rule is simple. Do not start anything new in the two to three weeks leading up to your session.
The last thing you want is your skin reacting or breaking out because it did not agree with your latest purchase.
My own skin is very reactive, and I have learned the hard way that less is more. The glow we are all chasing comes from calm, healthy, hydrated skin, not from layering active ingredients every day.
Calm skin reflects light better, and that is exactly what we want for photography.
I do not know your skin, but this is my general pre-photoshoot approach:
Two to three weeks to go. Drop aggressive treatments and overwashing. Focus on gentle cleansing and consistent moisturising.
Two to three days to go. Exfoliate once if you feel it is needed. Choose something mild, such as a glycolic-acid-based product that works on the skin surface.
The night before. Use a hydrating overnight mask, but only one you have already tested. My personal favourite is Dr Jart+ Vital Hydro Solution.
The Day of the Session Mindset
On the day of your photoshoot, your main priority is to relax.
The camera picks up on how you feel more than on tiny details of how you look. This often surprises people, but it is true.
Small skin imperfections that you might notice in a magnifying mirror rarely show up in photos, and if they do, I can address them in editing. What I cannot add later is the spark in your eyes that comes from good sleep, confidence and genuinely enjoying the experience.
Looking Good Starts With Feeling Good
Looking good in photos starts with feeling good, both physically and mentally. Confidence always shows.
While I will do everything I can to help you feel relaxed and supported during your session, the most powerful thing you can do is look after yourself in the lead-up. A little care goes a long way.
