Here are my tips for choosing the best photographer and walking away confident, proud, and highly satisfied with both the experience and the photos.
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Back in August, I decided to do a “quickie headshot session” with Debbie of Fifty Love Photography. My business partner had seen her posts on Instagram and we kept up with her social media posts.
Now, I’m moving into a new phase of my life. I have a teenager and a young adult and am turning 45 this year. So, it’s time for me to come from behind the camera and get in front of it.
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Disclosure: I received a complimentary 40 Over 40 Glam Session in exchange for sharing my honest opinion of the experience.
In this post, I’m going to share the entire process:
- offer from Debbie
- prep call
- shopping
- arrival/dressing room
- hair and makeup
- planning
- shoot
- behind-the-scenes
- previewing the photos
- receiving photos
- how I felt after the shoot
- bonus: color analysis
offer from Debbie
Debbie reached out to me and said she was looking for models for her 40 Over 40 movement. Having worked with her before and being thrilled with the results, of course, I said yes!
prep call
The week before the shoot, Debbie and I had a prep phone call to plan out my outfits and go over the details of the day. I knew exactly what to wear – solid colors. And to bring 5-10 outfit options. I am already drawn to rich colors like yellow, pink, magenta, green, and royal blue. However, I had already worn my favorite yellow shirt to my quickie headshot session. So, I decided to go to Versona (a store I had never been to but was available at my local mall).
Debbie asked if I normally wore makeup. I do not. So, she asked if I would be open to trying it for the shoot and I agreed. She had a look in mind that she thought would be flattering on me and we looked at a few pictures. I was very excited.
bonus: color analysis
Another service that Debbie offers is color analysis. She created a 20-minute video for me OF ME being placed against different colors. She explained skin undertones, including cool tones and warm tones. She showed me which colors look best on MY skin which will inform my clothing, makeup, nail, and jewelry choices. Again, I walked away feeling confident and unstoppable.
shopping
I did a little pre-shopping research online to have an idea of what I wanted to look for once I got to the store. Once I was there, I searched for the items I wanted and tried them on. A few items were available and fit, but I didn’t have enough. So, I walked around the entire store again and pulled out every solid shirt or dress that I thought would look good on me. I tried everything on and made my final selections. I also made a quick trip to Old Navy and grabbed a few items.
arrival/dressing room
On the morning of the 40 Over 40 shoot, I was cheerfully greeted by Debbie and escorted into the dressing room. I hung all of my items on the rack. Then, I headed over to hair and makeup.
hair and makeup
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Justine, of The Hot Seat, prepped me for her process. She talked me through the steps she was taking, which included foundation, lipstick, eyelashes, eye shadow, eye pencils/liners, and concealer. (I’m probably forgetting something since I don’t normally wear makeup.)
I loved the look so much that I went out and bought supplies to recreate my eye look and am shopping for lip colors, too.
planning
While Justine was applying my makeup, Debbie was taking some behind-the-scenes photos and videos. I also noticed that she was making notes on a notepad. She was planning out the lighting, location, outfits, and poses she planned to use throughout the shoot.
Then, she helped me picked out my outfits for the shoot.
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shoot
From Debbie’s prep phone call to plan out outfits and go over the details of the day to Debbie’s posing, background, and lighting guidance during the shoot, it went amazing!
In each shot, Debbie showed me how to pose, took and reviewed test shots to make sure the angles and lighting were perfect, and coached me through the entire process.
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behind-the-scenes
I wanted to fully capture and memorialize this experience, so I took a few photos and a video while waiting on the photos to download.
previewing the photos
About an hour after the shoot, Debbie sat me down to preview the photos. Let me set the mood for you – a calm studio with nothing but light music, you, Debbie, and the big screen monitor. Have a cold bottle of water or a hot cup of coffee, if you want. Either way, just settle in and get comfortable, because you’re about to have another experience.
I was familiar with what the process was going to be from my quickie headshot session, but there were more shots and outfit changes in today’s shoot.
I love the way that Debbie grouped like photos to make it easier to eliminate any I didn’t LOVE and narrow down the choices. We started with over 100 photos and narrowed it down to the final 15 or so.
receiving photos
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In less than two weeks, I received my proofs. I didn’t see anything I wanted to change as they looked great. And less than one week later, I had my final photos and began showing them off.
how I felt after the shoot
If you visit Debbie’s website, you will learn that the process includes pampering, consultation, guidance, photo review, and final photos.
I’ve had several photo shoots, but I’ve never been prepped for a photo shoot in the way Debbie did. Her descriptions of what she sees behind the camera were so uplifting and her instructions showed me that I could trust her to make me look my best. I have never felt more confident, empowered, or beautiful than when I saw myself in these photos.
When you make the decision to invest in this experience, you will be guided through it with ease. From Debbie’s prep phone call to plan out your outfits and go over the details of the day to Debbie’s posing, background, and lighting guidance during the shoot. When you see photos of her clients, you may think that your photos could NEVER turn out that good! You’re wrong! This process will be completely customized for YOU – your shape, your size, your style, your features, your skin tone, your best colors, and your wardrobe. You will walk away confident, proud, and highly satisfied with both the experience and the photos.
2023 was the year for me to come from behind the camera and get in front of it.
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Photos, Debbie of Fifty Love Photography:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Makeup, Justine of The Hot Seat:
Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
