8 Ways to Drive Your Photographer Crazy (What NOT to Do During a Shoot)

1) Tense Up

The best headshots and portraits are the ones that look natural. Sitting straight as a ramrod with a big plastic smile plastered on your face is probably going to end up looking as fake as it feels.

2) Ask to See Every Picture After It’s Taken

This slows down the shoot’s momentum and makes it take way longer than it ever should. The beautiful thing about photography is that the capture is instantaneous and can be deleted just as quickly. It’s way easier and more time efficient to take a large group of photos and cherry pick the best ones than to nitpick over every single one.  Remember, if you don’t like them, you can always take more!

3) Show Up Tired/ Hung-Over / Distracted

If you’re paying to have your headshots taken then why would you show up feeling any less than your best? Those dark rings under your eyes or that sick green hue reminiscent of the copious amounts of liquor you drank the night before are not going to turn out well in the finished result. Avoid this altogether by getting enough sleep and making the commitment to BE PRESENT.

4) Wear Large Logos and Busy Patterns

Is this photo session about you or your sponsors? Large logos in portraits beg the question of whether or not you’re getting paid to promote the brands that you’re wearing. Large logos distract the viewer from the true subject of the photo, YOU. The same goes for bright or busy patterns. That funky sweater might go over great with the ladies, but on print it might make people want to avert their gaze.

5) Expect the Photographer to do your Makeup in Photoshop

Going for the natural look is perfectly respectable; expecting the photographer to work miracles is not. If you are insecure about a particular aspect of your physique, come prepared for that. This will allow the photographer to limit their work to small touch ups that won’t leave you looking like a plastic doll.

6) Be Late

Being late is never advisable, but in a photo shoot, it can throw the whole session off. It takes a certain amount of time for the photographer and client to get comfortable with each other. Being late means that you’ll have less time to take the great photos that happen after the studio warms up.

7) Wear Unflattering Clothes

They say that the camera adds 10 pounds. That being said, if your clothes are hanging on you like a plastic bag, chances are that you won’t look your best in the photos. On this same note, wearing clothes that are too tight will also be obvious in the final prints. For the sake of your portraits, wear clothes that fit and that you feel comfortable in.

8) Pretend Like You’re Someone Else

While it’s great to step into a different character every once in a while, the day of your photo shoot is not the time to experiment with your identity.

Audrey & Lenny Boutique

During my sessions I'm in charge of the camera and lighting, but depending on the project and on the client's requirements, I can offer a large host of extra services that might be needed and work in partnership with various vendors such as boutqiues, make-up artists, and hair stylists.

Roki Torres is one of the talented stylists I work with, and I partner with the boutique she works at: Audrey & Lenny. Linet Perez runs the store and has a large collection of speciality pieces for every occasion. Based out of the Arts District of Downton LA, they are a warm and cosy boutique clothing store with a hint of glamour full of vintage gems! They have amazing outfits which I've worked with and are also available to my customers. if you're in need of styling or are interested in renting some items of clothing, shoes, jewellery or accessories for the day of the shoot, you are welcome to contact us.

The girls at the shop are so hospitable and lovely to work with. They genuinely enjoy helping you choose outfits and create a unique and fun experience for all who shop there. If you would like some professional help on the day of the shoot with the looks and outfits you already have, then Roki can be on hand that day to help you look and feel your best. She'll take what you have and making something fabulous out of it with the right colours and cuts specific to you and your individual look. 

Jonathan Winters

I had the great pleasure of meeting Jonathan Winters when John Kerwin interviewed him on the 100th episode of The John Kerwin Show. The interview took place at Jonathan's home in Santa Barbara, California. Jonathan was very funny and friendly to our crew, and his innate sense of humor definitely made the interview a lasting experience. He was once described as the funniest man alive, and we walked out of that shoot considering that an understatement.

Jonathan Winter's career spanned many decades, and he was seen as a comedic legend by not only his fans, but his peers as well. "The Jonathan Winters Show"  first aired in the mid 1950's and made television history that year when it broadcasted the first public demonstration of color videotape.

Another highlight of his career was when he starred in the 1963, MGM film classic, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” written by William Rose and Director Stanley Kramer’s first comedy. Jonathan, was in rarest of form as he worked alongside "the greats" such as Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Milton Berle, Spencer Tracy, Peter Falk, Ethel Merman, The Three Stooges, Zasu Pitts, Edie Adams, Sid Caesar, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Joe E. Brown, Dorothy Provine, Carl Reiner, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Larry Fine, Buster Keaton, Phil Silvers, Stan Freberg, Andy Devine and so many more, which I regret not being able to list. 

The majority of the actors recalled how Jonathan ad-libbed and kept them in stitches throughout the making of the film. As an actor he won an Emmy in 1992 for his role as Randy Quaid's father on the sitcom Davis Rules. He succumbed to natural causes on April 11, 2013, at the age of 87 at his home in Montecito, California. I was honored to have met this man. I would recommend everyone to check out, “ It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Documentary Story,” then view the actual film.

The interview, along with my stills of the comedic duo, was featured in the "Santa Monica Daily Press". Click here to read the full article!