Well, I’m doing something I’ve been putting off for a while…I am taking a leap and getting my own head shots and branding photos done! Now I finally get all the anxiety that I try to assuage in my clients…yikes!
So it got me thinking, I really need to prepare for this shoot. What do I need to think about? What do I ask my clients to think about as they prepare for their photo sessions?
*I booked a last minute hair appointment and manicure, in case there are some close ups of my hands holding my camera. I’m going to take a closer look at my makeup and accessories as well.
*I’m going to browse Pinterest and websites similar to mine to try to decide what on Earth I am going to wear.
*I’ll make a list of all of the gear I want to bring that might be included in the shoot, like my camera, lenses, and laptop. I also will bring things that reflect my particular specialty, and my brand in general, such as adaptive equipment for seating and mobility, musical toys, maybe a mirror- things I use to create the best possible scenario for a great photo session.
However…I’ve noticed in the mirror lately that my jowls are looking a little puffy. I definitely do not want that in my photos! I did a little research and found that alcohol can cause this, and if I cut back it will resolve itself. Of course I just opened a delicious bottle of red! Oh well, it will keep for a few days, right? Here’s what I learned from a 2013 article about skin on news.com:
“PUDGY AND SAGGY
Culprits: Alcohol, lack of exercise. Cosmetic surgeon Dr Prager says alcohol ‘stresses the body, causing you to produce the hormone cortisol’. This hormone causes more fat to collect around the face, as well as triggering water retention around the cheeks, leaving a ‘bloated-looking face’. Furthermore, alcohol is also known to overstimulate the parotid — or salivary — glands, which sit on either side where the neck meets the jaw, adds Dr Khan. ‘Excessive drinking causes these glands to become bigger which gives that chubby, jowly look. If you stop drinking or cut down, you’ll soon notice an improvement.’ Alcohol is 50 per cent sugar, and there’s growing evidence that a diet high in sugar can age the skin by a process called glycolisation. Here, molecules produced when sugar is broken down slow the production of collagen and elastin fibres, the building blocks of skin. ‘The face becomes saggy and loses elasticity, facial muscle and shape in general so it looks podgy,’ says Dr Prager. ‘Between 20 and 30 you can get away with murder, but if you carry on drinking like that, by your 40th birthday the damage will be done.’ Regular exercise is also essential for keeping the skin on the face healthy and youthful. In 2010, researchers at the University of St Andrews released images of three people showing what they would look like in 20 years’ time if they did no exercise — inactive people were more at risk of sagging, loose skin on the neck and fattening in the forehead and eye area. Exercise keeps blood circulating to the skin, maintaining collagen production.”
You can read the entire article here:
So, wish me luck.
I’ve got a great photographer lined up, an amazing space with gorgeous light for the shoot (which I might just have to add to my own list of session locations), and I’m excited to see what we create!
