Studio Space

It’s been fun welcoming you into my home and creating portraits in my living room. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my space with you. But sometimes it feels a bit small and photographing families is a bit more difficult in the space.

This is why, this year, one of my goals is to find a studio for my portrait photography.
I have created a moodboard to visualise my dream space and what sort of atmosphere I want to create in it. So, tag me, or let me know, if you see anything like this popping up in your way/timeline.

 

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How to prepare for your photoshoot

This blog post is a long time coming and with spring being here and all the photoshoots scheduled already, I thought it’s the right time to write this and prepare everyone on how to prepare for your photoshoot.

Prepping for a photoshoot is an interesting experience.

A client of mine just said “It is such an exciting experience and I am really looking forward to it.” Another one: “The Glamour Experience has begun! Loved the intake with Cristina Stoian in Amsterdam for a professional photoshoot including a team looking after you all day. For business and fun!”

This makes me so happy and motivated to give you the best service I can.

Ok, so you’re about to have your portrait taken. Congratulations! I want you to think about it for a bit and start preparing it.

There are some aspects to consider, these are the little details that can impact your portrait and I want you to get them right.  It is time to plan. Decide on outfits, schedule beauty appointments, prepare a mood board. Chose what fits your lifestyle, current beauty regime and go from there.

Face

IMG_0974Whiten Teeth ahead of time. White strips will go a long way and they’re easy to apply 2 weeks before your shoot.
Breakouts – don’t scratch and squeeze; if you have a pimple the week of he shoot, leave it there, it’s easier to cover up with makeup than covering a red wound.
Exfoliate twice a week before the shoot. Spend a moment in your morning routine to gently scrub your face, use a quality organic facial scrub to feel like you’re really taking care of yourself.
Tweeze eyebrows one week before.  Don’t overdo it!  This is crucial since eyebrows are defining your face and can change your expression. Do it 2-3 days before the shoot, to allow the redness to cool off.
Facial For a total pamper session, have a light facial to close the pores, a week before the shoot – leave time to heal ! A facial at home is a good alternative, masks on Sundays is what I do to relax.
Red Eyes – Visine is your friend. Not getting drunk the night before your shoot helps, too.
Lips – Use lip balm and scrub for a few days in advance of your shoot to make your lips look their best.
Moisturizer – Dry skin can take away from a great photo shoot. Start moisturizing nightly a week in advance of your shoot.

 

Hair

IMG_3832Haircut –  If you’re getting a hair cut for your shoot, do so about two weeks beforehand, your hair falls into place best – 1-2 weeks after the cut.
Treatment – Give your hair a deep-moisturizing treatment. At your favourite salon while you’re having your haircut or at home.  Apply it together with the facial masque. Wrap your head with your towel after the shower, turban-style. Wear your bath robe and pretend you’re having a day at the spa and read a book. Take some time off for yourself.
Touch Up your Roots but don’t change the colour of your hair. You must be comfortable with your colour of your hair 3 months in advance. This is a big one, your photos will last forever.

Skin

Cristina-Stoian-Portrait-Photographer 22Wax/Shave Take care of all hair removal prior to a shoot, but leave at least 2-3 days in between.
Exfoliate and moisturize your whole body. When you get out of the shower, dry off until lightly damp, and use moisturizer. Focus on your arms, shoulders, neck, face, hands, anywhere you’ll be exposed to the camera. This includes your legs if you’re shooting in shorts or a skirt.
Tan If you are using self-tanner or go to a salon, do this couple of days before the shoot. I prefer you not to, I love fair skin, but this is your personal choice.

Hands

 

_MG_2261Manicure: Get a manicure done 1-2 days before your shoot. Clean nail polish. Short nails are preferred. A natural, non-colored, or French manicure look is preferable, but if you color them, think about the outfits you’re shooting in, the colour should work well with all your choices. If you plan on posing barefoot, be sure your feet and toes are in good condition.

Clean your rings: This is something I never use to think before, it makes a difference to have clean jewellery. Use a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your jewellery the night before or have them cleaned professionally.

Clothes

cristina-stoian-106Prepare 5-6 outfits. Your portraits should be a reflection of you, just more polished. Choose the outfits you love. Think of those special pieces you might not wear often because they’re impractical for day-to-day use, or the go-to blouse you always wear when you’re going somewhere nice.
Little black Dress Bring at least one dark outfit or top or dress. black, navy, burgundy, dark green, etc. work best here.
Creamy Light Soft, sheer, not necesarerly white, can be cream, nude, light pink or peach.
Hip&Happening This outfit is your chance to show your personal style. If you tend toward more conservative tastes, choose a classy look. Instead of Funky, try Structured, Soft, Elegant, or Formal.
Sexy. This one is entirely your call. You could skip sexy, and that’s up to you. But if you’d like to, you can be an understated sexy in a backless formal dress, or a more overt sexy in a pretty pinup-style swimsuit. Beautiful lingerie is lovely and empowering.
Necklines. I love to be able to see your collar bone, so boat neck, scoop neck, square neck, deep V and off-the-shoulder are my favorite necklines. Whatever you choose, try to make it more interesting than the basic T-Shirt neckline. If you love turtlenecks, go for it! Feel free to bring whatever calls to you. Mixing up the necklines will add variety to your shots, so try not to bring all of one style.
Texture. Sumptuous textures lend a rich, tactile element to your photos.
Avoid Prints. Patterns and prints are distracting. We want people to look at you when they see your portrait, and even the most beautiful print will steal that attention.
Fit Your Form.  Fitted clothing that shows your shape work best for photographs. Skip that billowy, blouson top, or anything with dolman or batwing sleeves. While they might be flattering in person, they will not be slimming in camera. This applies to any body type. Choose outfits that will hug your curves, especially your waist, hips, arms, and chest.
Forget Shoes. Unless you have a special pair you’re dying to photograph, there’s really no need to worry about the shoes you’ll wear. Most images won’t show your feet at all, and if some do, bare feet will add an organic feel to your portraits.
Bras – Please bring according bras, nude underwear,  strapeless bras – depending on the outfit.

One night before:

Remove any watches, rings, or other jewelry that could leave an impression on your skin.
Relax Try not to schedule any activities this day, just relax and rest your nerves if you are anxious about the shoot. Sleep 8 hours.
Location Be sure that you know how to get to the studio or location where you are shooting.
Eat healthy Drink plenty of water. Avoid fatty, greasy, and salty foods prior to shooting. Please avoid alcohol or anything that will make you puffy or bloated. Also avoid anything that may stain your teeth.

The day of the shoot

Jog If you can, go for a light jog prior to the shoot to wake up your face.  This eliminates the tired look we see on most people first thing in the a.m.
Shower and apply antiperspirant
No Pony Do not wear a ponytail to the shoot, it leaves a kink in the hair
Eat light Don’t eat very much for 2-3 hours before the shoot, you may get bloated.  Sip water and eat light.
Relax Make sure you are relaxed.  I recommend doing yoga or meditation on the day of the shoot to get rid of jitters.
One coffee– Don’t have too much caffeine.
Arrive on time
Have fun !

What is a Folio Box

While it is a common term within the photographic industry, I feel many of my clients do not know what a Folio Box is.

A folio, comes from the times that photographers had to present their work to potential clients in a portfolio. An artist’s portfolio is an edited collection of their best artwork intended to showcase an artist’s style or method of work, showing different samples of current work. Historically, Portfolios were printed out and placed into a book.

THE BEAUTIFUL PRODUCTS AND HOW THEY’RE DELIVERED

After our photoshoot together, we have created some of the most beautiful portraits you have ever seen of yourself. You can decide how you would like to display them, for example, you can decorate your house/office with your beautiful framed portraits.
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THE FOLIO BOX

As a more private option, the handmade Folio Box, Eclipse from Seamless. It is a beautiful keepsake, designed with luxury in mind, a black, hand-made presentation box that is finished with a beautifully textured material and a silky-smooth black ribbon.

I put these together for people and they will cherish them for ever. It becomes part of their heritage.

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I use Seamless Slide-In Mats. While they offer several size options, I prefer the 20x30cm matted to 30x40cm, it’s the European size and it is the default size I use.

 

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The prints inside the folio box are made at LabFotoKiekie. I use them because they’re high quality and they use archival paper, which is the same print as the ones museum use, it’s a print that’s going to last for 100 years. My paper preference is the Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper Supreme in Lustre.

In addition to the products we create, any image you buy will be saved in the cloud, as a high-resolution file, which will be print quality up to the size you purchased.
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Samples of all these beautiful products will be in my studio on the day of your photoshoot, so you can see them in person. If you would like to see them before booking a shoot, a free consultation in the studio will be the perfect way to answer any questions you may have.
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“I want you to have portraits on your wall that remind you on a daily basis of what you are most grateful for in life. It is a tangible memory of Your love “
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A tangible memory of Your Love

THE FOLIO BOX

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Printing your photos

I love printing my work. It is another dimension of photography that I was missing before I held a print in my hands. In 2010 my mentor in photography, Paul Butterfield, gave me a present. He printed and matted twenty of my iPhone pics. Right then I realised that a photo is so much more than an image on a screen. When you touch a photo, you start understanding the purpose of it. You feel it. It touches you in a deeper way. Now, I make these prints for people and they will look at these for ever. Start printing your photos. It’s so much more powerful than having it on a folder on the computer.

 

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