How to Prep for a Photoshoot
Whether you're a model or just getting some pictures taken for your own personal use, the day before your photoshoot can sometimes leave you feeling anxious. In your photos, you'll probably want your skin to look healthy, your eyes bright, and your facial expressions looking relaxed.
Fortunately, I have a few tips that I want to share with you all about how I prep for a photoshoot (in regards to food and skincare).
For me, it's all about the day before the shoot. It doesn't matter if your shoot is at 6am the next day or late in the evening, how you prep is key. Typically photoshoots will be in the morning (they have in my experiences) or early afternoon, so the day before is quite critical.
Let's talk about food first since it's the longest and most important part of this article (in my opinion at least). The day before a shoot, especially if it's one that involves my entire body to show (like a swimwear shoot), I like to focus on eating very healthy. I'm a healthy eater for the most part, but the day before your shoot, it's really important to eat right. Eating the right foods will help your skin look healthy and make you feel refreshed and energized.
I like to eat mostly fruits and veggies throughout the day. I'm careful with the foods I eat because if it's one that shows off my body, I want to reduce bloating as much as possible. It's easy to find "anti-bloating" foods; I usually just type it into Google if I'm unsure. I'll start my day with a food high in potassium (like a banana or part of an avocado) and yogurt or oatmeal.. Usually my go-to breakfast the day before a shoot is some oatmeal (made with almond milk or water) with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top and a banana. I'll also have some coffee with stevia and a tiny bit of unsweetened vanilla almond milk about a half hour before I have my breakfast.
Now for the rest of the day, I like to have as much as I can in smoothie or juice form. I have found that consuming liquids the day before my shoot is an easy way to make sure I won't bloat much. This doesn't mean that I avoid grains though. I go for smoothies (once again, keeping anti-bloating foods in mind) that contain at least one fruit, one veggie, and no dairy (yogurt, milk, etc). For my smoothies that replace lunch and dinner, I like to add chia seeds, hemp seeds, or almond butter to make sure that I have enough protein to give me energy and keep me full.
In between breakfast and lunch, I like to have a homemade detox water and a cup of mixed berries as a snack. My favorite detox water lately is made up of cucumber, orange, lemon (juice), lime (juice), fresh ginger, and coconut water. I don't have a specific amount of each that I put in, but I'll usually fill a reusable water bottle with these ingredients before I eat breakfast so they can infuse for a few hours before I drink it. It makes me feel really refreshed and energetic! After lunch and before dinner, I'll have a small salad with light dressing and some coconut water.
If your photoshoot doesn't focus much on your figure, I would recommend just eating healthy for the day. Don't worry about anti-bloating foods; just keep your focus on eating clean so you'll feel good the next day. I don't like to eat junk food the day before I shoot because I don't feel good that night or the next day.
However, the one rule I always follow the night before a photoshoot: no eating after 9pm and no liquids after midnight (usually 10:30pm because that's when I'll go to bed).
If my photoshoot is in the morning the next day, usually I'll skip breakfast and just opt for some coffee. If it's in the afternoon or later, I'll stick with smoothies and a diet similar to the day prior's and have a banana and some oatmeal for a late breakfast. I like to avoid liquids (other than my one cup of coffee) before my shoot if possible just because my body tends to look more toned when I consume less liquids. If you're not comfortable with this, by all means, you do you.
Now on to skincare...
I try my best to avoid wearing makeup the day before a shoot. I just think that it keeps my skin clean and feeling fresh. I'll apply moisturizer and wash my face of course, but makeup is a no-no. It's not the end of the world if you have to wear it, just make sure you exfoliate really well at the end of the day.
I like to shower the night before my photoshoots. I feel like if I shower the morning of, my hair is almost too clean and won't hold style easily–plus I don't like waking up any earlier than I have to.
Get all of your shaving, plucking, and other grooming done the day before your shoot; doing it the morning of leaves a risk of irritated skin and that's not so pretty.
Always moisturize your skin the day before your shoot, after your shower, and the day of your shoot. In my eyes, there's no such thing as over-moisturizing, so load up on that lotion.
DO NOT apply sunscreen to your face the day of a photoshoot. Sunscreen is wonderful and protects your skin, but it gives an awful cast when flash photography is used.
Of course every person will be different and every photoshoot will be different, but I hope this helped you in some way, shape, or form. These were just my tips and how I prep for a photoshoot in relation to food and skincare, so if you disagree, please don't feel pressured to follow what I do. I know my body well and I know what works for me, so if this doesn't work for you, there are no hard feelings; you're entirely entitled to your own opinion and regimens.
Anyway, thank you all for reading. Good luck to all you beautiful people on your photoshoots! Feel free to tag me in the comments of your pictures on Instagram (@tiffanymariegabriel), as well as contact me with any questions you may have. Thank you!
