Lessons Learned From My First Professional Portrait Photoshoot in Bangkok

I know it can feel overwhelming to take professional photos of yourself, especially if you’re not (or don’t consider yourself) a major celebrity, business bigwig, or someone famous. But in today’s digital world, it has become very common and normal for everyone to take professional photos for different reasons. 

The main reason for me was to get some professional headshots to use for press, media stories and profiles. My blog is growing slowly and gaining some online media attention and I need to have better photos of myself (that are not selfies!) to submit. 

I learned some very valuable lessons from my first experience posing in front of the camera and I thought if there’s anyone else who’s thinking about investing in a professional photoshoot, they might find my lessons learned and tips for success listed below useful. 

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Identify the objective of the photoshoot and be realistic about what is achievable with the budget you have. 

This might sound strange but hear me out. You’re investing time and money so you should get what you really want out of a photoshoot. But this doesn’t mean you can do everything in one photoshoot so this is why I say you need an “objective”. Whether it’s to photograph outfits in a certain way or get close ups of makeup looks or capture kids/dogs/family or take editorial-style photos — you need to know what you want. In my case, I wanted headshots and a few casual portrait photos to help with my professional branding. This meant my photoshoot lasted about 1-1.5 hours and I decided on only 1 location with two different outfit changes. 

Choose a photographer whose work you genuinely like and connect with. Then meet with them before even hiring and get a sense of who they are, how they work and whether you feel comfortable with them or not — are they patient, personable, willing to listen etc? 

Finding the right photographer who is right for you is the most important part of a photoshoot’s success. I can’t stress enough how much chemistry and comfort matters if you’re new to photoshoots. You have to find a way to relax and be natural so you’re feeling confident to pose in front of a camera but that will not happen if you’re not genuinely feeling connected with the photographer. After assessing the photographer’s portfolio, ask to meet up or to have a call to discuss your photoshoot objectives, budget and any other thoughts you might have — this will give you the opportunity to really figure out if the photographer is right for you. And if not, don’t be dejected or disappointed. Keep looking until you feel confident and sure about a photographer.

Study your body angles / facial expressions and figure out if you have a “good” or “preferred side” of the body / face before the photoshoot and focus on your posture all the time during the shoot 

If you’re new to photoshoots posing (while also hoping for dear life you don’t look silly) can be really stressful. A good photographer will guide you as much as he/she can but it’s also up to you to know yourself well enough to know which poses and expressions make you feel most confident and which do not. I’ve learned that I don’t like photos of myself where I’m facing the camera head on — I like to be standing at an angle. I’m at my best when I’m smiling so most of my poses reflect that. I’m also tall and slouch a lot so my biggest focus during the shoot was to stand up straight and keep my shoulders relaxed. I told my photographer about my angles, expressions and posture before the shoot began so she made it a point to guide me if something didn’t look quite right. And I think being prepared and aware of myself helped me feel less anxious during the shoot itself because I already kind of identified my “weak points”.

Choose a location with a good amount of natural sunlight and different backgrounds and textures to give variety to your photos without having to move around too much. 

At first I thought about doing the photoshoot in a public park and also in front of a big mall and local train station because I thought I wanted to capture myself as an urban creative professional in Bangkok. But then I thought about it again and realised I’m doing headshots and portraits, which means there will be mostly close up shots, not wide angle ones. I also didn’t want to risk sweating in the heat and ruining my outfits so I decided to keep it simple and do the shoot by condo’s poolside and garden. My photographer was really good at using the space smartly and it’s something I noticed from her portfolio before I even decided to work with her. And shooting in natural sunlight results in some of the best photos.

Think about where the light source is when taking photos and always be sure to face the source (and not against it) so that you are well lit. Time of day matters when it comes to getting the best natural light for photos. 

The photographer will guide you with this. But I think it’s good practice to always check where the light source is and position yourself in such a way that you are facing the source, and not against it, so you are well lit. The best times of day to shoot is in the morning or late afternoon/early evening because those are the times when you will have the most sunlight shining on you. During midday the sun is directly above you and so you will appear backlit and shadowy (for lack of a better word) in photos. The morning light is bright and lights you up in the most natural way. The late afternoon light — golden hour — tends to be a bit more golden-hued creating a different effect in photos. So once again, go back to your photoshoot objective and carefully think what kind of lighting you want in the photos. In my case, I wanted headshots so I opted to shoot in the morning (around 10AM) to get the most natural, true-to-self lighting.

Plan outfits with your photoshoot’s objective in mind. Choose solid colours and/or simple prints that don’t distract or take away focus from you. 

For my headshots and portrait photos, my objective was to look like a creative professional in the digital / social media space with an approachable, non-corporate vibe. To achieve this, I decided on two outfits: denim jeans with a simple white top and a black skirt with a dusty rose top. To make the outfits a little more casual I wore espadrilles instead of pumps. Each look had the perfect mix of playful yet professional. If you’re confused about what to wear for a photoshoot like this, I think it’s best to go simple and choose something you feel confident in. Black, white and denim are easy colours to wear — they’re timeless and photograph well. If you choose to wear prints, wear something simple that won’t look too busy in a photo.

Makeup depends on the type of photoshoot you’re doing. In general, it’s good to have natural looking skin, some colour on the cheeks and lips, and eyes enhanced with liner and mascara.

For my photoshoot I kept my makeup pretty simple. I wore foundation and concealer to even out my skin tone. I added some bronzer and blush on my cheeks and a bright coral lipstick colour to bring some warmth and colour to my face. Even if you don’t want to wear a lot of makeup, I think one little makeup trick that works to make your eyes look bigger in photos is to add some liner on the top lash line and mascara. Cameras these days can make your skin look amazing, so even if you choose to wear no makeup you will be fine. But I think it’s nice to add a little colour to the lips and definition to the eyes.

Bring props to add some visual interest to the photos. 

Another way to make your photos interesting is to add props such as books, flowers, electronic devices etc. Choose something that makes sense for your photoshoot objective. In my case, I had a coffee mug, laptop and notepad to help portray myself as digital creative professional and for some more laid back photos I had sunglasses and flowers. Some photographers may have props but to be on the safe side, I think it’s best to be prepared with your own props so you’re sure you like them.

Play music, chat with your photographer, don’t ask to look at each photo, relax and have fun! 

My photographer had the genius idea to play music during the photoshoot to create a laid back, casual atmosphere. And it worked! I immediately relaxed and I wasn’t so self-conscious. During the photoshoot my photographer was great about keeping me distracted with fun conversation between shots. I also made it a point to not ask to see each photo after it’s taken because I know this can increase my stress to ensure every photo is “perfect”. After working so hard to be prepared, relaxed and feel confident during the photoshoot, the last thing I needed was to bring back unnecessary stress and anxiety so I saw a few initial photos and then I just let go and trusted the fact that my photographer knew what she was doing. And the most important tip: have fun!

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I hope you found these photoshoot tips helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below.