Here are some extra things you can do to prepare for your shoot. These are some minor details that will help you look and feel better when your shoot comes. This might seem like a lot, but don't worry—these are just a few things to help the session go as smooth as possible.

Water

In the days before your shoot, drink more water than normal. This will make your face and skin look fresh, and you'll also feel better.

Sleep

This is a huge one. Make sure you're getting adequate sleep a few nights before your shoot and—most importantly—the evening before. A bad night of sleep can create extra bags under your eyes or the appearance of exhaustion that isn't normally there.

Workout Routine

Keep this similar to what you'd normally do. If anything, add in an extra workout to make sure you're feeling fresh.

Food

Try to not eat a few hours before the session. This will reduce bloating.

Alcohol

It's not abnormal to be nervous the night before a shoot, but if you can lay off the alcohol the evening before, this will help with bloating and skin the day of.

Teeth

This isn't extremely important, but if you're a big tooth smiler, a pack of Crest White Strips can certainly help your teeth stand out more than normal. Even if it's only a week beforehand, this can increase the whiteness. Again, this isn't something we would say needs to be done before a shoot, but it can definitely help.

Hair

Most likely you'll know what works best for your hair, but getting a cut before the session might be a good option. Some like how their hair looks right after a cut, some like the look best a week or more after a cut. Be sure to time this accordingly.

Facial Hair

For those who rock a beard in daily life, you might want to keep it going into your shoot. We want the photos to look like they were taken on different days, so we can shoot some with the beard/scruff, then trim or shave the rest off halfway through the session for variety. If you're going to keep it for the whole shoot, make sure to shave a little closer to the jawline to avoid a neckbeard situation. If you're planning to trim/shave midway through the session, make sure to bring a razor and a trimmer.

Here are some good tips for trimming your beard.

For Bald Guys

Most bald men still have certain areas that still grow. Shave it off as close to your shoot time as possible so there aren't any hair lines. The difference of shaving the evening before and the day of could make the photos look different in that our shooting style is more moody and brings out shadows in the images.

Iron or Steam Clothes

Iron or steam your clothing (shirts and collars especially) before the shoot. A wrinkled shirt can significantly devalue an otherwise incredible photo. This will help show that you’re put together and well groomed rather than disheveled/sloppy.