photoshoot photo reveal: preparing for a photoshoot (2020)

this was a fun, unplanned shoot, Grow Entertainment posted a poll on their Instagram story asking if anyone would be interested in a shoot. striving to engage more with our followers and faced with the opportunity of a good time, we voted yes!

shortly after, Devin, who asked us to watch his camera battery as it charged at a protest in late May, and the founder of grow entertainment emailed us asking for ideas and inspiration. completely different from our all-white flicks, we wanted to show some personality.

and that’s exactly what we did!

getting shoot ready

we believe everyone should go all out and have a fun photoshoot whether it’s with a photographer or with your iPhone, get cute and flick it up and remind yourself and the world who you are!

here’s our guide to working with a photographer:

communicate, communicate, communicate: talking to your photographer is the best way to bring your vision to life. we had a group message and several facetime meetings before the actual shoot. Devin did a great job of listening to us, sharing thoughts, and answering our questions.
check out their portfolio: get to know the photographer and their level of comfortability behind the camera. you can also look at their work to figure out if you see images you might want to recreate with your twist on it.
spend some time together: the first few minutes of a photoshoot can be so awk! getting to know your photographer beyond the photoshoot can help with the jitters. fortunately (or unfortunately lol) for Devin, he spent chilling with us before, during, and after the shoot!

prepare:

know the vibe and vision for the photoshoot. For the photographer to do their thing, you have to come with some ideas of your own. Google and Pinterest are our best friends! It’s the best way to get the most out of your time in front of the camera.

location:

your location ties your hair, outfit, and ideas together. if there’s one thing my string of jobs has taught me, it’s how to pick up the phone. I reached out to mr. bruce, the owner of personal treasures beauty supply, and he gladly permitted us to get our tyra banks on in his store. dimes, never be ashamed to shoot your shot at in all aspects of life!

THE CONCEPT:

go all out:

hair done, nails done, everything did. it does not have to be expensive, work with what you already have! challenge yourself to restyle the pieces in your closet. the most expensive thing for this shoot was our time...and food. (:

note: having a last-minute tantrum about your clothes always help me gather my life -ina

have a friend:

this shoot included creatives collaborating with other creatives to create exposure and experience for all of us. again, use what you already have and give the ones around you the opportunity to get creative with you--having a different perspective (@dapperdiane) helped this shoot pop.

AND, POSE:

what’s a photoshoot if you’re not going to work what your mama gave you? have fun with it, get creative with your poses, angles, and your props (use items around you).

We had a grand time, special thanks to Personal Treasures Beauty Supply for allowing us to come in and shoot during business hours and a pandemic, Devin & Grow Entertainment for capturing us so well, and Dorothy, @dapperdiane for coming through with the makeup, props, and vision.

enjoy the photos and make sure you subscribe to our youtube channel to & watch our bts vlog.

part II on the way!