Preparing for a Fantasy Photo Session
If you want to do a badass photoshoot for a special occasion, some killer content, a confidence boost, or just something fun, these sessions are perfect!!
First things first - fantasy photo shoots involve a little planning. We’ll get together for coffee, tea, or over zoom to go through theme and wardrobe ideas, and styling from from head to toe!
Here Are Some Great Tips to Prepare for Your Fantasy Session…
Choosing your Wardrobe – Fantasy shoots are ANYTHING but run of the mill, so while we often use some ordinary pieces like a boho shirt or summer flowy dress, we’re about to spice things up! These shoots are styled for that fairy, valkyrie, mermaid, warrior, queen, evil empress, any look you can imagine!! In the studio wardrobe I have a wide variety of corsets, some gowns, multiple capes, epaulettes, gloves and more! I’m constantly adding to the collection. We’ll go through stuff when we pick a concept for your photoshoot.
Don’t Forget Accessories – Make sure you think about swords, jewelry, crowns, shoes, props, etc. I have a ton of crowns, body jewelry, headpieces, armor pieces, and items in the studio that we can go through during your planning session. We’ll build the shoot around what style you like. If we can’t meet in person then we can zoom, email, or text!
Hair and Makeup – I highly recommend using a makeup artist. A MUA will make sure that you look flawless and really adds to the vibe of these sessions!!
Posing – One of the most frequently asked questions is "I don't know how to pose! Will you help me?" and the answer is YES! I pose my clients 100% the entire time, seriously from your hair to your toes. It will not be left up to you to figure out how to pose. I pride myself in having done lots of research and lots of practice with posing any and all body types. I know what angles and poses will look best.. That's what I'm here for! Relax and have fun!!
Choose a Location – We can help you with this if you don’t already have a location in mind. We tend to do these sessions outdoors. I have a Location Guide of my favorite places near the studio, but we can definitely travel for a specific look! I love finding and exploring new shoot locations. We recently did a session at a waterfall in Ohio that we could actually climb up onto- it was AMAZING, though we were a bit damp for the drive home!
Pre-Session Beauty Prep – We suggest getting a mani/pedi a few days prior to your session. If you’re planning a more revealing outfit and you wax, don’t forget to pencil that into your schedule, as well. If you want to have a base tan for your photos, we recommend beginning to tan a few weeks prior to your session to avoid burning – and remember to think about your outfit and avoid any tan lines that will show in photos. We suggest staying away from spray tans. If you shape your eyebrows, don’t forget to get them shaped before your session.
When should I Book? – As soon as you know you want to shoot! Our calendar fills up quickly and we tend to book these sessions a little further out. This also gives you time to find any specific props or wardrobe pieces that either we don’t have in the studio, or that you want unique to your shoot.
Compositing - The above Maleficent photo was done in the studio against a blank wall. I love photoshop & creating wildly dreamy images. For themes where we don’t have a specific location but want to do a BADASS photoshoot, or if its too rainy or cold etc, we can style you up and shoot in the studio! (Those dark wings are from a vulture I photographed in Africa. They were PERFECT for this look.)
Wings - These white wings are available for angel/valkyrie/fae shoots. They are HUGE. Outdoors in a backlit sunshiney location they legit GLOW.
Arriving this month are Fairy wings and a beautiful set real feather storm grey wings!
This image of Farah and Joey, we photographed in Howell on a park bench. With the proper planning, we can make anything come to life!
A Few Quick tips…
Drink a lot of water leading up to your session for beautiful, healthy skin.
Get a good night’s rest the night before!
Shave and moisturize if you want sleek legs.
Wear a clear deodorant.
Cut tags off any sheer wardrobe pieces to avoid little white tag tails.
Stretch! Posing for photos can be a workout, and stretching can help minimize soreness the next day.
Relax! The most important thing you can do is relax. We will make sure you look amazing in your photos, so don’t worry!
Shield Maiden Credits:
Hair and Makeup by Brittany Andring
Model: Diana
Gown: Alyssia Booth
Shoot Location: Harris Nature Center
Photographer: Alyssia Booth's Candid & Studio
Angel Credits:
Hair and Makeup & Model: Krissy
Wings: Flowerlen
Gown: Unknown
Shoot Location: Detroit, Mi
Photographer: Alyssia Booth's Candid & Studio
Maleficent Credits:
Hair & Makeup by TaBetha Morrison Hair & Makeup Artist
Model is Amanda Beard
Headpiece by CreatureHabits on Etsy
Shoot Location: In our Williamston Studio
Photographer: Alyssia Booth's Candid & Studio
Farah & Joey the Macaw Credits:
Green Winged Macaw: Joey of Pet X Supplies & Tack
Model: Farah Fadel
Macaw Handler: Debbie Fazica
Hair Piece/Gown: Alyssia Booth
Shoot Location: Howell, Mi
Photographer: Alyssia Booth's Candid & Studio
Alyssia is 3rd generation, Mid-Michigan based Portrait Artist.
She photographs fantasy photography, retro sessions, boudoir, pets, families, seniors, weddings, headshots, and more!
Her studio is in Williamston, Michigan.