Pre-prom photo tips
May 25, 2024 6:46 PM
We are going all out on dress, hair, and makeup for my daughter’s prom. How should we take photos?
My daughter is having her full Cinderella moment for prom. She feels that a pro photographer for pre-prom shots are overkill. How best can I capture some semi-formal or casual photos on an iPhone 14 Pro?
Is it overkill to take her to an outdoor location and shoot “on set” (we live in an apartment and our balcony overlooks a parking lot)? If so, how best to choose a location? We are near many parks and beaches, but we don’t want her to get dirty or walk far in heels.
Is there a shot list for this sort of thing? How many angles do we take of the ball gown, etc
My daughter is having her full Cinderella moment for prom. She feels that a pro photographer for pre-prom shots are overkill. How best can I capture some semi-formal or casual photos on an iPhone 14 Pro?
Is it overkill to take her to an outdoor location and shoot “on set” (we live in an apartment and our balcony overlooks a parking lot)? If so, how best to choose a location? We are near many parks and beaches, but we don’t want her to get dirty or walk far in heels.
Is there a shot list for this sort of thing? How many angles do we take of the ball gown, etc
Of course you should take pictures when somebody's dressed up, made up, excited. People look better when they smile. Women - think about how your feet are placed, it's easy to look awkward. You don't have to do the cliched one leg forward. Consciously relax your shoulders. Digital cameras make it easy to take lots of photos and use the best ones.
posted by theora55 at 11:53 PM on May 25
posted by theora55 at 11:53 PM on May 25
You should spend some time watching the videos of David Suh! He will teach you how to pose and get all kinds of great shots. He is very fun and puts on cute dresses to show you how to work with the fabric and your body, and it’s all very positive.
It is possible that near you is a place specifically catering towards great photos. Near me is a place called the Selfie Museum and it’s literally filled with wildly themed rooms and spaces intended for people to take pictures of themselves. There might be something like that near you, or an area in a nearby attraction that advertises itself as great for photos, like a place with a mural, or a garden, museums, or even a funky hotel lobby. Scope out locations ahead of time so if they are a bust she hasn’t wasted getting fancy, but I bet there are lots of spots near you. If she has a group of friends who want in on the fun you could make a day of it.
For the heels issue, bring them in a bag and have her wear comfy shoes with socks until it’s time to pose. If her skirt is so long it drags when she isn’t in heels, you can twist it up with a scrunchie on one side if it’s of the type of fabric and construction that won’t leave creases. She can also just hold it up but that’s not sustainable for very long. I don’t think, for example, a delicate easy-to-crease ball gown really makes sense being photographed on a sandy beach, so hopefully it’s not too much of an issue with your location choices. You might want to bring a camp stool or chair for her to change into her shoes, and do final checks on makeup and hair.
Avoid strong overhead light and aim for diffuse light from the front and sides. That means don’t take pictures outside around noon, and don’t take pictures inside in places with tons of lighting from above but none on the walls or floor or coming through windows. If your beaches face west, she will be backlit when the sun sets, so avoid that unless you don’t want to have the water in the background. If you are shooting near a shiny reflective surface like a mirrored building pay attention to the light and time of day and how that light bounces off and into her. This can be both good, like it can be built-in bounce lighting to get her fully lit, as well as bad, like it can reflect into the lens and throw off your exposure and white balance wildly. Getting great lighting without lighting equipment is all about location and timing, and it can be harder than you expect. But most places that cater towards events like weddings and quinceañeras and similar have spots that are intended for photos. Like restaurants with party patios, hotels with fountains in the lobby, botanical gardens with conservatories, parks with pretty ponds. Look for uplighting, sconces, purpose-lit wall art, and outdoor places with southern exposure.
posted by Mizu at 1:59 AM on May 26
It is possible that near you is a place specifically catering towards great photos. Near me is a place called the Selfie Museum and it’s literally filled with wildly themed rooms and spaces intended for people to take pictures of themselves. There might be something like that near you, or an area in a nearby attraction that advertises itself as great for photos, like a place with a mural, or a garden, museums, or even a funky hotel lobby. Scope out locations ahead of time so if they are a bust she hasn’t wasted getting fancy, but I bet there are lots of spots near you. If she has a group of friends who want in on the fun you could make a day of it.
For the heels issue, bring them in a bag and have her wear comfy shoes with socks until it’s time to pose. If her skirt is so long it drags when she isn’t in heels, you can twist it up with a scrunchie on one side if it’s of the type of fabric and construction that won’t leave creases. She can also just hold it up but that’s not sustainable for very long. I don’t think, for example, a delicate easy-to-crease ball gown really makes sense being photographed on a sandy beach, so hopefully it’s not too much of an issue with your location choices. You might want to bring a camp stool or chair for her to change into her shoes, and do final checks on makeup and hair.
Avoid strong overhead light and aim for diffuse light from the front and sides. That means don’t take pictures outside around noon, and don’t take pictures inside in places with tons of lighting from above but none on the walls or floor or coming through windows. If your beaches face west, she will be backlit when the sun sets, so avoid that unless you don’t want to have the water in the background. If you are shooting near a shiny reflective surface like a mirrored building pay attention to the light and time of day and how that light bounces off and into her. This can be both good, like it can be built-in bounce lighting to get her fully lit, as well as bad, like it can reflect into the lens and throw off your exposure and white balance wildly. Getting great lighting without lighting equipment is all about location and timing, and it can be harder than you expect. But most places that cater towards events like weddings and quinceañeras and similar have spots that are intended for photos. Like restaurants with party patios, hotels with fountains in the lobby, botanical gardens with conservatories, parks with pretty ponds. Look for uplighting, sconces, purpose-lit wall art, and outdoor places with southern exposure.
posted by Mizu at 1:59 AM on May 26
Going somewhere fun that can be a “photography set” is a huge part of our community’s prom ritual. Tell her to pick a great place with her friends (park, cool building with some architectural inspiration, outdoor patio with twinkle lights) and have everyone meet there a hour before prom starts for a fun photo session. The parents/caregivers take fun pictures of everyone (don’t forget to get some with yourself ) and then the kids head off to the dance. It’s one of my favorite prom activities, especially because it’s free and everyone can participate and get great photo memories without having to pay $$$ for the cheesy posed photos.
posted by pearlybob at 3:42 AM on May 26
posted by pearlybob at 3:42 AM on May 26
One of the best things about non-professional photos is that you can get as many as you want without any additional charges!
If you haven't done this before, you may want to practice. Two things that come to mind are taking the picture from the right height (e.g. viewing the shoes from the side, not from above) and standing back, then zooming in for better angles.
posted by demi-octopus at 6:36 AM on May 26
If you haven't done this before, you may want to practice. Two things that come to mind are taking the picture from the right height (e.g. viewing the shoes from the side, not from above) and standing back, then zooming in for better angles.
posted by demi-octopus at 6:36 AM on May 26
A couple weeks ago I was walking a friend's dog through a local park and came upon a huge prom gathering with kids and parents all taking photos with gorgeous natural backdrops. The next weekend it happened again.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:55 AM on May 27
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:55 AM on May 27
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It’s not overkill at all to go take photos at a park or other pretty location. What are friends found? In my town it was common to meet at one persons house to take photos before going to prom
posted by raccoon409 at 7:05 PM on May 25