Preparing for your Outdoor Couples session
What to Wear
Whatever you choose to wear, it’s a good idea to both dress in tones from the same colour family to create visual harmony in your portraits.
If you'd like to wear something from my studio wardrobe, let me know your choices in the styling questionnaire and we'll arrange a time to come and try a few of your favourites at the studio a few days before your session. Your chosen pieces will be ready for collection at midday the day of your session (please note it won’t be available any earlier).
Try to keep the outfits simple without logos or lots of busy patterns.
Everyone knows "you can't beat Wellington on a good day", but we probably all agree those good days aren't as often as we'd like! Even in summer it's still a good idea to bring an extra layer in case it's colder than you expect, and hair ties or clips are a must bring, otherwise if there is any wind (hello Wellington I'm looking at you) you will end up with photos with your hair in your face.
Pro Tip: If your hair is tied back, use a little conditioner to smooth out your flyaways - it'll make your hair lovely and soft afterwards too, bonus!
We're outdoors so suitable footwear is needed for trekking through long grass, gravel or sand, and in the wetter months mud! Heels aren't recommended, and it's best to be in comfy (not too tight) clothing so that you're able to move about easily.
Please remember the finer details! Skin blemishes can be easily retouched but requests to alter wardrobe, makeup, nails or hair will be sent to an editor to correct and there will be additional charges for this...it's better to get it right in real life than fix it in Photoshop!
While these are Angela's recommendations, this is a guide only and not something to stress about. It's more important for you to wear what you like and clothes you are comfortable in!
what if the weather is awful?
If the weather turns wet or wild, don’t worry—we have options! I always keep backup days reserved in case we need to reschedule. Alternatively, if you'd prefer not to wait, we can move your session into my warm and cosy Tawa studio instead. I’ll be in touch the day before or morning of your session if the weather’s looking iffy, and we’ll make a plan together from there.
PLEASE BE ON TIME
Outdoor sessions are all about making the most of that beautiful natural light — and unfortunately, the sun waits for no one! Please arrive dressed and ready to start at your scheduled time. If you're late, we may lose precious light, and there's not much I can do to get that time (or glow!) back. Sessions will still end at the originally scheduled time, even if we start late. Thanks so much for understanding — I want to make sure we capture every magical moment we can!
