The key to a successful Quinceañera session is, without a doubt, preparation. Do you know what happens when you feel exhausted before and during a photo shoot? You look exhausted. For that reason alone, don’t wait until the last minute to plan all your details or get everything in order.
However, don’t be afraid.
I want to help you with this mini-guide to prepare for your next 15th birthday photo session.
Create a schedule for yourself
On the day of your session, it is important to budget your time. If you plan to get your hair, nails, and makeup done, make all necessary appointments in advance. You can get your nails done a few days before, but your hair and makeup should be done a few hours before your photo session (with enough time between each appointment to get to your next destination and leave a few hours remaining to leisurely arrive at the session).
Some salons accept walk-ins, yes, but it’s better to have an appointment when you have other places to be. The last thing you want is to be sitting in the living room sweating with both eyes glued to the clock hoping to make it to your session on time.
Sample schedule:
Nails: 1 p.m. @ Nail Center (Santo Domingo)
Hair: 2:30 p.m. @ Salon (Santo Domingo Este)
Makeup: 4 p.m. @ Makeup Artist (Santo Domingo)
Photo session: 5:30 p.m. @ Greg Dotel Photography (Santo Domingo)
Tip: program a GPS with all the addresses where you have to go on the day of your photo session
Preparation of outfits and accessories
No less than a week before your photo shoot, make a list of all the accessories you plan to bring, as well as all the clothing/accessories you will wear. One by one, make sure you have all of those items on your list.
Doing this a week before the photo shoot gives you enough time to find any items you wanted to bring to your photos, but may have forgotten. It would be nice to send me a list of your accessories too. Knowing what you want to wear helps me choose the right locations for you.
The previous night
The night before, go over your accessory and clothing checklist again. As you go through the list, check off items only after they are packed and ready for the next day.
Clothing/Jewelry: Make sure all your clothing items are clean and pressed, then put them in a hanging bag. Put your shoes in a box or other bag so they don’t get your clothes dirty. Also, keep jewelry separate so it doesn’t tangle with each other.
Accessories: Put all your accessories in the car you will be driving for the photo shoot. This is especially important if you have a heavier chair or stool you want to use. You don’t want to mess up your hair or makeup by lifting heavy objects right before shooting. Plus, if everything is there the day before, you don’t have to worry about it the day of the shoot!
