Simply Gray’s Helpful Tips

Be your best SELF! Take care of yourself the days leading up to your session. Drink plenty of water; don’t skimp on your skincare routine. This will make your skin very hydrated to fill in lines and wrinkles and give you a healthy glow. And maybe best not to have a big night out the night before. Best to get a few good nights sleep before your session. Seriously, this all helps you look fresh on the day.

Another tip, do not try a new skincare the week before you session. Trust me, you don’t know if it will cause a reaction and we don’t want red bumps appearing.

Please no spray tan before your session, the camera doesn’t like the colour.

Your hair will be styled by your favorite stylist at HBS. Make sure they know you’re coming upstairs for your portraits!

IF YOU ARE HAVING YOUR MAKE-UP DONE: before you arrive, make sure your skin is refreshed and ready to go. Our make-up artist will ask you how you wear your make-up when you go out. Don’t worry, your images are not about your make-up. They are about you. We don’t use too much make-up and we make sure that is appropriate for your skin.

IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR OWN MAKE UP you can use the upstairs salon to fix your make up after your hair has been done.

Please also think about your nails and eyebrows. If they need a tidy up, please do so a few days ahead of your photo shoot. Your nails may or may not show in your images, but your eyebrows definitely will.

Please bring at least 2 outfits! What outfits are totally you? What outfit makes you feel like a million bucks? Do you have something you can’t zip up, but you loooove … bring that along too, we will make it work. We also have some outfits for you to borrow (See below for a selection of our options). During your planning session we will sort this all out!

Some helpful tips (But remember, YOU BE YOU!):

• Be careful of patterns. They may distract from you. But if it is something you LUV … bring it!

• A v-neck is universally flattering because it lengthens the neck and displays the décolleté. Opt for outfits with sleeves (too much skin takes away from your face). But if you have an outfit that doesn’t have sleeves, don’t stress - we have ways to pose you so you look fabulous!* Fitted clothes are more flattering than boxy clothing.

• Pick a colour that is you and you feel good in and brings attention to your eyes.

• Bring out the jewerly! It’s your time to sparkle and have fun. And don’t worry - you can change your bling with each outfit!• Feel free to show your character. So dress how you want to dress.

We also have a studio wardrobe you can select from. A sample of what is available is shown below.

Let’s make sure they look their best too. They want to compliment you and you want to compliment them. Clothing should compliment, not dominate the portrait. Above all, feel comfortable and that will come across in your images. However, here are a few tips to help.

• Baby or kids: Can be bold with colour and style. Pick clothes they will want to wear and make their personalities shine. Make sure their clothes don’t over power or wash them out. We want their faces to shine through.

• Avoid any clothes with logos, writing or strong patterns. This will distract from your child. Sometimes plain clothes with bright colours or beautiful simple vintage-y colours work best. It depends a lot on your child’s personality and tones.

• Solid colours are good. Gone are the day everyone needs to wear the same colour. The tones must compliment each other.

• For Dads, clean shaves work best. If getting a hair cut, try to get it the day before.

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND: Send me snap shots of your ideas. Lay out your clothes and the kids next to each other. I will help you work it all out.

Let us know. If there is a feature of your face that you don’t like or something that you are self conscious of let me know. I will work with you to make sure we get the best angles for you.

Your engaging smile is the key to a wonderful image. We won’t tell you to smile, but we will make you smile. We might even make you dance!

Most importantly, relax and let’s get ready for some fun! I know that having your photo taken is not always fun. But with us it will be. You are around friends who see you as the amazing person you are … and that is what we will capture.

You will have your Image Reveal session within 1 week of your photoshoot, held via Zoom. During your Reveal, you’ll see your top images and choose your included image. If you’d like, I can also guide you through options for purchasing additional images or packages.

There is no obligation to purchase more. If you do choose to, additional images are $550 each, or you can use your complimentary $550 voucher towards any of our image packages. Packages start at $2,200 for 5 images.

Make sure you find a parking spot that lets you stay for the length of your hair appointment plus 1 hour with Gray and extra time if you are having Make-Up Done too.