Photoshoot as a holistic Experience

Sometimes my introduction to a client who wants a private photoshoot starts with the question “how much does one hour of shooting with you cost?“. My answer is always the same. A photoshoot with me is not minutes or hours. And not even just the photos that the client receives at the end of the shoot. Photo session with me is a positive and holistic experience between me and the client, in which the joy of the whole process is as important as the result.

Shooting with me is a unique interaction between you and me that will take you to the next level. It is your chance to express yourself, to make yourself known, to recognize yourself, to show yourself, to see yourself from a new side. And most importantly, it’s a chance to try something new, more powerful, more stylish, more interesting. Every shoot is a mini life. On that day, your experience and mine, our visions of a single image, energies, come together. This moment will never happen again, because you and I change every day. And the world even more so. That’s why the experience of shooting with me often changes a client’s life and career. Yes, I have the ability to open up and see you. I have a keen sense of people and understand the energy that is in you. My vision of the frame, my style and taste in my work, my ability to discover something more appealing, powerful and strong in people, my passion for fashion and beauty, my love for real live shots, my sincere interest in knowing your world. All this allows me to create real stories about real you on the private photoshoot.

Who comes to me for a photoshoot and why?

I create beautiful and stylish images for people. I have no preferences or restrictions regarding age, gender, color, country, religion, etc. I work with Personalities. Usually people come to me with a genuine desire for a new experience in a shoot. Someone wants to try on the role of a fashion model with cool looks. Someone wants to feel beautiful. Someone chooses to shoot with me at one of the most important moments in their life. Or afterwards to strengthen their new energies. Someone comes to feel more confident. Someone comes to a photoshoot for the process itself, to experience the level of professional, high quality work with a makeup artist, stylist, photographer. Every client has their own desires and motivations. We begin our communication with you by understanding your request. Although often in the process of working together we find new sides of interaction and your interest.

Sometimes a photo session turns into a unique art therapy experience. By the way, during a photo session, I always show my clients the pictures that come out of my camera. The shared energy of joy and delight in the results takes our work to an even higher level.

How to get super perfect shots?

The honest answer is there is no way ?? People come to me for honest, real, interesting, emotional, inspiring, LIVE photos. In these photos you are a Personality like no other. Perfect shots that often make people look like pretty dolls are another kind of photography. Not my style. But shots with energy that intuitively make your eyes stop and that you want to come back to for a long time, that’s my specialty.

What is the preparation process for a shoot?

There is a lot of preparation behind stylish and beautiful shots. Immediately after we get to know each other, set a date and pay the retainer, we start working with you – discussing the shooting concept, locations, images, makeup and hairstyle, doing a photo shoot and in the end you get the final result – photos and videos.

Acquaintance

Each of my photography projects begins with your inquiry. Whether it’s an email, a message on Instagram, Whatsapp or a completed request form on the website. At the first stage of getting to know each other, we discuss the concept and the tasks of the shooting, the price and the date selection. After that, I always initiate a video call for closer acquaintance and communication. Nothing can replace a live face-to-face dialog.

Choosing a photographer is choosing a like-minded person who is close in heart and ideas. During a personal conversation we can get to know each other better. I will see and learn who you are and what you do. About your dreams and goals. You will find me lively, interesting and positive. Sometimes in this communication the true motives of why you came to me are born. It is a mutual process of energy exchange. I will tell you why my profession is a real passion and why I am always taking pictures, even in my sleep. I simply love what I do! It’s my lifestyle, my passion, my inspiration and my joy. If you’re ready to explore the world of stylish, colorful, delicious, vibrant photography, you’ve come to the right place. I promise you an experience that will wake you up and trigger new development processes. It will be interesting, unusual, very beautiful and often funny. Because laughter is also part of my working style. But that’s a secret for now, you’ll find out during the shooting.

Location

We usually start the dialog with a location. This is one of the most important elements to choose. It usually comes down to two options – city streets or the beach. Personally, I love both. I know from experience that street photography and beach photography are two different worlds. On a city shoot, it’s cool to show the dynamics, the trendy looks, the energy of the city, interesting architectural details for beautiful, minimalistic, magazine-style shots. A beach shoot makes you feel more comfortable. There is no rush and a few people around. It’s just you and nature. Yes, I know secret places where there are few people on the beach even in summer, I wrote a whole review of my favorite beaches near Lisbon for you. If you want sensual, free, interesting energy shots with beautiful light, your place for a photoshoot is the beach!

Looks

The next set of solutions is a selection of looks – clothing and accessories. In the advanced version, we invite a stylist to select your looks, help you create turnkey solutions, and handle the purchase or rental of everything you need. The simpler scenario is that we select images from your existing closet. In my practice, I practice both approaches. Of course, for a stylish, cool shoot, you always need carefully crafted, on-trend looks. That’s why I always prefer to work with a stylist if the client is willing to invest in one. I have stylists on my team that I work with a lot. They are proven people whose taste and experience completely match my vision for the finished look.

Makeup and hairstyle

The next step is to discuss makeup and hair ideas. as you may know, I’m a professional makeup & hair artist. 90% of the time, I do the makeup on location. Hair styling is more challenging, so I often come to the client’s house to do it. During the shoot, I can change the makeup and hairstyle for each specific look. This way, in a three to four hour shoot, I can create completely different images that are drastically different from each other. And if you don’t tell your friends it’s the same shoot, they won’t even realize it.

Moodboard

The task of creating a moodboard and selecting photo references is also a joint task for both of us with the client. In most cases, I take the initiative and offer my vision by selecting a few similar photos. When I show these options to the client, I evaluate the feedback. Usually our visions match and we move forward step by step. Often the client also shares her or his ideas, which we combine with mine.

Preparing for a shoot is a big, serious process where every detail counts. No less important than the few hours of the shoot itself.

Photo shoot

Each photoshoot is unique and unrepeatable. There are many factors that affect the final result. The most trivial, for example, is the weather. In Portugal, sun, rain and clouds can change every few hours. For this reason, I often schedule two days with my clients – a main day and a backup “weather” day.

Another of the most important factors is your attitude, your well-being, your energy, your resources. If in the frame you want to convey success, strong energy, but in fact in the depths of your soul there is sadness and insecurity, believe me, the camera will always see the truth. And so will I. Of course, my main task is to interact with you, to reveal what is hidden, to reveal the real you. Only as a result of our joint work and exchange of energies we will produce shots that you will be happy to come back to even after many years. I am very fortunate to work with very talented, strong personalities. Each of you is unique. And our shoot is unique.

The most important thing is that we spend the photosoot day with you. From the moment we meet, the first cup of coffee, the makeup, the styling, the picking up of looks, to the changing of clothes, the shooting, the final shot, and the warm hugs of the new friends we will become. It’s a whole experience, a mini life. Vibrant, unique, absolutely amazing.

Photo selection and processing

99% of the time, I choose the photos myself. It’s very rare that I allow clients to choose their own shots. You come to me as a photographer specifically for my style and my vision of you, don’t you? So you have the unique opportunity to trust me with how I see you through the lens of my camera.

Selecting shots and retouching them is a meditation for me. I have my own secret principles and rules on how to select photos. Over the past few years, I’ve submitted a lot of photos to magazines and received hundreds of publications and dozens of covers. I think that speaks well for my style. Another important rule is that I don’t drastically change people’s faces or bodies in post-production. The camera sees you as you really are. Every person is beautiful the way Nature created him or her. Each photo I give you is my pride, I love and choose aesthetics. This is my talent as a photographer, to find and photograph you in such a way that you fall in love with yourself when looking at the result. My greatest joy is when both you and I are happy with the result.

Video

I work with my husband on every shoot. He is my main support, my love. He is also my director, manager, marketer, assistant and the coolest thing is that he is a talented videographer. When you book a shoot with me, you have the opportunity to get not only photos, but also video. We work as a couple, coherently and professionally. Photo and video have a completely different energy. Video is a mini-movie that will turn you into a real model. Сlick here to see some examples of our work.

Summary

The real you is always in the center of the photo. A unique and beautiful personality with your own character and energy. With a look that can say a lot without words. I became a photographer to capture those moments. And those are the photos I want to create for you. Write me, come and see! Our mini life and experience will be interesting, unusual, fun, stylish and very beautiful!

Julia

You can find the original article in my blog: https://www.juliayatel.com/photoshoot-as-a-holistic-experience/