Bodybuilding competitor and photographer David Liang has several years of experience prepping and partaking in photoshoots. To look and feel your best David has provided us with his essential do’s and don’ts to becoming photoshoot ready. Whether it’s a lifestyle, casual, or competition photo shoot we have all the tips you need. 

1. Don’t Reduce your Water Intake or Food Consumption

When prepping for a photoshoot some might think that to look their best and stop bloating, they need to reduce the amount of water and food they consume. The reason why this is something you should not do is that you could dehydrate and/or starve yourself during the shoot. Your health is not worth compromising and you can still look your best while hydrating and feeding yourself properly.

2. Don’t Stress 

Although it’s easier said than done one should try to reduce the amount of stress, they put on themselves before going to a photoshoot. Stress can show in your body and in turn make your body look worse. To reduce the amount of stress you put on your body make sure that you get a good night's sleep, fuel your body properly, and use tactics that work for you to remain calm.

3. Don’t Mishandle your Tan

When competing participants often have to get two tans before their show. The first is a base coat which is prone to getting patchy. Try to reduce scrubbing off your base coat or messing with it too much because the patchiness will show during your photoshoot. If you feel the need to adjust your base coat or tan in any way try to refrain from doing so until after the shoot.

4. Wear Makeup that You’re Comfortable With 

Some may feel that’s it’s necessary to wear more makeup or makeup that they wouldn’t normally wear for the sake of a shoot. For those whose don’t wear full glam makeup often there’s no need to do much outside of your usual look. A practical simple makeup look will suffice especially when there are multiple outfit changes to suit every outfit. 

5. Ask for Experience/Referrals from Others

Photoshoots can be stressful enough as it is so there’s no need to add more stress by trying to figure out a photoshoot session all by yourself. If you’re looking to book a photographer for a shoot, try to find someone that friends or family have used so that you can get insight on how their experience went. Also, ask others what types of poses they did when getting their pictures taken so that you can use it for reference as well. 

6. Know What You Want Before Going into the Shoot

When collaborating with a photographer for a shoot whether it’s a lifestyle or post-competition shoot it’s crucial to know what you want to come of the shoot beforehand. Otherwise, the photographer will take charge of the shoot and capture what they envision instead. That may not always be a bad thing, however, if you don’t show example or state what you want then you’ll be stuck with photos that you’re not happy with. To avoid this try making a Pinterest board or make the photographer aware of your taste in the best way that you can. 

Overall, remember that photoshoots are supposed to be fun! Keep in mind these do’s and don’ts when going to your next photoshoot so that you can be your best self! Plus, you’ll have some awesome photos to post on Instagram later.