BOCAS FOTO - GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA KAY

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HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR SHOOT

Yes, I can Photoshop, but it's not a magical thing that just happens. It's a very time-consuming skill. The better the image is to start with, the less tweaking needs to be done later. Here is a list of things I expect to have done before you arrive for your shoot:

Freshly washed hair.

If you dye your hair, have your roots touched up and not showing.

Plucked eye-brows (but don't overdo it, just get rid of the strays)

Hair removal of legs, underarms, and bikini area. Please no stubble.

Fresh pedicure. Please have a solid, traditional dark color (a deep burgundy or red or dark pink is good, please no patterns on toes - patterns are cute in daily life, but for creating a classic image to last a lifetime, we want basic and not trendy).

Fresh manicure. A light, sheer, shimmery or clear polish color is good for fingers. If you prefer no fingernail polish, that's fine, but have them freshly clipped and clean.

Very minimal make-up. Please no eye-liner or mascara on bottom lids. Please put black mascara and black or dark brown eye-liner on top lids only. How make-up looks in a club is far different than how it looks in photos. Please NO blush on cheeks or bronzer. We want a clean, natural look. I DO like to use false-eye lashes for a pin-up type of look, so please bring those (they're sold at the farmacia). I have the glue and will apply them for you - there is a certain way I like to cut them before applying. Please have eye-shadow be a nude, shimmery shade. Please no smoky eye. Please NO eye shadow with pink, red, purple or blue hues. Eye shadow must be NUDE with a hint of sparkle. If you don't have this, I have some. It's better to show up with no make-up at all, rather than too much. It's easier for me to Photoshop out a zit than it is to correct harsh make-up post-shoot. Please bring a sheer, sparkly lip gloss - either clear, or very sheer light pink. Please no dark lips, or pale frosted lips. Only clear or sheer gloss. Please no lip-liner.

Please have minimal tan-lines. I can correct small, thin tan-lines, but huge ones are very challenging to correct especially on rounded body parts like breasts and butt. I strongly encourage nude sunbathing for a couple of weeks up to the shoot, or total sunscreen for weeks up to the shoot. We want to even out your skin tone, so either get sun everywhere, or none at all. Please do not arrive to your shoot with a sunburn anywhere. Getting rid of redness in the skin is very challenging. If you have sunburn, we'll have to reschedule.

Please do not show up hung-over. A photo shoot is super fun and playful, yet is also a serious endeavor. It takes physical and mental energy to model. Please prepare the night before by not getting drunk and getting plenty of beauty sleep. If you arrive hung-over, it WILL show in your photos - not just energetically but physically - and I'd really just rather reschedule the shoot. If you want a little bit of wine to help you relax during the shoot, then a little bit, please don't be drunk. Please do not smoke marijuana during the shoot, as it closes the eyes and makes them red. Eat something light that day, nuts are good because they're high in protein, give you energy. Please stay away from food that'll make you feel bloated (wheat products - no breads or pasta - refined sugar, beer, soda, starchy foods such as potatoes, etc.). If your menstrual cycle falls on the day of the shoot, we can reschedule, as your comfort is important to me. I don't want you feeling bloated and/or in pain, as it's going to take effort on your part for the shoot.

I focus on your eyes during a shoot. Please practice not squinting. Learn how to relax the space between your eyebrows. You will be in direct sunlight, and you'll be exerting your body, but your face needs to show no effort, a look of complete surrender. Practice relaxing your jaw muscles and softening the skin on the face. A simple thing like parting the lips slightly makes a huge difference.

Practice posing in front of a full-length mirror. I need for you know the difference it makes in your appearance between slouching and when standing/sitting up straight. Your posture makes a world of difference in getting a great shot! Just think extension and lengthening - elongating the torso and the neck. Practice standing on your tippy-toes in bare feet, with an arched back.

Please arrive wearing a loose-fitting dress with no panties or bra. There should be no elastic leaving marks on your skin. It just makes more work for me later. We want clean, even skin-tone with no marks. I provide shimmer lotion when you arrive which also evens out skin tone and enhances muscle definition.

Bring bikinis, solid colors. Any patterns distract from the focal point which is YOU. No busy patterns, dots or stripes please. Solid colors are best. A black bikini is a must. A white one too, if you're tan. Bring as many as you have. I also have many, many solid string bikinis (g-strings) to choose from if you don't have any. Bring sarongs for easy cover up. Bring very simple jewelry or wear none at all. Simple diamond studs are my favorite. I have some jewelry you can borrow if needed. If you are wearing diamonds, please make sure they're cleaned and sparkly. Bring a little black cocktail dress and a pair of black stiletto high-heels. I have some you can borrow, if you don't have any. I only have size 8 shoes though. I have a black dress you can borrow too. Please don't bring any clothing/bikinis with corporate logos/lettering on them. If the logos are small, I'll Photoshop them out, but again, that's more work to be done later. I don't allow my art to be inadvertent corporate sponsorship. If you have favorite lingerie, bring it and we'll see what works.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE SHOOT:

I like to shoot at the light leading up to sunset. That's anytime between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. It takes a while to set up, figure out locations, and to get into a groove/rapport between model and photographer. We usually get to start shooting around 4:00 p.m. Be prepared to be able to move physically and possibly be in challenging positions. If we're going for different looks, the faster you're able to change into/out of outfits the better. If we're doing nudes, we usually shoot those at the end. We also wait until the end to get your hair wet. I usually shoot around 4 different looks. I shoot many shots of each look, and then I'll edit your favorite out of each series. When shooting nudes, know that your photos are confidential. Any nudes that are shown on my website are with model's permission only. Your confidentiality is assured. If you have a specific location in mind, check out the light at that time of day to see if there is no shadow. I like to shoot in full light. If it's not a clear day, we'll have to reschedule, unless you're only here for that one day, then we'll do the best we can with the light we have. Please arrive on time. The sun goes down quickly this close to the equator and we'll have limited amount of optimal lighting.

If you have a girlfriend you'd like to bring to assist, that's ideal. No boyfriends or husbands please. I want you to feel completely uninhibited and release your usual limited definition of who you are. We're transforming you into something completely open to be free. I want you to be surrounded only by people who will not judge or offer criticism. This is all about YOU! You don't need anyone there who will make you feel self-conscious or put you into a fit of nervous giggles. Please know that in me, you have a professional, non-judgmental photographer who helps bring out your intrinsic beauty and light through light-hearted fun. I don't shoot solo men. On very rare occasion I'll shoot couples at double the price. My job is as a professional photographer. I am not interactive physically (read I'm not sexually available, I'm an artist). It's a fun experience of female platonic bonding. It's a celebration, creating art with the body, capturing your beauty in nature - something you can cherish for a lifetime.