Preparing For The Perfect Fantasy Photo Session

Here are all my favorite tips and tricks for how to prepare for a perfectly magical fantasy photo session!

Talk Nerdy To Me

You can never send me too many pictures, Pinterest boards, shopping links or ideas for your fantasy photo session. Seriously. I want to hear about every single thing you’re excited about for your. I know what it is to be absolutely obsessed with a character and/or story. This is a judgement free zone. In all likelihood, I will be just as giddy as you are over the things you’re looking at or want to incorporate.

The Weather

Now let’s talk about the practical things for your perfect fantasy photo session. Starting with Mother Nature. She is a beautiful, fickle creature and, unfortunately, your fantasy photo session is dependent on her attitude. To say that the weather in Colorado is unpredictable is probably the understatement of the century. On the day of Sophia and Josiah’s session, it decided to start drizzling a few minutes into the session. Fortunately they were prepared for the weather and it added to the vibe we were going for.

However, that is not always the case so, before you request a specific date, check the weather. I have lived in Colorado my entire life and I have absolutely seen it snow in May. On more than one occasion.

It can also get oppressively hot during the day in the summer and then, as soon as the sun goes down, it gets chilly. You never know when you might want to have a jacket with you or wear some just-in-case layers.

It’s not always 100% on the nose because this state is wild, but AccuWeather has predictions up to a month out.

Costumes

Try everything on together. Even if you know that all the individual pieces fit, make sure they look the way they look in your head in real life before your session. I always make time for a little getting ready at the beginning and costume changes in between so if there are things you don’t feel like wearing in the car, you’ll have plenty of time.

If you’re going to arrive in your costume and ready to go, I highly recommend having a comfy outfit that’s easy to change into after your session.

Ladies, If you’re going to put your costume on at the photo location, wear something that’s easy to pull the costume over. Black leggings or bike shorts with a black tank top almost always works. I’ve also found that big bathrobes work really well to change under.

Guys, if you have specific pants for your photos, wear them if they’re comfortable enough. You can wait to put on any boots or armor you have until you get to the photo shoot location. If not, gym shorts are usually pretty easy to shimmy in and out of.

Timing

Speaking of timing, while I always give us a some padding, I time our session so that we can have an hour of the best possible light. I completely understand that traffic, life and a whole host of other factors can come into play, but we do typically have a limited amount of light. If there’s a part of your costume that takes time to put on, please let me know. I’ll make sure I give us plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed and we can get all the gorgeous light.

Do you have questions or an idea for a photo shoot? Send me a message here and let’s talk!

A man and woman pose in Lord of the Rings Inspired Costumes for a fantasy photo shoot in Boulder Colorado by Kendra Colleen Photography.

A white woman crouches between two rocks in the woods for a fantasy photo session, she holds a dagger in one hand and has magic potions strapped to her belt, she has dark hair and wears a green hooded tunic, black leggings and boots with gray fur.

A white woman in a mage costume consisting of a green hooded tunic, black leggings, boots with gray fur, a dagger and a belt of magic potions poses on a rock in the woods for a fantasy photo by Kendra Colleen Photography.

A white man in a Lord Of The Rings inspired costume consisting of a green velvet cloak with fur trim, a glowing sword and arm gauntlets poses on the rocks of a river for a fantasy photo session by Kendra Colleen Photography

A white couple poses in front of a waterfall for a Lord Of the Rings Inspired photo where the woman is wearing a long white dress and fairy crown and the man is wearing a princely costume with a silver crown.

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