Planning a birthday photoshoot can be a bit of pressure but here are some mistakes to avoid to give you a great photoshoot experience:

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1. HAIR & MAKEUP:  You want to look your very best for your birthday shoot and that might mean hiring a professional makeup artist and hair stylist to glam you up. Unless you are one, a family member is or friend is a professional, its best not to use them while trying to save some money because depends on how it turns out you could be charged by the photographer to fix it with retouches therefore costing you more. Photographers often have makeup artists in their networks which they would recommend to you for free.

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2. LOOKING FOR THE CHEAPEST OPTION: In today's world of content quality matters and in order to have great quality images that will last you a lifetime, the cheapest photographer will not be the best option. A good budget to have in order to have an amazing quality today will be anywhere from $500 - $1500 depending on how many looks you're shooting and edited images you get in return

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3. OVER SELECTING IMAGES: Its very easy to get excited about your images after your photoshoot and depending on the photographer you could get anywhere from 3-10 edits for free and this can leave you wanting more which would be sold to you anywhere from $20 - $50 per edit and if you're not careful you just might over select and pay for images you didn't really need so here are a few tips you need to know when selecting that could help save you some money

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- Do not choose multiple images with the same pose or facial expressions. it may look tempting but trust me its not worth it just choose your best one or maybe 2 at most

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- Have a friend, family member or partner go through your selections because they may see a shot or shots that's not as great as you might have thought therefore saving you some money on purchasing it

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- NEVER make a selection after the photoshoot as you're still excited from the experience and may over select out of happiness and possibly pressure from the photographer being right there. Always ask to get a proof of images email to make your selection on your own time and comfort

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- Maybe they're all really great shots and you just happen to love them all, the best thing to do here is to ask the photographer for a buyout of all the raw images. This way you get your 3-10 best images edited and also have all the raws that you can hold on to for memories

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4. CONCEPTS: Not having a concept could leave you with shooting just anything for an experience that could have been more special. So its best to do your research on what you like and what would make you look your best. Some photographers will also offer you an option to find a concept for you for free so be sure to make use of that option

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5. OUTFITS: Not properly planning your outfits could leave you with images that don't really excite you so you want to avoid that. Its best to have a concept first so you know what you're looking for and even if you're on a tight budget you always have the option to shop and return. Now if you have a bigger budget it's best to consider hiring a fashion stylist. Some photographers often have fashion stylists in their networks which they would recommend to you for free.

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6. PRACTICE POSING: This is a very important one, you have to practice posing in front of a mirror possibly a day before your shoot as it would help you loosen up a bit and also you get to find your best angle which will lead to better images. Some photographers will be able to guide you with posing too or have a posing director on set which would help but just incase they don't offer that its best to practice

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Do you have a birthday coming up? Check this out