So you booked the session. The one where you finally let yourself be seen – not posed into someone you think you’re supposed to be, but documented as the woman you actually are underneath all of it. Wild, soft, powerful, a little nervous, gloriously alive.
First: that flutter you’re feeling right now? Keep it. It means this matters to you. Nearly every woman who steps in front of my camera for an embodiment session arrives carrying some version of am I really going to do this? – and every single one of them leaves having met a part of herself she’d been waiting to come home to.
How you prepare in the days leading up to our time together sets the tone for everything. This isn’t about perfecting yourself before you arrive. It’s the opposite. It’s about clearing enough space – in your body, your mind, your schedule – that the truest version of you has room to show up. Here’s how I want you to get ready.
Start with your mindset
Embodiment work asks something of you that a regular portrait session doesn’t: it asks you to feel, not just to be photographed. The vulnerability is the whole point. It’s also the part that scares most women, so let’s name it.
You don’t have to arrive fearless. You just have to arrive willing. Willing to be a little awkward at first. Willing to laugh when you don’t know what to do with your hands. Willing to let your guard down somewhere around the twenty-minute mark when your shoulders finally drop and you forget I’m even there. That’s the moment I’m shooting for – and you can’t force it, you can only allow it.
In the days before, try to soften the story you’re telling yourself about how this will go. You are not being evaluated. You are being witnessed. There’s a difference, and it’s everything.
Tend to your body first
Your body is going to be doing real work – moving, feeling, being present – so treat it well in the lead-up.
Sleep is the one I’d protect most fiercely. Two or three good nights before our session will do more for how you feel and how you photograph than anything you could buy. Rested skin, rested eyes, a rested nervous system. It all shows.
Hydration starts before the day of, not the morning of. Begin drinking more water a couple of days out. Skin that’s well-hydrated catches light beautifully, and a hydrated body simply feels more at ease.
Nourishment matters too – eat real, grounding food and don’t skip meals because nerves killed your appetite. Have something steady before we shoot so you’re not running on empty when the feeling-it-all part arrives. This is not the moment for a restrictive day. Feed yourself like you love yourself.
Protect your peace on the day of
This might be my most important piece of advice, so hear me on it: do not spend the day of your session running errands and crossing things off a to-do list.
I know how tempting it is to “just knock a few things out” beforehand. But you cannot arrive at something sacred straight from the chaos of the day, frazzled and half-present, and expect your body to suddenly drop into stillness on command.
Instead, spend the day doing something that genuinely relaxes you. Read in bed. Get your hands in the garden. Book the massage. Have the spa morning. Float in the pool and let the sun do its thing. Light a candle and do absolutely nothing productive. The goal is to walk into our session already exhaled – already soft, already in your body. The session begins long before the first frame.
What to bring (we’re going into nature)
Most of my embodiment work happens outdoors, because there’s no better mirror for your wild self than the wild itself. We’ll be among trees, water, sand, light. To stay comfortable and present out there, come prepared:
• Bug spray – nothing pulls you out of a soft moment faster than a mosquito at your ankle
• Sunscreen – protect your skin, especially on warmer days
• Water – more than you think you’ll need
• A towel – for sitting, drying off, wrapping up, or wading in
• A change of clothes or a robe if you’d like to switch looks or warm up
• Anything that helps you feel settled – a favorite wrap, a meaningful piece of jewelry, even a small object that grounds you
If you’re ever unsure whether to bring something, bring it. Comfort out there means freedom in front of the camera.
On makeup and feeling like yourself
I want you to feel beautiful. I also want to gently steer you away from full glam.
These sessions aren’t about a flawless, painted version of you – they’re about documenting your true, wild self. And on a practical level: when it’s warm and you’re moving and you get a little sweaty (you will, and it’ll be gorgeous), heavy makeup tends to clump, melt, and slide right off. That’s not the look we’re after.
Go light. A little of what makes you feel like you – tinted moisturizer, a bit of mascara, a lip you love, brows you feel good about. Skin that looks like skin. The version of your face you’d be happy to have your most loving friend see up close. That’s the version that photographs as honest, and honest is the entire assignment.
The same goes for the rest of it: wear what lets you move and breathe and forget yourself. Comfort is not the enemy of beautiful. Out here, it’s the doorway to it.
A note for the nervous one
If you’re the woman reading this with your stomach in a small knot – this part is for you.
Nervousness is not a sign you’re not ready. It’s a sign you’re about to do something brave. You don’t need to have done this before. You don’t need to know how to pose, what to do with your face, or how to “be sexy” or “be artistic” or be anything at all. That’s my job. I will direct you the entire way. You will never be standing there abandoned, wondering what to do – I’ve got you, frame by frame.
All you have to bring is your willingness and your real, breathing, beautifully imperfect self. The rest unfolds. It always does.
So rest. Drink your water. Cancel the errands. Pack the bug spray. Go easy on the makeup and easier on yourself.
Then come as you are. Let’s go capture her – the truest, wildest you.
Continue Exploring
Preparing for your session is only one piece of the experience. If you’re still wondering what embodiment photography is really like – or simply want to imagine yourself in it – these may be a beautiful next step.
- What Is an Embodiment Session? → Learn what these sessions are, who they’re for, and why they’re about so much more than photographs.
- What to Wear for Your Embodiment Session → Outfit ideas, styling tips, and how to choose clothing that feels like you.
- A Late Night Embodiment Photography Session → Step inside a real session and see how movement, light, and emotion came together after dark.
- Getting Ready Isn’t About Looking Better – It’s About Feeling Like Yourself Again → A reminder that preparation isn’t about perfection. It’s about returning to yourself.
Ready to create your own experience?
If you’re feeling that quiet pull, I’d love to create something with you.
→ Explore the Embodiment Experience
→ Inquire About Your Session
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