What to Do Before, During, and After Your LA Photoshoot (for Non-Models)

You Don’t Have to Be a Model to Get Amazing Photos in Los Angeles 

Below is a guide for everyday people and the brands who work with them on how to prepare for a professional photoshoot and actually enjoy it

Let me be honest with you…

Most of the people I photograph in Los Angeles are not models.They’re entrepreneurs who finally decided to invest in content for their brand. Influencers who want polished photos to pitch to their next sponsor deal. Small business owners in LA who need lifestyle images that actually look like them. Couples. Creatives. People who said “I want some fire photos” and booked before they could talk themselves out of it.

And almost every single one of them says the same thing when they show up:

“I don’t know how to pose.”

Here’s what I tell them every time: that’s completely fine. That’s literally what I’m here for.

If you’ve been searching for a Los Angeles photographer who works with real people, not just professional models this post is for you.

And if you’re a brand, an agency, or a creative director looking for a photographer who can make your clients feel comfortable on camera in LA, keep reading too.

Before You Even Get There

The shoot starts before we meet. A little prep goes a long way and it’s the difference between clients who walk away confident and ones who wish they’d done more. 

Know your vibe, even loosely. 

You don’t need a detailed shot list. But having a direction in mind helps. 

Are you going for a clean and professional? Moody and editorial? Fun, bright, and lifestyle

forward?

Scroll Pinterest or Instagram, save a few images that feel right, and share them before we meet. 

That gives us both a creative target to work toward.

This is especially important for brands bringing clients to a shoot. The more reference material we share beforehand, the more efficiently we move on location whether we’re shooting in downtown LA, Silver Lake, Venice, or anywhere else across the city.

Pick outfits that make you feel like yourself on a good day. 

Don’t wear something brand new you’ve never had on. 

Don’t wear something you feel like you should wear but secretly don’t like. 

Wear what makes you feel confident and like you.

Bring 2–3 options. We’ll figure out what works when we’re on location and in the light.

Handle the basics the night before. Sleep. Water. Skin care routine. Get your hair handled, lay your clothes out, and build in buffer time the morning of. Rushing to a shoot kills your energy before we even get started. Show up settled, not scrambled.

When You Arrive on Location

Give yourself a minute to land.

Walk around the space. Take in the light. Let’s talk for a few before we get into anything real. I do a warmup at the top of every shoot  just to get you comfortable moving and breathing in front of the lens. The first few frames are never the best ones and we both know that. We use them to loosen up.

The more you treat this like a conversation and less like a performance, the better everything goes. 

I’m not chasing perfection. I’m chasing you and your personality, your energy, the way you actually move and exist in the world.

For brands and creative directors: this warmup period is exactly why I build it into every session. 

Comfortable clients = better content. It’s that simple.

Posing 101 for Real People

I’ll direct you. That’s the job. 

But a few fundamentals help no matter what:

Angle your body. Standing straight-on to the camera flattens everything. Turn slightly 30 to 45 degrees and let your face come back toward the lens. It creates depth, shape, and dimension.

Give your hands something to do. Hands that just hang tend to read stiff on camera. Put one in a pocket. Touch your collar. Hold something. Rest them on a surface nearby. Give them a purpose and they’ll stop being a distraction.

Chin slightly forward and down. This one sounds odd but it works every time. It defines your jaw and eliminates unflattering angles. Not all the way down a gentle, subtle push forward and down. 

Shift your weight. Don’t stand planted evenly on both feet. Put your weight on one hip. It makes the pose feel natural and lived-in instead of rigid and posed. Reset between shots. 

Take a breath. Shake out your hands. Let your shoulders drop. Starting each new pose from a relaxed place shows up in the final image every time.

The Real Secret: Stop Trying to Look Good

This is the part nobody tells you and it’s the most important thing in this entire post.

Stop trying to look good and start trying to feel good.

When you’re in your head about your angles, your expression, and what the photo is going to look like it shows.

Tension is visible. It lives in your jaw, your shoulders, and your eyes.

When you’re genuinely laughing, thinking about something that makes you feel a certain way, or just engaged in the moment that shows too. And it looks incredible every single time.

If something feels awkward, let it be awkward and laugh about it. Some of the most magnetic frames I’ve ever captured were mid-laugh, mid-reset, mid-nothing. Real moments photograph beautifully. 

That’s what sets editorial lifestyle photography apart from stiff, generic content and it’s exactly what brands and agencies in LA are booking photographers for right now.

Trust that I’m watching the frame. If something isn’t working, I’ll redirect. If it is working, I’ll keep shooting. You don’t have to monitor yourself, that's my role. Your role is just to be there.

How to Take Direction on Set

Here’s how to make the whole shoot smoother for everyone:

Wait until I finish before you move. If I’m explaining an adjustment, let me get through it before you start shifting.

Moving too early means we both reset.

Make small adjustments. “Chin down a little” means a centimeter. “Turn slightly” doesn’t mean full profile. 

Incremental adjustments are how we dial in a look. Match that energy.

Ask if you’re unsure. “Like this?” and “Can you show me?” are always welcome.

 I’ll demonstrate if it helps. There are no dumb questions on set.

Tell me if something feels off. Not every pose works for everybody. If something feels uncomfortable or just wrong, say it. We’ll find what works.

The best photoshoots are collaborations, not guessing games

One Last Thing

You booked this shoot or you’re thinking about it because something in you said it was time. 

Maybe it’s for your business. Maybe it’s for a brand campaign. Maybe it’s just for you. 

All of those reasons are valid, and all of them matter.

You don’t need model experience. You don’t need to know your angles. You don’t need to have done this before. You just need to show up, be willing to move around a little, and trust that we’ll figure it out together. I’ve got the rest.

Ready to book a shoot in Los Angeles? Reach out at cmvisuals.co or find me on Instagram at @chazmedlock. Let’s make something you’re proud of! https://www.cmvisuals.co/contact-us

CMV Media is a Los Angeles-based photography and videography company specializing in fitness, fashion, lifestyle, portrait, food, and brand content. Serving clients and brands across LA  from downtown to the Westside, Silver Lake to the South Bay. CMV Media · Los Angeles, CA · cmvisuals.co · @chazmedlock