Tips to Safely Capture Gorgeous Portraits in Nature
As high school seniors and families venture into the great outdoors for their portrait sessions, it's essential to be mindful of potential challenges, such as ticks, mosquitos and chiggers. At Aimee Geis Photography, I believe in providing not only beautiful portraits but also valuable information to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all. In this blog post, I'll share practical tips to help you avoid all the creepy crawlies while capturing stunning family and senior portraits in nature.
When spending time outdoors, it's important to be able to identify common pests that can cause uncomfortable bites and rashes. Ticks are often small, flat, and reddish-brown in color, with eight legs and a round body when fully engorged. They can come in many sizes and the most dangerous ones are often the size of a freckle! Chiggers, also known as harvest mites, are even smaller and typically orange or red in color, with six legs and a mite-like appearance. You most likely won’t see these at all but will feel their effect the next day when you find itchy welts around your mid-section or inner legs. Mosquitoes are the most recognizable of the three, with their long proboscis used for biting, slender legs, and characteristic wings. Depending on how allergic you are to their bite, you can get immediate welts that ca totally suck the fun out of your session. Anyway you put it… EWWW!!!
⚠️WARNING - GROSS PICTURES OF BUGS BELOW - SCROLL AT YOUR OWN RISK!!⚠️
1) Before your portrait session, it’s important to take steps to prevent any of these pests from getting on your clothes, hair or skin. The quickest and easiest way to do that is to use bug spray. The most common spray has deet but many people do not like the chemicals and don’t want to breathe the toxins. I suggest something with a more natural repellent like WonderCide. They have several different types to choose from.
2) If you’re going to wear socks or especially pants, putting duct tape around your ankles can prevent ticks and chiggers from crawling up out of the grass and onto your skin. Most senior girls are wearing a dress and some sandals so this isn't always the best option.
3) One of the best things you can do to prevent tick bites or chiggers is to take a shower immediately after your portrait session. Take the clothes you wore and place them in a plastic bag or directly into the washer and rinse your whole body, including your hair. This is one of the best ways to prevent these nasty bugs from attaching themselves to you.
As a photographer that wants you to have the best experience possible for your portraits, I understand how quickly bugs can ruin the fun. Make sure you are fully prepared to keep these nasty bugs at bay and keep your memories all about having a blast with me!