How to survive an outdoor shoot in Singapore
Being finally free from school (potentially forever..?), calls for a commemoratory event like a graduation photoshoot with the friends.
These are the guys I’ve stuck with through the 3 years in NUS – going through multiple school projects, quick lunches at Deck, sitting in boring/interesting lectures, reminding each other to bid for modules, etc. and eventually graduating together now!
Recounting on those memories will take place in another post (I guess), but this post is about tips I have for anyone looking to do an outdoor photoshoot in the sunny & humid Singapore.
1. Put lots of sunblock on – over your entire body
Looking out on a sunny day from the comfort of your bedroom or office desk might give you a false impression that basking under the sun is a good idea. Sometimes the sun literally feels like it burns or pierces through your skin.
Sunblock is a must. Not just the face, but every patch of exposed skin has to be lathered up in sunblock, because those UV rays will show no mercy. I think we were out and about at Punggol Park for about 1.5 hours the other day, and already I felt my legs and feet burning up from the heat. We certainly didn’t expect it to be so damn hot.
Tip: Waterproof and non-sticky sunblock lotions serve as better protection and feel more comfortable.
2. Dry tissues for during, wet tissues for after
In Singapore’s humidity, you will sweat – definitely. For girls, you won’t want your make-up to run off your face with the sweat, so tissues are vital. It might go as far as sweat rolling down your face, but wipe consistently either way so you don’t appear shiny in the photos later!
After getting all hot and sticky from being under the sun, wet tissues will be great for a wipe-down for the rest of your body after the whole shoot is done. I usually bring a whole pack to share – sharing is caring!
3. Set your make-up with powder
I don’t put on a crazy amount of make-up on my face, but still, I wouldn’t want my make-up to be slipping off my face as the time goes by. Wear waterproof make-up (to be sweat-resistant lol), and also powder your face to set your make-up to last the whole day!
Powder works magic really. Although we got really sweaty during the day, my make-up didn’t run at all.
4. Being quick and efficient is key
If the weather was any cooler and less humid, we would’ve taken our time and gotten way more shots that day. Under Singapore’s weather conditions though, being quick and efficient with taking the photos is vital so you don’t all either get a sunburn, or heat exhaustion – especially being in those thick graduation gowns!
Do ample research before the day so you know the kind of poses or ideas you want to make for the shoot. Take multiple shots of each pose to be absolutely safe – better safe than sorry!
5. Moisturise and hydrate
The moisture on your skin gets sapped out from being under the scorching sun, and your body gets dehydrated quickly. Although you might not feel it, pamper yourself with moisturiser or lotion – especially the face! Also bring along loads of water to stay hydrated during the day, and after as well.
We didn’t realise how dehydrated we were getting until we were downing as much water as we could after everything was done.
Living in Singapore, I complain about the heat and humidity constantly. It must be annoying for the people around me (LOL) but I’m sure I’m not the only one. Unfortunately, if you want good weather for an outdoor shoot, you’d have to suffer through the blazing heat.
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