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- Arrive early. Be sure to give
yourself plenty of time to get here-you won't want to be rushed. Plan on
arriving about 15 minutes before your scheduled session time so you can
get your outfits and props unloaded and situated in the dressing room.
- Bring photos you like from
magazines, books, catalogs, and any other sources, to your session
appointment. Your Photographer will use these images to form an idea of
the photographic styles and "looks" you like, and will make you portraits
that no one else has! The more we know about what you want before the
start of your session, the easier it will be for you to get the kinds of
pictures you like.
- Bring someone with you to ease
the "camera room jitters." Guests are invited to sit with you and watch
through the camera, help with clothing, hair, etc.
- Schedule a haircut no sooner than
five days before your session, to give it a chance to "fill in" a bit. And
don't try a radically different haircut or style-your hair should be the
way your friends and family are used to seeing it.
- Girls, apply makeup as if you
were going out for the evening. Too little and you'll look pale and washed
out; too much makes you look "painted." Pay special attention to your
eyes; that's what everyone will see first in your portraits.
- If you wear glasses most of the
time you'll want to wear them in your portraits. To eliminate distracting
glare and reflections, call your optician and arrange to either borrow a
pair of empty frames like yours or have the lenses removed from your own
frames. Most opticians will gladly do this for free if you give them a few
days notice. This is the most important way to improve your portraits if
you wear glasses. If you choose to wear your glasses the way they are,
keep in mind that removing any glass glare from your photographs is done
at your expense.
- All of your finished portraits
will be completely retouched, but your proofs will not. To improve the
look of your proofs, apply a small dab of cover-up makeup to any
noticeable blemishes. If they're gone in the mirror, they will be gone in
your photographs!
- If you wear braces, they're as
much a part of you right now as your hairstyle or the clothes you wear.
Don't be self-conscious about smiling! If you don't like your braces
in your portraits, they can be removed digitally (braces removal is $50).
- Choosing the right clothing is
easier than you might think. When selecting your outfits, keep in mind the
number of clothing changes you'll have per session. And while there are no
"rules" about what to wear, here are a few suggestions on what to bring
for each different session choice:
-
Studio-Some seniors
dress up a little more for their Studio portraits. But more important
than the "formalness" of your outfit is the style. Simple, solid colors
work best for this session. These are the portraits that most likely
will hang on your walls for a long time, and you don't want the outfit
to overpower the image. Your Studio outfits might be a suit or sport
coat (for guys) or a dress or skirt (for girls), or they might be jeans
and a t-shirt. Either style (or something in-between) is fine, but
remember that the simpler the better.
- Outside-Outdoor
portraits should be casual, and so should your outfits. This is the
session for jeans, khakis, shorts, tanks and tees. The best colors
outdoors are blues and earth tones (olive, green, tan, brown, etc.).
Whites and reds do not work well outdoors.
- Digital-These portraits
require outfits that are a little more on the edge. Here you can go with
loud colors and patterns and more fashionable styles. Just about any
outfit is OK for these sessions. Make a statement!
- Your Stuff-No rules
here. Your activity might actually be your outfit (sports or band
uniform, t- or sweatshirt) or it might just accompany your outfit
(like a rock band t-shirt with an electric guitar). If you're bringing a
vehicle, try to bring a shirt that matches the color of the car. If your
cat is gray, bring a gray shirt. Try to coordinate your prop with your
outfit-it makes a great look!
- Add-A-Friend-If you're
bringing a friend, sibling or significant other, keep your outfits in
the same tonal range. In other words, you both want to be in the same,
rather than contrasting, colors. That doesn't mean that you have to have
matching outfits. But with two or more people in a photograph, similar
colors tend to be less distracting to the eye.
- Come prepared to have a good
time, because you will!
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