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"What, me worry?"
~Alfred E. Neuman~
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Portrait
Pricing Page
How
to Avoid the 11 Huge Mistakes
Experience shooting Senior
Portraits has taught us a few things. There are no magic formulas
for getting the best possible portrait. There are some tips, however,
that seem to work for most people most of the time. We want to share
those tips with you.
- We are here for questions….ask us, talk
with us, we can help you to look great to the camera. We will
meet with you (and your parents, if desired), AT NO COST, before
the photo session to discuss clothing, props, hair... anything
you want to discuss. Just ask for that "pre-session"
when you book your photo sitting. Alternatively, call us (970-330-9101)
or email us with
any questions you might have about your portrait session. At the
very least, keep reading this Advise Page and check out How
to Avoid the 11 Huge Mistakes. The bottom line, we are here
to answer any questions you may have, just let us know.
- Plan to arrive early. That means leaving early.
Get to the studio, or location, at least 15-20 minutes prior to
your scheduled time. There is hardly anything worse than feeling,
and looking, stressed out in your portraits. Give yourself the
luxury of time. You’ll be more in control, and look more
confident if you are not in a hurry or rushing around.
- You’ll want to look your best, so get
plenty of sleep the night before your session. If you’re
tired it will show.
- Bring a friend or family member with you. They
can help you out, and can also put you more at ease during your
session.
- We suggest that you bring at least three outfits
with you to your session. Bringing more is fine, and bringing
six or eight outfits if you have scheduled a longer session is
ideal. Keep in mind that the time you spend changing clothes is
time that can’t be spent photographing you. Plan your clothing,
don’t bring your whole closet. Every outfit should be complete,
from head to toe. Some things to remember about the clothing you
bring:
- Remember that your senior portrait shouldn’t be notable
so much for what you are wearing as much as it should be about
who you are and how you look. Clothing should complement you,
not take attention away from you.
- Your face should be the center of attention in your portraits.
Solid colors generally photograph best. Try to avoid bold
patterns or stripes, words, logos, or overly bright colors
as they distract attention away from your face. Unless your
skin is medium or dark tone, bright colors will tend to wash
out your skin tones.
- Simple is usually better than complex. Long sleeves, or
at least short sleeves, are better than sleeveless outfits.
Collars or simple necklines are usually better. The objective
is to put all the attention where it belongs on your face,
and not to draw attention away from you.
- Remember that when we are photographing on location that
it is often difficult to change clothing gracefully. Plan
your outfits for locations carefully.
- Bring clothing on hangers. It is easier to deal with and
you won’t have as many wrinkles.
- Trendy clothing can be fine, however keep in mind that your
mom will have this photo on the wall for the next thirty years,
so do bring some traditional clothing also. Some outfits will
look great in 10 or 20 years and others will look somewhere
between dated and ridiculous. (Go through your parent’s
yearbooks at look at some of the “trendy” styles
that people wore for their pictures.)
- Consider bringing at least one outfit that is a little dressier
than what you would normally wear. Remember to bring clothing
changes to please not only yourself, but also your parents,
family and future employers or school administrators. Ladies
should consider at least one dress or dressier top and skirt,
and gentlemen should consider bringing a suit or sport coat,
or at least a button down shirt and tie.
- Glasses ~ If you wear glasses most of the
time you should have your photo taken with your glasses on. That
is the way you look, and the way people will remember you. Yet,
glasses can cause glare and distortion in your portraits. Luckily,
there are a couple of solutions:
- Take your glasses to where you bought them and ask them
to temporarily remove the lenses for your portrait session.
Most shops will gladly do this for free. This completely eliminates
glare and distortion, but does mean that you may need to have
someone else drive you to your session.
- Glare and distortion can usually be removed by re-touching.
This costs about $25 extra, but is usually well worth the
extra cost. Of course, we will try to minimize glare and distortion,
and you may not feel that re-touching is needed.
- Braces ~ If you wear braces, they are a part
of you at this point in life. Don’t be afraid to smile.
If you really don’t like what you see, the braces can be
removed by re-touching, usually for a fee of $50.
- Haircuts ~ Getting a new hairstyle may not
be the best idea just before a portrait. It isn’t the way
people think of you. If you are going to have your hair trimmed,
get that done about a week or ten days prior to your session so
that it has a chance to fill in. Your hair usually looks its best
about a week after being cut.
- Jewelry ~ Simple is best. Again, you don’t
want to wear things that detract from you. If you have a special
piece, such as a class ring or family heirloom, be sure to bring
it along so that we can feature it in a few shots.
- Props ~ Planning is key. Don’t just
grab a bunch of stuff on the way out of the door. Think about
what is important to you. Musicians often bring their instruments,
athletes may want to bring a football, soccer ball, tennis racket,
jersey, etc. You may want a few shots in your letter jacket or
sweater as well. Cheerleaders and band members may consider their
uniforms for a couple of shots. The main thing is to think about
what is meaningful to you, and to bring it with you.
- Pets ~ Pets can be great! Unfortunately, because
we have pets of our own, we can’t usually accommodate pets
in the studio. (Both our pets and your pets tend to not behave
as well as one would hope when brought together.) However, they
are fine for most locations outside of the studio. Be sure to
bring someone along to take care of the pet when it is not actually
in the shot with you.
- Ladies ~ 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 is what people will notice
most. Don’t overdo it! It is usually better to have slightly
too little makeup than slightly too much. Even if you rarely or
never wear makeup, you may want to consider a little for this
special portrait. Most people know someone whose makeup they admire....seek
them out and get their help and advice. Bring extra makeup with
you in case you need to make adjustments and touchups after clothing
changes.
- Combs or Brushes ~ Both ladies and gentlemen
should bring a comb or brush with them. Ladies may also wish to
bring hair spray.
- Gentlemen ~ A five O’clock shadow is
impossible to remove from a portrait. You may want to consider
shaving just before your scheduled portrait sitting.
- Bring your smile. This will be a fun time.
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