PLANNING FOR YOUR PHOTO SESSION Location In order to keep prices low and the backgrounds and lighting more realistic we don't have a dedicated photo studio. All of the photos will be taken outside utilizing the benefits of natural light and natural settings. We usually start in our wooded backyard and then move to several other locations (if you are willing) that are in close proximity and that will offer interesting features to be used in your photos. Many different outdoor shots can be done right here on site if you don't want to do different locations. It's entirely up to you. We can do fast and simple or get more creative. Prepare to be outside for most of our time together. We have scouted out locations that offer different textures and natural props that will add to the variety of your photos and highly recommend this if you are interested. For example: old barns, rail or stone fences, fire escapes/alleys, rusted metal or brick walls on old buildings, old building doorways, fields with wild flowers (seasonal), railroad tracks, etc. These backgrounds can lend themselves to a very conservative look or can lean towards more of an urban, MTV-grunge look, depending upon what you are wearing and how they are shot and edited. We want to hear your ideas as well. If you know of a place close by we can add it to the list but we need to be able to park close and not have to hike to the location. If you have seen a photo or have something in mind that involves a different location or building, perhaps a location you have driven by or that is meaningful to you, let us know well beforehand so we can scout it out. We like to be creative and work with your ideas. Clothing changes, hair and makeup will be a little more difficult once away from the office and our wooded backyard, but certainly not impossible, so plan accordingly. •You can keep it simple and not bring different outfits, or you can bring several, it's up to you. Most will at least change shirts to get several looks. •Bring natural colors and blue jeans (holes in the knees can be great for the ladies) that will look good outside near trees and in natural settings. •Bring fall clothes for a seasonal look. Think outside the current season. •Ladies...bring an outfit with hats/gloves/scarf for a close up winter-looking shot if you want. A fur-lined hood on a winter coat can make a really great close-up shot of your face so bring one along. Sunburn/Tanning There are many examples of senior photos on line to inspire your ideas but remember that some of them are done in dedicated studios with numerous props... and ours are done outside and on location. If you see something you like online, in a magazine or in a senior photography marketing piece that you think we could do, bring it and the clothes/props needed with you and we will come up with something similar if possible. It is always good to bring one white and one black long sleeve top for close up shots. Blue jeans typically look good for outside shots and ones with natural holes in the knees can look cute in some poses (girls). Bring outfits that are natural colors that will look good outside- like fall colors for fall photos, whether its fall or not. Solid colors work best in most situations. Avoid really wild colors, stripes or busy patterns. They are hard to photograph and will take the attention away from your face. Fur trimmed hoods on winter coats or winter hats with scarves and gloves can add a really cute, different look for close-ups and is really easy to change into so bring them along if you can. It doesn't matter if it's summer. The photo will look great on Facebook this winter. Think outside the box. Makeup
Arrive a Little Early
If you show up late or not ready, we will have less time. If you need to get ready here (hair, makeup, etc.) please let us know and arrive early enough to be ready by your start time.
Clothing
•Avoid stripes, plaid, and patterns. Solids photograph much better.
•Bring a variety of colors, don't bring 3 red outfits even if it is your favorite color.
•Avoid clothing that has wording on it except for you own school or college logo.
•Vary the style, all one look (like tanks) gets boring.
•Vary the dress level... bring something dressy, something medium and something casual if you want.
•If going on to college, bring an outfit with the college name on it. We can do some neat things with it.
Some shots are close up and will show little background, others are full length and will show more. Plan outfits completely unless just for a face shot (like the fur-lined winter coat shot mentioned above). Guys in particular, remember to bring the right shoes since they will show in many shots. It is hard to do a full length dressy shot if all you brought were big old white tennis shoes or sandals.
Don't be the person that comes in with clothes stuffed in a plastic bag and wonder why they are wrinkled! Make sure they are organized, ironed and ready.
Hair
Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair right before your session. It won't look natural. Quick easy hairstyle changes during your session are OK, but make it quick or you lose camera time. Artificially bleached hair is often not best, in 10 years you might say "What was I thinking??" Bring your hair care tools and products with you, none are provided. It is ok to show up early in curlers if you need to. Bring someone to help you with your hair and clothing changes if needed. Hair style and make up is ultimately YOUR responsibility.
Jewelry
Best tip here, keep it simple in most cases although larger coordinating jewelry can look great sometimes and we will try whatever you want. Bring what you like and we will make choices as we go. We will take lots of photos knowing that some won't work, but others will. We want the attention on you so big shiny jewelry can distract from the real subject, YOU. If you have different jewelry for different outfits, you might put each set of jewelry in a plastic baggie and hang it on the hangar with that outfit.
Props
BRING THEM!! Bring props that help define who you are. Some popular choices are: Sports equipment (soccer ball, football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, skateboard, snowboard, skates...whatever), sports uniforms, music instruments (from school... tuba to rock guitar), activities (dance leotard and shoes, swimming, hobbies, you name it!), vehicles and motorcycles can come as well. Try to bring the entire outfit and all the equipment within reason. For example, if bringing a baseball bat, also bring the entire uniform, glove, a ball, hat, what you would put on your face, etc. For tennis bring the complete tennis outfit (it could be the school team's uniform or not), your tennis racket, 6 balls, the ball can. Same for other sports. We may decide not to use it all but if its not here then we have fewer choices. Holding a tennis racket in blue jeans or wearing sandals is confusing if what you are trying to say is that you love tennis or that you are on the school tennis team. With football bring it all if you can. This is one exception where you may not have the entire uniform and gear; however, a shot with just the helmet, jersey and a football can be cut so only that part is showing. With the helmet, shoulder pads, jersey and cleats we can do a great shot to be used with the stadium added as the background in Photoshop. Something profound added in writing can create a really powerful photograph, or better yet, even be made into a poster. If bringing a snowboard, bring the appropriate clothes and coat to carry out the look since a snow board and shorts will just look confusing. We can photograph against a white or black background to complete the look without a sport specific background or do more on the computer to complete the look or add multiple photos together to create something unique. So think beyond just the one bat or tennis racket, bring all that is needed and that you typically would use or wear including the right shoes. We can do some really neat things in Photoshop once we get several photos of you in your gear so help us make something really great happen.
Glasses
Most glasses glare! Some prescriptions more than others. Your best bet is to check with your optometrist to see if they will "loan" you an empty set of frames similar to yours for your photo session.
AVOID SUNBURN! Sunburn and peeling skin DO NOT photograph well and is hard to remove!! Tan, yes, burn, no. If you are a fall or spring session and your tan has faded, you might consider tanning. But don't overdo it so you look too fake-and-bake. Also, tan lines are not attractive in portraits. We suggest you vary your swimsuit top to minimize any tan marks. Spray on tanning may look great, but not photograph well, especially if an unnatural color, so choose carefully or skip the tanning.
Complexion
Make-up does wonders. Yes even for guys. A little touch up on blemishes or dark circles makes your previews even better. But don’t worry, most things can be retouched to perfection for the final photos.
Pets
Pets are OK as long as they are well behaved. If bringing a pet you must have someone with you to take care of them, and if needed, leave with them after their shots are taken. The fewer distractions you have the better. Or bring a pet carrier to contain them while you are being photographed without them. Treats can be helpful to hold a dog's attention.
Friends and Parents
A friend or your parents are always welcome. We do not have a waiting room or studio for them to hang out in until you are done so we would ask that they be with you to help, making sure your clothes and hair are just right, or come back when you are done. It's best that whoever is with you is supportive and helpful, not distracting to you or the photographer. You can have a couple of shots with a boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, pet or sibling at no extra charge but in some cases it may be better for them to drive separately and to not have to wait until you are done. If you have any questions please let us know.
Weather for Outdoor Portraits
Let's face it, we are at the mercy of mother nature. If it rains all day, we'll have to reschedule, but many times it will clear up after a while. Don't worry about clouds, they actually help. But rain falling or cold weather is a problem since our photos are taken outside.
Tattoos, Scars, Braces, Piercings
Just let the photographer know if you want tattoos to show or not. It is that easy. Scars and tattoos are not always automatically retouched, but can typically be removed or softened at your request. Extensive work may have a slight extra charge. Braces? Don't worry. You could have the tops taken off for your photo session, or we can most likely retouch them out by computer. But don't fight smiling, a braces smile is better than a "holding back a smile" look.
MORE TIPS FOR GIRLS
Clothing Styles
If going to college, bring something to wear with the name of your college on it. Be careful of baggy clothes that might make you look larger than you are. Make sure your clothing flatters you. If you think you have large arms, be careful of sleeveless styles, they can make your arms look fuller. Long sleeves typically look better.
Wild to mild. Bring formal if you want, something you would wear on a date and something your friends would see you in when being ultra casual. We don't really tell you what you can and cannot wear. A little sexy is ok, but don't make all of your outfits that way. We photograph everything from prom dresses to swimsuits. What one person likes may not be appropriate for the next person. Our philosophy is “as long as your parent’s approve, we don't care”. But remember your yearbook may have a dress code for submitted photos.
Undergarments
Flowered underwear may be a problem with white pants. A white bra under a black sleeveless shirt may also be a problem. Please bring appropriate foundation wear for each outfit. Flesh colored is the best. Also, if you need a strapless bra, bring one. Tucking the straps down usually shows and looks bad with regular clothes. With todays thin fabrics; carefully select these pieces so you can't see unsightly lines.
Finger and Toe Nails
Nails show! If they have the paint all chipped off, it will show. Many casual shots are done barefoot, so don't forget about those toes. Avoid real bright colors. Natural or basic colors work best. We don't want to draw attention to your neon orange toe nails. And they may look really bad with your next outfit. Make sure the bottoms of your feet are clean if going for some natural shots where they might show.
Makeup should only be slightly heavier than normal. About like you might wear in the evening. Mascara should be clean and contain no clumps. So if your mascara is old and clumpy, replace it first.
MORE TIPS FOR GUYS
Clothing
Remember, if mom gets her nice shot for the mantel, she will be much cooler on letting you get what you want. So make her happy by being photographed in what she wants and then in what you want. Bring the right shoes for the outfits. Docs or sandals photograph much better than big, bright tennis shoes so bring both. Bring a dark t-shirt to wear under dark shirts. A white t-shirt triangle under a dark shirt sticks out like a sore thumb so bring black or gray. The white t-shirt is for wearing under light shirts. Avoid large, bold brand names or words on clothing since they date when the photo was taken and may not be so cool in a few years. No need to make your portraits advertising billboards for a clothing brand. Wearing something with your future college on it would be an exception as would wearing your high school uniform with the school name on it. Bring different shirt and tie combinations if that is your look. Blue jeans are a good choice for casual shots. Hoodies may look good with skateboards and other casual shots as can other winter wear with scarves.
Shaving
Please make sure you are clean shaven and that you do a good job shaving. Retouching stubble can be difficult, costs extra and it still does not look as good as a clean shave. Got a goatee or facial hair that mom hates, but you love? Do your casual shots first with it on, then bring a razor and go to the restroom and shave it off for mom's formals. Everyone is happy that way. Just let us know what the plan is.
Hair
Be careful of changes or haircuts right before your session. Bleached hair does not look as good in photographs and you may find it makes the photo look dated once the trend is gone or you are older.
