PREPARING FOR YOUR SESSION

Purpose

Your session may be for one or more purposes. 

1. General Portraiture
2. Headshots (acting, business, modeling, pageants, etc.)
3. Model portfolios and composites
4. Senior portraits – portraits for family, friends and you.  These sessions can include:
   1. Dressy or casual, posed or spontaneous
   2. Activities (uniforms, letter jackets, trophies, awards, etc.)
   3. Cap and gown
   4. Other special clothing or props
5. Glamour – portraits designed to present the most beautiful, glamorous, or sensual aspects of you; includes “magazine style,” lingerie, and artistic semi-nude or nude photography. 

Selecting Styles

Rather than adhering to one standard look, we prefer that you design your session by selecting the style and wardrobe that best represents your personality.

Consider these styles:

• Color, black-and-white, monochromes (sepias, rusts, and blues)
• Close-ups, full length, ¾ length
• Traditional, non-traditional
• In studio, outside location

You may select very specific looks from images in the studio or on our website.  Many clients also choose bring in ideas of their own or poses they have seen in magazines. Please make note of what you are selecting when you plan your session.

A word on location portraiture

Some of our clients prefer to have part of their session shot on location, weather permitting. Please tell us in advance if you would like to go on location, but be willing to do the entire shoot indoors in case of bad weather.

A few related items:

1. Weather problems include rain, humidity, heat, cold, and wind, and are unfortunately out of our control. However, poor weather can often be worked around, and many of our best shots have been done in unfavorable conditions.
2. Some locations are limited for use by time of day.  Let us know when scheduling if you like a specific location.
3. Because overhead costs for photography are high, session fees and makeup fees are non refundable.  Rescheduled sessions (due to weather or other factors) will be at additional expense unless rescheduled 10 days in advance. 
4. It is very difficult for us to reschedule sessions on short notice.  Therefore, we do not recommend scheduling an outdoor only portrait session unless you are flexible with time. 
5. Remember, we have complete control over lighting in the studio and can get more accurate exposure and skin tones.  Outdoor lighting is harder to control so success rate is lower.

Make-up and Hair

Because makeup for photography is different than everyday makeup, most of our clients request that we schedule a professional make-up artist prior to their session.  Cameras are unable to reflect all of the subtleties that our eyes see and therefore, some makeup modifications are necessary.  This is especially important if any of the session is to be shot in black-and-white because many colors turn the same shade of gray, reducing contrast and definition. 

If you are having us schedule a professional make-up artist for you, please arrive for your session wearing no makeup or allow time to remove it upon arrival (10 minutes earlier).  Come with your hair as close to how you want it during your session.  If you want a style that requires rollers, it is best to arrive in rollers or arrive early enough that you can roll your hair before your makeup session. 

For best results, use a makeup artist that is familiar with black and white photography.  We will be more than happy to recommend a makeup artist if you choose not to have us schedule on for you. 

Many of our clients wish to do two hairstyles during their session (wavy, curly, straight, etc.) If you wish to do so, you have two options. First, you can schedule to separate sessions, one for each hairstyle. Your other option is to do a longer session, and spend some of the time switching hairstyles in between. If you choose to do the latter, remember to come prepared with any accessories necessary and be aware that the time spent fixing your hair will be part of your session time.

Please make sure you can move, tilt, and turn freely without your hair falling over one or both eyes. Asymmetric haircuts with side bangs may limit you to very rigid (sometimes unnatural) poses or may require heavy hairspray which many clients feel make their hair look too stiff.  Dramatic side bangs can also make it difficult to do outside shots if there is even a mild breeze.

Also, if you have a hairstyle that is parted on one side make sure you take into account the fact that most people’s face are not symmetrical and have one side they feel is prettier, brighter, more positive, etc., than the other. (Most people have one side of their face where the eyes are bigger and the smile is longer). You usually want to turn your brighter side facing the camera so we can feature it. Take a quick look in your mirror and study your face to make sure your part is on your “good side” or that you can turn your preferred side to the camera without your hair blocking your face.

If your bangs are meant to cover your forehead, please make sure they do not drop to the level of your eyelashes. Images captured by cameras are different than what we see with our eyes. They are two dimensional and will make the bangs and eyes appear to be on the same plane. You want to have definition between where the bangs end and the eyelashes begin.

MEN – in most cases we do not schedule a professional photo stylist for men but we do use translucent powder to reduce shine on faces.  If desired we can schedule a stylist.  While the amount of preparation for our male clients is les than that required by our female clients, it is still necessary for us to charge the full fee for photo styling in order to secure the stylist’s time. 

Please analyze your hair before scheduling your session. If your portraits are for others, get their opinion. You will need to make sure that your bangs do not fall to the level of your eyelashes. Parents and the male subjects need to agree on how the hair is to look long before the session. Do not rely on the photographer to settle differences. Do not let too much time elapse after a haircut to shoot, but avoid last minute haircuts.

Skin

We have yet to have any of our clients say their skin looks “dry” or “ashy” in their pictures, so please do NOT apply any shiny, oily moisturizer to your arms or legs. This makes skin look oily and it also makes skin more difficult to retouch. Also, stay away from shiny lip gloss, as it reflects the lights and produces bright white spots in the images.

While you may be tempted to tan before your session, don’t! The darker your skin tone, the more difficult it is to make natural looking monochromes (black and white, sepia, etc.) If you are worried about looking pale in your pictures, we can darken your skin tone on the computer easier than trying to lighten up skin that is too tan. Also, self tanning and mystic tanning can look more orange in pictures than in person, so try not to use either prior to your session.

Wardrobe

There are no absolutes when selecting a wardrobe for portraits.  Feel free to bring anything you feel looks good on you, as well as anything you feel displays your personality well.  We do have a few recommendations:

1. Basic colors are most flattering in studio portraiture—black, white and primary colors (reds, yellows, blues, etc.).  Softer colors (pastel blues, light greens and tans) work well for outdoor color portraits. 
2. Generally, solids are preferred over patterns.  Sometimes a bold pattern can add to the overall statement made in a photo but they can also be very distracting. 
3. Wardrobe for couples can be a mixture of solids and patterns but this rarely works with three or more subjects.  Dressing groups alike is the easiest and safest way to ensure that the clothes pull people together.
4. Guidelines for flattering styles
   1. Weight – If you feel that photographs tend to make you look too heavy or too thin, do not select short dresses, spaghetti straps, or strapless dresses.  Men should not wear a suit jacket that does not fit.
   2. Height - Use shorter dresses, high heels and boots to make legs look longer.
   3. Necks and Chins – One of the most common complaints from our 40 and older clientele is that they don’t like the way their neck looks in photos.  Scarves and shirts with collars are helpful in this situation.  Do not, however, wear a turtle neck to try and hide a double chin. We can work with double chins through posing, lighting and retouching. 
   4. Shirts and Sweaters – Sweaters are great for photographs. However, starched shirts (especially in light colors) often look wrinkled in photographs and are extremely difficult to retouch.  Please try to avoid them if possible.
   5. Versatile clothing – A few of the most versatile items to consider bringing include:

                                                               i.      Black cocktail dresses

                                                             ii.      Jeans

                                                            iii.      Solid blouses and shirts

                                                           iv.      Pearls, diamonds or rhinestone studs

                                                             v.      Sweaters

                                                           vi.      Anything black

6. Some other things to consider

                                                               i.      Hats – great for variety

                                                             ii.      Jewelry

                                                            iii.      Sunglasses

                                                           iv.      Favorite items for props

                                                             v.      Lingerie – you will have to provide this as we do not stock lingerie items

                                                           vi.      Long dresses for formal or dramatic looks.

5. Don’t forget that tight clothing, including bras and socks, leave marks on the skin.  Think about what parts of your skin will be showing and dress appropriately.
6. When planning your wardrobe for your session, be sure to think about what undergarments you will wear with what outfits. While it is easy to forget or not notice that a bra strap is showing, it is extremely difficult to retouch out of a picture. Also, try to be mindful of the color and style of bra you choose to wear. Dark colors and extremely light colors (like white) often show through material and become obvious. Neutral shades of tan work best with almost all tops. 
7. Complicated shirts, heavy dresses, or outfits with a lot of buttons can take awhile to change in and out of. Try to be aware of the time it takes to change, as it can take up a good portion of your session time.

Self-Analysis

It doesn’t hurt to look at previous photos of yourself and evaluate what you like and don’t like about the photo.  How do you like your smile?  Is there one side of your face that you favor?  Most people have a positive side of their face (usually on this side one eye is larger, the eyebrow sits higher, the smile is longer).  If so, does your hairstyle open up this side or shut it off?  The photographer and makeup artist will help you determine your strong side.  Many of our clients separate their teeth slightly when smiling, and their tongue sticks out between the gap. Most of the time, they don’t even notice that they’re doing it.  It may not look unusual in person but it stands out in photographs and most people are unhappy with the way it looks.  This is usually prevented if you practice in front of a mirror before the shoot.  Consider practicing a few expressions to increase your comfort the day of the shoot. 

Plan to Shoot Solo

The day of your shoot no family members or friends will be allowed in the actual shooting room while you are having your portraits done. They’re more than welcome to accompany you and wait in the main studio, but will not be allowed in the back during the session. We do this for several reasons:

1. The photographer and client have a harder time concentrating with other people in the room so expressions will be less genuine and the session might be less satisfying for you.
2. People change faster and can do more looks (sessions are limited by time).
3. Being photogenic is mostly mental.  If you are upset or distracted, it will affect your photos. Related to this, DO NOT BRING A PHONE into the shooting room or turn it off for the session. 

Most importantly – HAVE A GOOD TIME!!

Please arrange ahead of time if you would like to take pictures with another person during your individual portrait session.