Relax and, most importantly, be yourself! Your session is going to be great because you are the subject. So leave your worries at home, be prepared, and you will have a great set of pictures that perfectly capture who you are at this very important stage of your life.
THE RULES
Wait a minute…rules are there to be broken, right?!
Here are some guidelines rather to make your session the best it can be…!
Wardrobe: Make sure all of the outfits you wear are complete, clean and pressed. Wrinkles, rips, and stains will show. Long sleeves are best. We want the focus of the portrait to be on your face and not on your arms. Bring your favorite clothes – if you think you look good in them, you’ll love your portraits.
The best suggestion is to start a few days before selecting your outfits and accessories and placing everything together so you don’t forget anything the day of your session. Don’t forget to bring anything that holds a special place in your life -- your musical instrument, snowboard, even a favorite pet. It will be part of telling your story. You will need to haul your change of clothes and favorite things around so bring a suitcase, preferably with wheels. It is an easy way to get all of your goodies from place to place.
Clothing Trends: Super-oversized clothes aren’t as flattering in photographs as they might be in person. On the other hand, anything too tight may give you unwanted bulges and may make you look uncomfortable.
Sunglasses: Got a pair of shades that you just love? Maybe they are vintage or the newest pair on the fashion scene… bring them!
Glasses: Your eyeglasses can cause distortions, and magnifications that are difficult to fix. Lenses that turn into sunglasses when hit by sun can also be a problem. We will do all we can to minimize and eliminate these problems while photographing you, but we do have limitations. To ensure that you don’t have these problems, you may want to ask your optician to remove your lenses for the session or to lend you a pair of the same frames without the lenses in them. You will only need the loaner frames for a few hours.
Makeup, Shaving, Skin, Hands, & Hair
Women: We recommend you apply your makeup as you would any other day. Look like yourself. Be careful of tan lines and sunburns. They are difficult to remove.
Men: Make sure you have a fresh shave. A five o’clock shadow is difficult to remove.
Skin: As hard as it is to resist, try not to write your assignment or that smiley face on your hand in Sharpie before your session. If you have applied any play tattoos, these are also hard to fix later. So make sure any temporary markings on your skin are cleaned off.
Tattoos/Piercings: If you are pierced, painted and proud, we love your spirit and will make sure that we take some pictures that celebrate your individuality. If your loved ones would like some tamer shots, we have tricks that can accommodate those tastes too!
Hands: Make sure hands and nails look finished. Chipped or broken nails are expensive to fix. Please remove old polish. Use some hand lotion just before you are photographed to make sure hands look soft and healthy.
Hair: If you plan to have your hair cut or colored, schedule it two or three weeks prior to your session. This will give time for your hair to lose that just-cut look and if it’s a cut you don’t like, you’ll have time to grow it out a little. Remember, a fresh cut may reveal un-tanned skin.
Hangout at the Session: Senior portraits have changed over the years and we have found that seniors enjoy themselves when family or friends come to support them!
