Planning Your Senior Portrait Session
Many students are very excited and nervous about their senior portraits because they care so deeply about how they will look. Being thoroughly prepared for your photography session will help keep you calm and confident. Chances are, you haven't done anything like this before. We have put together some information to help you prepare for your portrait session and look your very best..
Please arrive on time. This is important. If you are running late this will make you even more nervous and it will be harder to relax. Also we may have to reschedule part of your session because we may have another session scheduled after yours. You would not want to have to wait because the person before you was not on time for their session. Props and poses are chosen according to your clothing style. Please bring at least one extra outfit, just in case.
Get everything ready the night before your session. If you know you've got everything together you will be more relaxed and ready to enjoy the session. Make sure that your clothes are ironed as we may not be able to remove wrinkles that show in the photos. Even if we can, it may be very expensive to retouch them out.
One of the best ways to organize is to put everything on one hanger for each outfit. For example, put jewelry and shoes in a plastic zip lock bag and hang it on the hanger with the clothing it goes with. This way you will not forget anything. Bring makeup, combs or brushes, a curling iron and other hair accessories, clothing, and any other objects you'd like to be in the photo.
Special concerns
Friends
Having a friend in your photos is part of the fun of your senior portrait experience. If they are going to be part of your indoor session, they should be at the studio when you arrive. Remember, this is your day! We suggest limiting your photo with a friend to one outfit only.
Collections and special props
Collections and activities are part of you and your life. Sports equipment, uniforms, musical instruments, artist materials, or part of collections, all say something about you. We will gladly work them into your photo session. If you have any questions, call. Chances are we can do it!
Hair
Your hair style is ultimately up to you, wear it the way you normally do. Quick hair-do changes are a fun way to showcase your different styles, but keep it simple. You don't want to waste your session time in the front of the mirror! Avoid a radical change in style right before your session.
Make-up
Wear your makeup as you normally do, just slightly heavier, as you would for an evening out. Don’t normally wear make up? Try just the basics: concealer will even out skin tone, powder will help with any unwanted shine, and lip gloss will add a perfect finishing touch. Don't forget to bring your make-up and hair brush with you to your session.
Facial Hair
Guys, please make sure you are clean shaven. If you have a moustache, beard or goatee it should be neatly trimmed.
Braces
Most everyone likes to have at least a few poses with a beautiful smile. If you have braces, please practice smiling naturally. Don't worry about your braces. We can remove them with digital imaging and they won't appear in the final portrait.
Glasses
Unfortunately most glasses have glare, and some prescriptions have more than others. We recommend checking with your optometrist, as most will loan you an empty set of frames similar to yours for your photo session. We try our best to have poses and lighting that do not cause glasses glare but we don't want to sacrifice a great pose and expression for something that can be eliminated. Our digital imaging can remove some glasses glare in your portraits, but not if it covers the major portion of the eye. Also some glasses distort the appearance of the eye. We can often correct that but the retouching may be expensive.
Contact lenses
Bring your solution and contacts case. The lights may dry your eyes and cause you to blink. Contact lenses rarely show in a photograph, however, colored lenses can add a great deal of color.
Jewelry
Keep it simple, we want the attention on you. Big, shiny jewelry can be distracting. If you have different jewelry for different outfits, put each set of jewelry in a plastic zip lock bag and hang it on the hangar with that outfit.
Sunburn
Avoid excessive sun prior to your session, sunburn and peeling do not photograph well. Digital imaging can help fix this problem, but it looks best without sunburn at all. A suntan can enhance your photographs but tan lines are very unappealing and difficult to correct. If you are tanning, move the straps around so that you don't develop tan lines. If you do have tan lines, wear clothing that will hide them.
Tattoos, Piercing and Scars
Please let us know whether a visible scar, tattoo, or piercing is something you would like to have show or not. If possible we can conceal them before the photos are taken. Scars and tattoos are not automatically retouched unless you request it. Most can be removed or softened but if extensive work is needed to conceal a tattoo or scar there will be an extra charge.
Moles and beauty marks
These personal attributes are what make you who you are. Please let us know If you want them removed.
Visit our Senior's Portrait Gallery to see some of the photos that we can create for you
