Tips for Your Session

A Few Tips for Your Upcoming Senior Session.

I love photographing high school seniors. You are so full of life, interesting to talk to. You are dreaming of your future and all that lies ahead of you. The thing that makes it most interesting to me is I can be more creative in how I photograph you. It is always an opportunity to do something new and exciting. You can be creative on how you approach the session. You can be you. While we both want to be creative, my overriding goal is to present you with images you will be proud of for years to come. We want to create images that capture who you are in an interesting and classy way. My other goal is to have a good time so that you will be relaxed and enjoy the creative process. To help you out I've put together a few tips to help you decide what to wear and what to bring to your session. If you have any questions feel free to give us a call.

1. I try not to tell teenagers what to wear in a senior portrait session because often the way you dress says who you are. There are some general rules of portraiture that if you follow will pay dividends and result in a timeless and treasured portrait. But, if you have something that you like that appears to break the rules, by all means break the rule. We will take lots of shots giving you a chance to do a little of each so don't be afraid do it your way.
2. Long sleeves and long pants photograph better.
3. You girls can use a little more makeup than you might usually use because it photographs well. If you use make up around the eyes it is best to stay with natural tones. Try not to go dark around the eyes. We want to get light into your eyes, the windows of the soul.
4. Stay away from fluorescent orange and green finger and toenail polishes.
5. Accessories can make the whole shoot so bring lots of them. Hats, gloves, ties, flowers, bows, and other such things can ad interest and beauty to a photograph. Other things to consider, especially for teens, are accessories that show your interests. Musical instruments, hobby related items, skis, ball gloves, horses, cars, etc. are all things that will help to show who you are.
6. This is NOT a time to change your hair style. Guys - it is generally not good to get a hair cut the day before your session. Gals - if you try a new style you might not like it and it will be there in your portrait for all to see for years.
7. You may not want to wear the latest fads in clothing for every image. Be a little conservative so that your portrait will last a life time and not show off the era in which the photo was shot.
8. Modern tennis shoes are not the best, unless it is a sports shot. The newer canvas tennis shoes are fine, dress shoes, boots or barefoot all work well.
9. Denim and solid earth tone colors are examples of things that work well.
10. Allow plenty of time so you are not rushed. Just relax – we are going to have fun. It is my job to create an artistic portrait and it will be much easier if you are relaxed. Bring some good jokes and let's have a great time at your portrait shoot!