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Most important, avoid bold prints, plaids, checks, and stripes. In
a photograph, the effects of "busy" fabric is magnified much
more in a camera lens than with the human eye, and they can ruin a
picture.
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Avoid tank tops, sleeveless, or short-sleeved shirts. Close-ups tend
to make arms look fatter than they really are and flesh that shows so
close to the face will pull the eye away.
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As hard as this may be, try to avoid clothing fads. Something that's cute
and popular now but that may go out of style in a few years will make
your portraits look laughable and silly in the future. (If you
don't believe me, ask your grandfather about leisure suits or your mom
about leg warmers.) You want your children to look at these
pictures and admire how pretty or handsome you were, not laugh at your
clothing. Senior pictures are a time to go with conservative
styles that will stand the test of time.
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Your feet will show in the pictures, so make sure you bring shoes to
coordinate each outfit.
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Guys, make sure you are clean shaven! The camera lens picks up
everything, including stubble. Also, please get a haircut at least
a week ahead of your sitting time, not the day of your pictures.
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Girls, be aware of your necklines. During shooting, low cut
necklines can sometimes slip too low, and some of my
shooting angles will be from above.
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Glasses can sometimes be problematic in photographs if they don't have
an antireflective coating. If you've always worn glasses, then I
encourage you to have them on in your pictures so that you look like
you. However, to avoid glare off the lenses, please have your
optometrist remove the lenses before we take your pictures. (Of
course, you'll want to bring a backup pair along to wear between
photographs.)
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Don't worry if you get a pimple right before picture time. I can
edit these out of your photographs in post-production.
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Bring along accessories and props for some fun shots that tell the story
of who you are. Hats are great fun in some of your shots. If
you play an instrument or a sport, bring your equipment along as a great
way to individualize some of your images. Do you own a car or bike
that's your "baby." Well, let's get it in a picture!
In addition to formal portraits, my goal is to create some
individualized, fun pictures that reflect your special interests and
talents.
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For outdoor location shoots, the best time to
schedule is in the late afternoon a couple of hours before sunset.
The sun is warm and golden at that time and will fill your picture with
beautiful light. Daylight from approximately 10:30 am to 4:00 pm
is often called "devil light" because it is so bright and
harsh that it will blowout your pictures, not to mention rendering all
sorts of shadow problems.
Family
Portraits
In
addition to the items listed above that apply to all good
photographs, here are suggestions for family portraits:
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We
recommend family members dress in the same colors.
This provides your final photograph with a visually cohesive
motif that is very appealing. One of my favorite
family pictures was outdoors with everyone dressed in blue
jeans and white shirts.
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Casual
outfits work best for outdoor photographs. Keep
them simple.
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Long
sleeves and pants photograph the best.
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Pay
special attention to socks and shoes. These will
be seen in your photograph.
Feel
free to discuss any questions, concerns or ideas you have in
advance of your appointment.
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