Clothing suggestions…
When selecting your clothing remember that while some things are really popular at the moment, in five or ten years they may look outdated. (Take a look at your parents’ senior portraits and you’ll see what I mean.) The best thing to do is bring a few trendy things and several traditional choices. Some basic things to remember are the following:
Solid colors look best. In a photograph stripes, patterns, prints and checks are very distracting and draw the attention away from you.
Variety! Bring light, dark, dressy and casual. Bring short sleeves, long sleeves, sweaters, shorts and long pants. If it is summer be sure and bring some long sleeves and sweaters also. Sweaters look great! Black long sleeves look great and go with anything!! The more variety you bring the more interesting your portraits will be.
Avoid strong contrasting outfits. If you are wearing dark tops wear darker bottoms and if you are wearing light tops wear light bottoms.
Avoid wearing a lot of stringy tank tops – all you see is your shoulder and tan lines.
Boys bring more than one extra t-shirt
The most important thing… wear what you like. If you like and are comfortable in what you have on you’ll love your portraits.
The Drape
If you are having the drape photo done with us, be sure you bring a strapless bra or tube top. Pushing straps down doesn’t work with the drape.
Clothing Styles
Make sure your clothing flatters you.
If you think you have large arms, be careful of sleeveless styles, they can make your arms look fuller.
Wild to mild. We don’t really tell you what you can and can not wear. A little sexy is OK, but don’t make ALL of your outfits that way. We photograph everything from prom dresses to swimsuits.
What one person likes may not be appropriate for the next person. Our philosophy is as long as it is rated PG, we don’t care.
Clothes for Black & White
The black and white “glamour” look that is so popular is best with black clothing. The contrast between the skin and black is what makes them so dramatic. So bring some black. Dark bottoms are also in order.
What to bring…
Bring more outfits than you need (4-6). If you can’t decide what to wear let us help you pick out your outfits while your here. And remember, just because you bring it doesn’t mean we will use it!
Wear your first outfit to the session, we always start in the studio first. Also, remember to try and be a quick change artist – the faster you change the more time there will be for you to be photographed.
Feel free to bring a parent to the session. They can help you with your clothing and hair and make you feel more comfortable and relaxed. Most people are nervous at first, but that won’t last long!
Ideas
Bring photographs that you like, either from catalogs, CD covers or magazines – show them to Mike before your session. This way we can be sure and get the look or style you want and your images won’t look the same as anyone elses.
Jackets etc…
Cool jackets, hats and sunglasses make great props. If you have a letter jacket or class ring be sure and bring it! Even if you are not doing the Your Stuff session they are part of your senior year and are very important.
Light or Dark
Also remember, as a general rule, light clothes look better on lighter backgrounds and darker clothes look better on darker backgrounds. So if you prefer dark, bring dark, if you prefer some of both, bring some of both.
Getting Things Here
Group your outfits together ON HANGERS. It is amazing how many people come in with clothes stuffed in a plastic bag and wonder why they are wrinkled! Make sure they are ironed.
Changing Downtown
If you are doing an downtown session, most locations do not have places to change. But if you wear a layered outfit, you can add or drop a piece for a different look.
Weather for Outdoor Portraits
Let’s face it, we are at the mercy of mother nature. If it rains, no fretting will do anything about it, we simply have to reschedule. Don’t worry about clouds, they actually HELP! But rain falling IS a problem.
If it is a morning session, we will take your phone number home with us and call you if we need to cancel due to weather, otherwise, we are on! If it is a daytime and the weather is questionable, simply call the studio.
Props
BRING THEM!! Bring props that help define who you are. Some popular choices are: Sports equipment (soccer ball, football, hockey stick, hurdle, whatever), sports uniforms, music instruments (from school tuba
to rock guitar), activities (dance leotard and shoes, swimming, hobbies, you name it!), vehicles (motorcycles can come in the studio, cars must go to the park, we suggest more than an hour session for car shots).
Glasses
Most glasses glare! Some prescriptions more than others. Your best bet is to check with your optometrist. Most will “loan” you an empty set of frames similar to yours for your photo session.
Sunburn/Tanning
Tan lines are not attractive in portraits. We suggest you vary your swimsuit top or use a tanning bed to minimize any tan marks. Remember to not overdo your tanning, skin that looks like dark leather is not the most attractive.
Avoid Sunburn!
Sunburn and peeling skin DO NOT photograph well!! Tan, yes, burn, no. If you are a winter or spring session and your tan has faded, you might consider tanning. But don’t overdue it so you look too fake-and-bake.
Complexion
We retouch blemishes, so don’t worry about minor breakouts. We even now offer an inexpensive option to retouch your entire folio or album!
Makeup
Makeup should only be slightly heavier than normal. About like you might wear in the evening. Mascara should be clean and contain no clumps. So if your mascara is old and clumpy, replace it first. Avoid makeup with “sparkles” in it. When you move, it makes a nice shimmer, but in a photo, where you are still, it creates a little white spot that almost looks like a zit. Also avoid makeup with an SPF in it. Although it is good for your skin in the sun, the SPF tends to create a shine. Summer shine can be controlled by using translucent powder that knocks out shine without adding additional color.
Hair
Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair right before your session. Let it be natural. Quick easy hairstyle changes during your session are OK, but make it quick or you loose camera time. Artificially bleached hair is often not best, in 10 years you might say “What was I thinking??” Bring your hair care tools and products with you if need be. It IS ok to show up early in curlers if you need to.
Although our photographer tries to help with hair, it is hard to know what your hair “is supposed to look like”. So make sure you like the look or let the photographer know your preferences. Hair style is ultimately YOUR responsibility.
Pets
Pets are OK as long as they are house broken. It is a good idea to have someone bring a pet, then leave with them after. Or bring a pet carrier to contain them while you are being photographed without them. Treats can be helpful to hold a dogs attention.
Tattoos, Scars and Braces
Just let the photographer know if you want tattoos to show or not. It is that easy. Scars are not automatically retouched, but can be removed or softened at your request. Extensive work may have a slight extra charge.
Braces? Don’t worry. You could have the tops taken off for your photo session, or we can retouch them out by computer. But don’t fight smiling, a braces smile is better than a dorky holding back a smile look.
Undergarmets
It is amazing how many times someone will come in wearing flowered underwear and not realize it is a problem until they go to put on their WHITE PANTS! Or come in wearing a white bra and put on a black sleeveless shirt.
Please bring appropriate foundation wear for each outfit. Flesh colored is the best you can hope for. Also, if you need a strapless, bring one. Tucking the straps down usually shows and looks bad. With todays thin fabrics, you might want to carefully select these pieces so they do not give unsightly lines.
Finger & Toe Nails
NAILS SHOW! If they have the paint all chipped off, it will show. Many casual shots are done barefoot, so don’t forget about those toes! Avoid real bright colors. Natural or basic work best. We don’t want to draw attention
to your neon orange toe nails. And they may look really bad with your next outfit!
Money
You don’t need to bring any money, your session is already paid for and you are just here for fun on the day of your session!
And finally remember this, ARRIVE EARLY! We have some paperwork for you to fill out when you get to the studio. We really need to start on time to be able to give you our full attention and not be rushed.
