TIPS & SUGGESTIONS FROM SUSAN

Consider your decorating style wherever you intend to display your portraits. Do you tend to decorate in warm or cool colors? Bold or muted tones? With large-scale center-of-attention pieces or small-scale groupings?

Are you seeking a formal or lifestyle feel or a combination of both?

What are you looking to come away with from your portrait session – small-scale prints or products, enlargement prints, framed art or collages, large-scale wall art, digital images, greeting cards, etc.? Knowing this can help me decide how to compose your poses when we are photographing.

Would you like to incorporate meaningful props in the setting – a family quilt, chair or stool?

We will spend time in-person, going over specific questions that I have in order to get to know you better so that we are sure to capture the real you in your senior portraits. A few things that you can be thinking over beforehand are:

 

• Do you feel most excited about a scenic feel? An urban feel? A themed feel based on your hobbies & interests?
• Be aware of your school’s deadline and guidelines for yearbook portrait submission so that we come away with good choices for you to pick from for your senior yearbook.
• I am not at all offended by clients showing me things they like on Pinterest. My style of photography is easy to recognize as
  you browse my website, Facebook & Instagram and you have chosen to work with me based on these images. I don’t try to recreate other photographers’ work. However, I absolutely want to know poses & settings that you adore (and also ones that you don’t).
• Layers, layers, layers! They give us great opportunities to quickly & easily change up a look. Sweaters, cardigans/jackets, scarves, things to quickly change a hairstyle, shoes and jewelry. Some would say that you should not wear a hat in your senior pictures and while I would tend to agree, if people nearly always see you with a hat on, well….that’s who you are and we should get that, too.

My photography style tends to be simply stated with families. However, including a subtle or meaningful prop can really make for a lasting reminder of this time in a family’s life, especially where there are young children involved.

These are your family portraits and, therefore, your preferences rule. However, if you are seeking input, I recommend the following:

• Consider wearing clothing that spans seasons. Unless we are specifically doing a high-summer or winter-themed session, I recommend foregoing the tank tops and mukluks.
• I prefer a nice mix of coordinating colors rather than everything matching. Too much pattern or texture is distracting, but a touch can really bring life to an image.

Making sure everyone is well rested and well fed before our photo session makes for a more relaxed session and the happiest expressions. Finally, Have fun!

While I tend to not use many props, children are often the exception to this rule. Children love to play so feel free to bring along their favorite things which can really help them to relax and bring out the true smiles and expressions.

I have a small cache of props that we can choose from if they compliment your wardrobe and style choices. I’ve also had families bring balloons, favorite books, stuffed animals, a family-chair or quilt and many other things during their sessions. When meaningful props are used subtly, they can really make for memorable times.

Comfortable clothing and complimentary colors for siblings is highly recommended. Make sure to highlight who they are by dressing accordingly…sassy, soft, adventurous, playful?

While best lighting is typically two hours before sunset and after sunrise, it is often better to accommodate nap times and seek open shade rather than ask children to enjoy a photo session when they would normally be sleeping.

In addition to being well rested, another key to a happy little person is a full tummy so having a meal beforehand or bringing a healthy (not messy) snack is a definite yes. Finally, Have fun!

Think about where you will be using your images and plan your attire accordingly. I suggest going one half-step more formal than your normal daily work attire for your online business presence.

• For men: If you typically wear a dress shirt and khakis to work, I suggest a blazer for your session. If you typically wear a blazer to work, I suggest adding a tie for your session. Short sleeved shirts are not recommended as they can be distracting in certain crop formats.
• For women: Wear a dress shirt and khakis to work? I suggest a blazer or other jacket for your session. I don’t recommend sweaters unless they are used as an accent piece over a blouse. Sweater-only images can appear dated more quickly than wearing a blouse or blouse and vest/jacket.

Come well rested and all spiffed up in your best groomed skin and freshly brushed pearly whites.

We will likely be photographing in or around your home in order to set your beloved pet friend at ease. To that end, you may be happiest choosing an area with as much natural light as possible and then straightening and tidying that area so that any backgrounds are free from clutter. I suggest having things around that are familiar and comforting to your pet. I will be spending several minutes before we get started taking photos to get acquainted and play with your pet (yay for me!) in order to ease any anxieties before the picture taking begins.