Important information to make your session fun and successful

Creative photography is a partnership between the photographer and the subject. These suggestions will help make your portrait session more enjoyable and more successful.

Portraits

Look and feel your best

We want you to feel your best. This will help you look your best in your photos.

How can you help?

Get a good night's sleep. Make sure that everyone is well rested before the session. If you are tired your eyes may be puffy and your enthusiasm will be low. If you are stressed, you will not be able to relax. If you have a particular activity or regimen that helps you relax and feel better, do it before your session.

Grab a snack. Most people don't realize that having your portrait taken requires a lot of energy. If you don't have any energy you will feel dull and lifeless and your photographs will reflect that. Grab a snack before the session to keep your energy up.

This is especially important for children since their attention spans are generally shorter and their tolerance for photo sessions tends to be less than adults because they do not understand the process in which they are involved.

Clothing

When selecting clothing for your portrait try to choose items that will not draw attention away from the face. Solid, muted colors are usually the best choice. Avoid bright colors, bold prints, or clothing with patterns or writing.

For outdoor portaits, the best color choices are those found in nature: browns, tans, greens and blues.

It is important that the colors each person will wear looks good next to each other. Everybody in the portrait should be dressed similarly so that no one person stands out too much.

Props

You may wish to bring toys for your children to play with during a portrait session. Toys will help keep children occupied and keep them from becoming tired of the portrait process. A favorite toy can help to capture their true personality. Select toys or sports gear that reflect your children's interests.

Adults may also wish to have props to help tell their story. Is your motorcycle or sports car a part of who you are? Are you a painter or musician? Then perhaps an easel or your instrument will help bring out your true self. Couples may want to bring a picnic basket, blanket or even a frisbee for a day in the park.

Distractions for children

Children quickly lose interest in activities they don't fully understand and can become irritable. Make sure that your young child is rested and fed before the portrait session. Consider bringing snacks or a bag of toys that you can reveal at different times during the shoot. Avoid new outfits that may be uncomfortable for your child.

We will help your child feel comfortable in front of the camera, and will try to limit any photos that require sitting still and posing. You know best what keeps your child happy, though, so any ideas you have are encouraged.

Events

Clothing

Just like a portrait session, clothing with no strong patterns or prints works better for photographs. However, your choice of clothing is understandably often limited and in many cases you want your best, brightest finery at your event. Perhaps it's even a specific costume. We understand that and will work with your choices.

For posed formals, just like portraits, clothing that looks good together works the best. Again, we understand that during events this is not always possible.

Props

Appropriate props can help tell the story of an event. A podium, an arch, or other special item can provide interest for your posed formals.