Suggestions and Tips for Your Photo Session

Clothing

Choosing the right clothing can make all the difference between a nice picture and an exceptional portrait. When deciding what to wear for your portrait, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Avoid wide stripes, checks, and plaids. Choose solid colors over large or bold patterns. Neckties should be toned down in color and have minimum pattern. Darker tones are best for formal portraits.

The focal point of your picture should be your face. Therefore, it is important to wear clothing that does not draw the viewer's attention away from your face. For adults, especially in one person portraits, we suggest long sleeves and long pants/skirts instead of shorts. When arms and legs are exposed to the camera there will be more flesh in the photograph in those areas than there is on the face. This is a major distraction.

Be aware that fingernail polish can be a big problem in portraits. Try to avoid bright or distracting colors.

Infants

Infants usually look best in pastel or white outfits.

Avoid outfits with ruffles or collars that might cover your baby's face. It is a good idea to try the outfit on your child beforehand to see if the collar/neckline comes up too far when he is lying down.

When planning your session, think about what time of day your baby is usually the happiest and most alert. Make sure the baby has been fed and changed prior to the session.

Bring a bottle, diapers, at least one change of clothes, and some of baby's favorite toys.

If your baby has a special blanket, toy, bassinet, or other prop, feel free to bring it to your photo shoot and we will try to work it into the photos.

A blanket or towel with the baby's name or initials embroidered on it is a great photo prop.

Children

Children can wear just about anything, depending on the type of picture you want. For casual pictures, boys can wear jeans or overalls, and simple dresses are always great for girls. Bare feet are also nice. For dressier pictures, boys can wear slacks with button-up shirts. Vests and ties are also appropriate.

Do not schedule a photo session during your child's nap time or meal time.


If you think your child will need it, bring a simple, non-messy snack -- no grape popsicles! :)


Family or Group Portraits

Coordinating or matching clothing can go a long way in enhancing group portraits. A few easy suggestions that always look good are denim and white, denim and black, khaki and blue, or khaki and white. You can also choose a color theme. (For example, everyone could wear something {shirt, dress, tie, vest, etc.} red.) Another option is to wear various colors of the same shade (such as khaki pants/skirts with various colors of pastel tops, or blue pants/skirts with various primary/bright tops).

For group portraits it is a good idea to lay out all the clothing on a bed, then step back and take a careful look at it. If one item stands out more than the others, you can be certain that the same thing will happen in a photograph. Replace the item with something more appropriate.

For large extended family portraits it is nice to have everyone coordinating, while each family has its own color. (For example, everyone wears denim pants/skirts, one family wears red tops, another yellow, another blue, etc.)

Men

The best time to get a haircut is about a week before the photo shoot. You will want to shave within a few hours of the session for best results. If you have a mustache or beard, it will look best with a fresh trim.

Ladies

If you are concerned about your weight, here are a few suggestions:

~Dark colors have a slimming effect
~Avoid tight-fitting jeans or tops
~Wide necklines, spaghetti straps, sleeveless tops, etc. will make you appear heavier.
~ Long sleeves/skirts are great

If You Wear Glasses...

~There is no need to have your picture taken without them. We want you to look like yourself in your photographs!

~Please clean your glasses before the session. Spots or fingerprints may show up in your photos.

~If you have contacts, consider wearing them instead.

~Glare on glasses can ruin a picture or cause a lot of extra editing for the photographer. You might want to consider removing the lenses from your frames.

~If you wear glasses that darken in bright lighting, they will definitely turn dark under studio lights and even in outdoor photos. Please wear a different pair of glasses for your photo session or remove the lenses from the frames.

Props

Bringing your own props help us to create a special and very personalized photograph. We encourage you to bring along anything you would like to have included in your photos.

Some suggestions:

~Musical Instruments

~Hats
~Sports gear: uniform, jacket, hat/helmet, balls, bats, etc.
~Toys: a favorite doll or stuffed animal, book, tricycles, wagons, skateboards

~Pets - Outdoor Photo Sessions ONLY. Because getting pets to cooperate and pose can be extremely difficult, there will be an additional $15 fee per animal. Please notify us of your intentions to bring a pet ahead of time. You are required to bring a kennel or an additional person (not in the photographs) who will be able to take responsibility for the pet during the session.