1.What should I / my children wear?
For children-
Timeless clothing which is simple and classic will help your portrait look great for many years. Solid colors, especially black, white, khaki and even denim work well. Remember that you want the focus on the child so make clothing choices that compliment rather than distract from your child. On small children, light colors, whites and khakis usually look best. Bare feet on babies are great. Dress them in what fits their personality. Bring that tutu your daughter likes to wear around the house or that old baseball hat your son won't take off. You want their personality to show through in their portraits. We will incorporate anything special you have into the photos. For children 3 months and under, I also ask that the parents both bring a long sleeved black shirt to wear, as they will be helping with hands in the photos and need to blend with the background.
For teens/adults-
Some poses may shoe feet so don't forget to bring or wear shoes that go with your outfit. Bare feet and sandals are great for casual as well.
If you plan on getting a haircut, get it a week before. For perms, two weeks. Keep your makeup fresh and natural looking. Foundation matching your skin color reduces shine but be careful. You don't want your face to be a different color than the rest of your body.
For men, a fresh shave is a must!! A 5-o clock shadow cannot be retouched!
Your hands will more than likely be in your portraits so make sure your nails look nice. Remove any jewelry, watches etc that you don't want in your pictures an hour before so as not to have red marks left behind.
Groups - Coordinate your clothing. Nothing is more distracting in group pictures than everyone dressed completely different. (Ex. Have everyone wear jeans, or khakis with the same color top or everyone in earth tones etc) You want the attention on the face. This does not mean everyone needs to match exactly. Just compliment each others outfits
Seniors - Bring simple styles along with your favorite "in style" outfits. Bring a variety of styles and colors. Don't forget the matching shoes and jewelry as well as your class ring. Also bring along any props that show off your personality
-musical instruments
-sports uniforms/equipment
-car/truck
-stuffed animals/collections
-letter jacket
-If you would like to bring your pet, please let us know in advance.
Keep in mind these are all suggestions. This is your session and you are welcome to dress however you like.
2. How many changes of clothing should I bring?
Too many clothing changes takes time away from your portrait session therefore limiting the amount of pictures you get. I recommend no more than 2 or 3 clothing changes. Dressing and undressing small children too many times also makes them irritable and puts them in a mood that we sometimes can't get them out of once they are back in front of the camera. We may also do some "naked baby" or "diaper" shots of children under 1 yr of age. Keep in mind these are only suggestions, there is no limit on outfits so you are welcome to bring as many as you want.
3. Can I bring other family members with me to the session?
We recommend you keep the number of people attending the session to "watch" to a minimum. Too many people standing around distract the child and make it almost impossible to photograph. Try to keep the number of people to one or two to keep down distractions and the babies wanting their attention etc.
4. Do you offer black and white portraits and/or retouching?
Yes. We offer black and white portraits for no extra charge as well as basic retouching. Basic retouching consists of cropping, slight color corrections, adding vignettes, soft focus, getting rid of small blemishes. If you wish to have color selection (where part of your portrait is in black and white and part in color) or additional specified editing, there will be a small charge. Inquire at time of order.
5. Can we use props during our session?
Yes, by all means. We have a few props we provide. If your child has a favorite blanket, teddy bear or little red wagon they love, by all means, bring it along. If your child is into sports bring their favorite basketball and jersey, etc. Do keep props within photos to a minimum so that they don't overpower your child. If we do the session at your home and your child collects certain objects and you would like to photograph them with the collection, we will do a few of that nature for you as well. (Also see Senior section in "what to wear" above)
**Notes
-For babies and young children, make sure they are well rested and try not to schedule your appointment around nap or feeding time. Make sure you bring an extra bottle and diapers. I don't mind stopping for a quick feed and will not take that time off your session time. I have been photographing children for a while and have two of my own. I know how it is.