Portraits can be made either formal or casual. The choice is yours and should reflect your life-style. We do ask that everyone in the group dress in the same style. Many groups will pick a theme color. Everyone wearing blues for instance. Do not mix colors that will compete. A favorite style of this studio is to have the entire family wear black against a black background.
This places the emphasis on the people and their relationship, the clothes and background aren't competing for attention. Remember to dress from head to toe, shoes will likely show. I discourage clients from wearing white shirts unless the background is very light such as the scenery at the beach, because white tends to draw the viewers eye, and detracts the eye from the face
of the subject.For a photo example, look at our Blog entry, don't wear a white shirt Our goal, is for the faces to be prominent, not the clothes. For this reason, we discourage busy patterns and bright colors in your clothing, they'll do the same thing, draw the eye to
the clothes instead of the subject. NEVER wear a lighter colored pant with a darker colored shirt; to do so, will make your bottom half look larger than your top and thats not a good look for males or females. Visit Ann Martin Photography blog entry, don't wear a lighter colored
pant than your shirt and look at the examples, they'll make a believer out of you.
Choose a time of day that is best for your child, don’t schedule at nap or lunch times. The photography can only be as good as the mood of the child. When discussing the session with a small child, just tell them they are going to play at a fun place. Children can tell when parents are nervous or anxious. Don't make it too big a deal. Overreacting will only make your child fearful,
you want to be casual, make the session sound like a fun adventure. We allow parents to be in the camera room. Please relax and enjoy the experience. However, too many people in the camera room results in distractions and poor results. There is a large dressing room where you and baby can take a bottle break if needed.
Our studio has props which will add interest to your portrait, however, we ask you to bring items of importance with you. Bring props which are not distracting or dominating. Do not bring bright plastic toys. Keep props simple. Bring props from home that are your children’s favorites. The blanket (a beautiful recieving blanket or that blankie your child drags around every place they go),
favorite book or stuffed animals, that beautiful heirloom rattle, the monogramed silver cup. These type things make the child feel more comfortable and make the image special and more meaningful to you.
Glass glare on certain types and shaped lenses is nearly impossible to avoid, so we ask that you see your eye doctor for a "loaner" pair of frames. You can also ask your optomotrist to remove your lenses from the frames for your portrait session. Most optometrists are happy to provide these services at no charge. Glass glare removal on a portrait is difficult and results cannot be guaranteed. |
We have a whole page devoted to senior portrait information on this website:Check senior secrets However, photographer Ann Martin loves to discuss her tips for a successful senior portrait session, so we'll discuss a few tips on this page as well.
Oily skin, especially on your face is the enemy, the oil will make shiney spots on your pictures and it won't look good. Wear a foundation makeup that doesn't have a lot of oil in it and if you have oily skin, refresh your makeup with powder during the shoot. You can also get face blotters at the beauty supply or at your makeup counter that are good for absorbing excess oil without messing up your makeup.
Girls should be sure to have fingernails and toenails freshly manicured, or at least remove chipped nail polish, because it will show. Black and blue fingernail polish keeps popping up as a fashion trend. Don't wear it, it's far too trendy and it'll make your fingernails look weird.
Don't wear lotions with glitter in them, because that glitter will show up as tiny little white spots all over your skin. Shave under your arms the day of your photo session; many poses we do with senior girls have their arms over their head and if you are wearing sleevless tops, stubble will show and it's not pretty.
Boys should be sure to shave their beards for the same reason. Don't use a lot of hairspray, gel or other product in your hair when you come in for your senior pics. Your hair should move with you when you tilt your head. Don't forget to take that pony tail holder off your wrist. Short skirts or dresses really limit your posing options, so think carefully before chosing this type of clothing.
Avoid busy or loud patterns because they'll overwhelm your face in your senior photograph. We want the focus of your senior portrait to be YOU, not your clothes. Big stripes will add at least a dress size to your looks as well as distract from your face, don't wear them. Big logos across your chest are not only distracting, they're going
to date your portraits. Strive for a classic, timeless look, something that will be in style now as well as 20 years from now. Check our google blog for more clothing tips such asAnn Martin Photography blog, light colored pants with a darker shirt and look at the examples, they'll make a believer out of you.
I discourage clients from wearing white shirts for most portraits, because white tends to draw the viewers eye, and detracts the eye from the face of the subject.For a photo example, look at our Blog entry, don't wear a white shirt If you want to wear a white shirt, tell your photographer
and Ann will let you know when you have an appropriate background to wear that shirt. White shirts will look good, maybe even great, but they have to be worn against the right background or setting and that setting would be one where the background is the same tonal value as the shirt. Long sleeves or sleevless shirts are best. If you're concerned about the size of your upper arms, then of course, you'll want to wear long sleeves. Mostly, you should know that short sleeves
visually cut the arm in two, short sleeves should be avoided except in the most casual of photographs, however three quarter sleeves are fine. E-mail Ann Martin Photography at annmartinphotography@verizon.net for senior portrait prices and to schedule your free consultation and to book your senior portrait session.
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