Tip #5.  Relax!

You can have all the right elements in place to have a great portrait session (see the first four tips) and have a less than desirable session because you are tense!

Relax.

Breathe.

This is why Photography By Ski comes to YOU at YOUR convenience.  By us coming to you, we reduce some of the stress because now you don’t need to get the family in the car and try to find a studio you’ve never been to before.  Also, this allows you to put off getting your younger children dressed until we arrive (it takes times for us to set things up).

A relaxed family is a happy family and produces a stunning portrait!

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As we continue with our miniseries on making the most of your next portrait session, it is important to keep in mind that the most important part of any portrait is the face.

With that being said, here is your next tip.

Tip #3.  Consider long sleeves! Because your skin is the same color as your face, having your portrait taken in short sleeves – or even worse – in a sleeveless shirt – will take away the attention from your face to other skin that is showing.

In addition to this, long sleeves can hide things that you might not want in your portrait such as tattoos and scars.

Plus, in the event that you might have a little extra in your arms, the long sleeve will hide this too.

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In yesterday’s post, I started this new miniseries by talking about clothing.  You learned that the face is the most important part of any portrait.

Tip #2.  Avoid designs and logos. It is strongly recommended to keep your outfits plain and as undistracting as possible.

Logos and funky designs might look chic, but in a portrait, they will be very distracting.

Remember, you do not want anything to distract from your face.

The ultimate goal of a portrait is to keep it timeless. What does this mean?  Well, by wearing trendy clothes for your portraits, you may date the portrait, which is not usually done.  (However, this does not apply to High School Senior portraits.)

Keep in mind that Photography By Ski will consult with you prior to your session so that you are ready to make a fantastic portrait.

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With this post, we are starting a miniseries addressing how you can make the most of your next portrait session.

First, realize that, for the most part, the most important part of an image is the face.  Now, this does not apply to some images such as bridal portraits…and this is only my professional opinion.

Years from now, you are not going to care what the style of clothes you were wearing.  You are going to care what you looked like.

So, with that in mind, these first several tips are going to address how you can help the photographer emphasize your face.

Tip #1.  Clothing. Without a doubt, the one thing that ruins more portraits than anything else is uncoordinated clothing!

While Photography By Ski does talk to every client about clothing choices prior to your session, here is a BIG tip:  keep your clothing choice subtle…meaning non-distracting.  You do not want your clothes to take the viewer’s eyes away from your face.  When someone sees your portrait for the first time, you want their eyes to go to your faces(s) first…not the background, the clothes or props.

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When we are asked questions about pricing, we don’t take offense.

Rather, we take the time to interact with the person asking the question.

We ask them:  “compared to what?”

Many people who call us are comparing our prices (and that of all professional photographers for that matter) with Walmart, Target and Sears (to name a few).

When you choose a professional photographer…you get SO MUCH more than what these other “500 prints for $4″ inexpensive studios offer you.

When considering an inexpensive or mall studio, ask yourself these questions…

• What do you get for what you pay?  If you went to a car dealership and they offered you a brand new, fully loaded car for $5,000…would you expect that there’s more to the story then they are telling you?  The same thing applies here.
• Is retouching included?  If not, how much extra will it cost?  Chances are good that it’s not included.
• Will they place your images online at no extra charge for family outside the area?
• How is their customer service?  If you have a problem, can you go back to the studio or do you need to call a toll free number to get resolution?
• Do they archive your images?  This is very important.  What if your images are damaged?  If they do archive them for you, how easily is it for you to get reprints?

Remember:  when you see a special for 55 pictures for $9.95…that doesn’t include retouching, delivery, or other services that a PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER will give you.

Look.

The choice is yours.

But choose wisely.

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