QUESTIONS? WE’VE GOT ANSWERS!
How many outfits and what kind?
Bring more than you need. If you can’t decide what to wear, bring a bunch and we’ll help you pick the outfits that will flatter you the most.
Save time and wear your first outfit to the session.
Wear to the session the outfit that requires the most time to put on or prepare for. Be prepared to be a “quick change artist” between outfits – the faster you change the more outfits you can be photographed in and really show your many personalities. Outdoor portrait sessions may provide limited opportunity to change outfits depending on the location.
Bring your trusted advisers! You’ll be glad they came to help and watch.
Feel free to bring parents, friends and/or siblings along so they can help you with your clothing and hair. They’ll also make you feel more yourself, and that will show in your portraits!
Bring photos you like.
If you see photos you like in magazines, Web sites, CD covers or friends’ portraits, bring them with you to show your photographer before you start your session. By bringing in your own ideas you will be assured of getting the styles you like. Plus, your images won’t look like anyone else’s!
Express Yourself!
Bring stuff to use as props in some poses to help personalize your session. Athletic uniforms and sports equipment, musical instruments, hobby related or items reflecting your special interests are especially welcome. Let your imagination run free. (Please note that items prohibited from school or by law are not permitted.)
Makeup for girls?
If you wear makeup, you’ll want to have some in your portraits. Remember that a little goes a long way, so don’t overdo it.
Pay special attention to your eyes and lips, as they will be the first things people will see in your portraits. If you don’t use colored lipstick, try some clear lip gloss to give your lips a little shine and to keep them from looking dry and cracked.
Also—avoid glitter makeup, which leaves small white dots on your skin in your photographs. You will not like the way glitter makeup looks so please do not use it
Glasses?
If you wear glasses all the time, you’ll definitely want to wear them for your portraits.
To eliminate distracting glare and reflections, call your optician and arrange to either borrow a pair of empty frames like yours or have the lenses removed from your own frames. Most opticians will gladly do this for free if you give them a few days’ notice. This is the most important way to improve your portraits if you wear glasses.
If you choose to wear your glasses with the lenses in, keep in mind that removing glass glare from your photographs will be done at your expense.
Suntan?
It’s very important that you avoid spending too much time in the sun or the tanning booth just before your session. We can make you look more tanned in your portraits, but it’s almost impossible to fix a sunburned or peeling face. Tan lines from swimsuits or tank tops can be corrected, but can become expensive. We therefore strongly suggest that you “under-do” your sun exposure prior to your session, rather than overdoing it.
Remember, we’re photographing you, not your outfit. Because you’ll be looking at these photographs for the rest of your life, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind when selecting your clothing:
Solid colors photograph best.
Variety is important. Loud patterns, large checks and stripes tend to be distracting in portraits. Solid colors draw attention to your expression instead of to your outfit.
If one of your outfits is light colored, bring another that is dark. If one is more dressy, bring another that’s casual. If you’re wearing shorts with one outfit, make sure you have long pants for another. Outfit variety helps make your portraits more interesting.
Avoid strong contrast between pants and shirt.
If you have a dark shirt or sweater, wear dark pants or jeans with it. If you have a light top, keep the pants light, too. This serves to keep the attention to your expression, not what you’re wearing.
What colors work best?
Just about any color photographs well if the above guidelines are followed. If you’re not sure about how a particular outfit will look, bring it along and our photographer will help you with the final selections.
Your formal yearbook portraits.
Your formal session will be taken featuring a traditional drape-style portrait for young ladies and tuxedo top for the guys. Drapes and Tux tops, as well as Caps and Gowns, will be provided.
Most importantly, wear what you like. If you like what you have on, you’ll love your portraits!
Details
Braces?
If you wear braces right now, they’re as much a part of you as your hairstyle or the clothes you wear. Don’t be self-conscious about smiling! If you don’t like your braces in your portraits,they can be removed digitally for $49 per pose.
If you aren’t sure of what to do, don’t hesitate to talk to our photographer before you begin your session.
Blemishes?
As part of our service, the first pose of any package you have made into finished portraits will get a complete blemish retouching at no extra charge. Additional poses added to packages will be retouched for only $10 each. Our “zit-zappers” are the best in the industry, and will endeavor to give your portraits a smooth, natural complexion. Be sure to ask in advance if you have any questions about this at all.
Hair?
Most seniors are picky about their hair, and we like it that way! Please be aware that your hair is your complete responsibility—we are not stylists, we don’t pretend to know what you like and don’t like about your hair, nor will we attempt to fix, correct or otherwise adjust your hair in any way during your session. Make sure you check your hair each time you leave the dressing room. (You might want to bring some hair spray to help hold the look for your pictures.) There is also a mirror in the camera room that you can ask to use any time you’d like. If you’re bringing someone with you to your session you might want to designate them as the official “hair police” if you are at all concerned about how your hair will look.
Miscellaneous important stuff.
Hats are cool. Feel free to bring a favorite hat or other clothing item to include in a few of your portraits (to avoid “hat hair,” we’ll do those poses last).
Sunglasses, piercing and other jewelry, watches, bracelets are all fine if you feel they are a part of your personality look. (NOTE: Your parents may not share the same view about these items, so be prepared to take some photos without them, if it makes them happy.)
Speaking of parents…
Most seniors bring one or both parents with them to their session. Since at least some of your portraits are for them and other family members, we welcome them and encourage them to sit in on the session and watch—especially if they will be paying for some or all of them.
You will be having a lot of different poses taken, so it’s OK to do a few “Mom & Dad” shots for them. Chances are, when they graduated they didn’t get all the variety of looks that you will. So you and your parents will appreciate that you can have poses made in styles that each of you will like.
At PortraitEFX of North Texas, we want both you and your parents to love your photographs, even if they’re not the same poses.
What if it rains?
If you have scheduled an outdoor session but it looks like rain, NO PROBLEM! Summer showers often come and go quickly; it might be raining where you are but sunny here. If the weather seems to be a problem, WE’LL CALL YOU. If you don’t hear from us just before your session, assume that your appointment is still on.
If we can’t do the outdoor portion of your session, we may reschedule it for another time. However, if you are having your indoor session either just before or just after, come in for the indoor portion only at that time.
