Concerns You May Have
(This page is primarily geared toward Senior Class Pictures, but is equally appropriate to all who are new to, or uncomfortable with, professional portraiture.)
a) I wear glasses and I have seen pictures of people with lots of glare in the lens. I do not want this to happen in my pictures. What should I do?
**** GLASSES: There are a few tricks that we can do during the session to reduce the chances of glare, but they are not always effective. Glare can be a problem so I suggest you contact your optician and have him or her remove the lenses prior to your shoot. It is a common request and they do it often. Most will do it free. Some will even lend you a blank pair of frames. The removal of the lens also prevents any distortion if the lenses are thick. If getting to the optician is not possible, glare can be removed via retouching, but there is a cost difference between this type of retouching and normal retouching.
b) I am not sure what to wear. My parents want me to wear one outfit but I want to wear another. What should I do?
**** CLOTHING: What you wear is important. This is one of the primary reasons we allow unlimited outfits with our sessions. Solid colors are much better than prints. Avoid very dark or white tops. Avoid sleeveless tops. Avoid bright red or yellow tops. Bring at least one dressy outfit, one casual one, and one that is middle of the road. Another reason why I offer unlimited clothing changes is to provide you with a variety so mom and dad AND you can have the outfits of choice! When we schedule your session, I will go into more detail as to why the above suggestions work well.
c) I am worried about my acne. When I have the enlargements made from the proof, I do not want to look like I am a giant pimple. What should I do?
**** ACNE: Acne is a real concern and can be removed through retouching. Every pimple can be removed when we make the enlargements.
d) My braces are not scheduled to come off for another six months and that is past the picture deadline. What should I do?
**** BRACES: Braces can be removed via retouching. As with any extra, there is an additional cost, but when you get your reprints made, you will never know you were wearing them at the time the picture was created.
e) I get nervous when I have my picture taken. What should I do?
**** NERVOUS: Many people dislike being in front of a camera. This is something I fully understand (I am one of those people who prefers to stay away from the wrong end of a camera). I will work with you to help you relax. Additionally, you are encouraged to bring along a pet, friend, or parent for support.
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE STAFF AT BLACK EAGLE STUDIOS:
****We suggest that you bring shoes to match your outfit choices. Many people forget to bring sneakers for their casual outfits, or do not bring their dress shoes for formal attire. While we can compensate for this by not including your feet, we have found that most people will photograph more naturally if their entire ensemble is well co-coordinated, even if we do not include non-matching items in their portrait.
****We suggest that you make (at least in your head) a list of features that you like best about your appearance, and another of features you dislike. We will be sure to emphasize the first, and minimize the latter. Please be sure to have this list handy when you talk to us initially, so that we can suggest colors and/or patterns to help this process. Please also bring this list with you, so we will know exactly what features you want featured.
****We suggest that you bring a few pictures from magazines, books, etc. of poses that you like. We realize that everyone has a picture in their head (regardless of what others may see) of their appearance, and the poses they select will subconsciously be those that most closely fit their self-image and personality. We will also make images based upon what we see, but we want to ensure that there are some images that make you look the way you think you should.
****We would like to re-emphasize the importance of clothing and color choices. Think about your features when you choose your clothing: if you do not like your thighs, then wear dark slacks. If you feel your chest is too small, wear a light colored blouse of solid design. If you feel your arms are thicker than they should be, then wear sleeves, etc. The basic idea is, whatever you want to emphasize, wear a light solid color on, to de-emphasize, wear a dark solid color, and cover it up. When we talk to you about your session, we will go into much more detail with you about your clothing choices.
I hope the above helps you. I look forward to creating your portraits.
Fritz
