1. Arrive early. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to the location of your session - you won't want to be rushed. Plan on arriving about 15 minutes before your scheduled session time so you can get your outfits and props unloaded and situated.
2. Bring photos you like from magazines, books, catalogs, and any other sources, to your session appointment. Your photographer will use these images to form an idea of the photographic styles and "looks" you like, and will make you portraits that no one else has! The more we know about what you want before the start of your session, the easier it will be for you to get the kinds of pictures you like.
3. Schedule a haircut no sooner than five days before your session, to give it a chance to "fill in" a bit. And don't try a radically different haircut or style- your hair should be the way your friends and family are used to seeing it.
4. Girls, apply makeup as if you were going out for the evening. Too little and you'll look pale and washed out; too much makes you look "painted." Pay special attention to your eyes; that's what everyone will see first in your portraits.
5. If you wear glasses most of the time you'll want to wear them in 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 the way they are, keep in mind that removing any glass glare from your photographs is difficult, sometimes unable to be done and is done at your expense.
6. All of your purchased finished portraits will be completely retouched, but your proofs will not. To improve the look of your proofs, apply a small dab of cover-up makeup to any noticeable blemishes. If they're gone in the mirror, they will be gone in your photographs!
7. If you wear braces, they're as much a part of you right now 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 (braces removal is $50).
8. Choosing the right clothing is easier than you might think. When selecting your outfits, keep in mind the number of clothing changes you'll have per session. And while there are no "rules" about what to wear, here are a few suggestions on what to bring for each different session choice:
a. Studio- Some people dress up a little more for their studio portraits. But more important than the "formalness" of your outfit is the style. Simple, solid colors work best for this session. These are the portraits that most likely will hang on your walls for a long time, and you don't want the outfit to overpower the image. Your studio outfits might be a suit or sport coat (for guys) or a dress or skirt (for girls), or they might be jeans and a t-shirt. Either style (or something in-between) is fine, but remember that the simpler the better.
b. Outside- Outdoor portraits should be casual, and so should your outfits. This is the session for jeans, khakis, shorts, tanks and tees. The best colors outdoors are blues and earth tones (olive, green, tan, brown, etc.)
c. Your Stuff- No rules here. Your activity might actually be your outfit (sports or band uniform, t- or sweatshirt) or it might just accompany your outfit (like a rock band t-shirt with an electric guitar). If you're bringing a vehicle, try to bring a shirt that matches the color of the car. If your cat is gray, bring a gray shirt. Try to coordinate your prop with your outfit-it makes a great look!
d. Add-A-Friend- If you're bringing a friend, sibling or significant other, keep your outfits in the same tonal range. In other words, you both want to be in the same, rather than contrasting, colors. That doesn't mean that you have to have matching outfits. But with two or more people in a photograph, similar colors tend to be less distracting to the eye.
9. Come prepared to have a good time, because you will!
