Senior Portraits FAQ

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Please call or email to make an appointment

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Practically anything!!! Don’t think of this as a formal portrait session. The idea is to document you and your style right now. Whether you’re the type to be decked out everyday or you’re the type who would rather be in jeans in sneakers, the best images are made when you are comfortable and feel confident in what you’re wearing. I normally advise for girls and guys to keep things simple by selecting solids but if you wear crazy colors and crazy patterns every day then that’s what you should wear for your senior portraits. It really is about you – who you are and what you’re about at this pivotal time in your life. If Mom or Dad wants you to wear something in particular be open to it. Young ladies should bring at least three different outfits with coordinating accessories. Young men should be prepared with at least three different shirts. I don’t have a limit on how many outfits to bring. I actually encourage you to bring more than we could possible photograph so we have options based on the locations.

Ladies:
Start by getting plenty of sleep the night before. Tired and baggy eyes will show up in the final images. On the day of your portrait session, be sure to apply your makeup similar to the way you would on any other day but a bit heavier. I usually will tell you that makeup should be about what you would wear to a daytime wedding – not overdone but heavier than a normal day.

Additionally, I recommend the following:

  • Bring colored lip gloss, even if it is a nude or very slight shade. Moist lips look much better in photographs.
  • Bring a hair brush, hair clips and hair spray.
  • Bring scarves, hats, jackets – anything that will add to the flavor of your photos.
  • Groom appropriately by tweezing your eyebrows, making sure nails are freshly painted with a color or clear coat, and you never know when I will ask you to kick off your shoes so make sure the toes look great too!
  • Also be sure that your clothing is clean and free of wrinkles.

IMG_2088Guys:
A haircut a few days before the session works best. Being showered and shaved will have you at your best. We totally understand that most guys don’t want to change multiple times, but you should have at least two extra shirts and one pair of pants on hand. While we want you to wear clothes you feel comfortable in, keep in mind that your mom, grandmother and the rest of your family may have dreams of you in a certain outfit. Don’t worry, it’s just for a few minutes.

MY THOUGHTS ON LETTERMEN JACKETS AND SPORTS, CHEERLEADER, AND OTHER UNIFORMS. My guess is that Mom and Dad have tons of photos of you in your sports uniform or cheerleader uniform. Although I will certainly take that sort of photograph upon request, it is not a normal part of my sessions. I do, however, like to hint at your activities like having you pose in jeans with your ballet shoes or or having pair of swim goggles hanging out of your jeans back pocket. And, now we get to lettermen jackets . . . . if you have one, bring it. I’m actually a big fan of photographing you in your lettermen’s jacket. A few months from your photo session you will likely never wear it again so getting really good photograph of you wearing it is something I like to capture.

_MG_0546CAN I BRING A PET, PROPS OR ACCESSORIES?
YES, YES YES!! Bring along anything that represents you – this includes musical instruments, athletic gear, dancing shoes, purses pets, your fabulous car or your beater car with all the memories. Be sure to bring someone along to help if you bring a pet.

CAN I BRING ALONG A FRIEND TO MY SENIOR PORTRAIT SESSION?
Please bring along anyone who will make you laugh. I LOVE capturing laughter and a good friend will likely bring that out in you. Although the session is all about you, I will often snap a few shots of the two of you together. BFFs forever, right?!?

LOCATIONS
Your portrait session will occur on location. Before the shoot we will discuss the best locations to capture your personality. You will notice a theme in my senior portraits that I like to spotlight the beautiful, natural environment of south Louisiana. But, I have many unique spots up my sleeve and am open to your suggestions as well.

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO SEE MY PROOFS?
After your session, I will produce a slideshow to music for you to view and share within a week. Printed proofs are usually ready within 2 weeks of your order being placed – oftentimes sooner. I will make an appointment with you when the printed proofs are ready to view.

WHAT KIND OF CAMERA EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
We use high resolution Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR cameras and professional grade lenses to ensure the highest quality photographs possible.

_MG_0834CAN I GET BLACK & WHITE VERSIONS OF THE IMAGES I LIKE?
Yes! We carefully (and creatively) hand process all of our images. We are more than happy to process your images in color or black & white. If you are very interested in black and white images, it is recommended that clothing consist of very light (white, light pink, light yellow, light blue) or very dark (black, dark brown, dark green, navy blue) clothing as those colors will read as white or black in a final black and white image. Although reds, purples, oranges, kelly greens, and royal blues look wonderful in color photographs, those tones will read as gray in a black and white image.

CAN I PURCHASE A DISC OF ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS?
The slideshow will be published on Youtube so that it can be shared through various social media.  I offer many different sizes of prints, books and products that will document your session for a lifetime.

WHAT’S YOUR PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT?
Upon reserving a date, I will collect a $75 deposit to hold that date for you.  Should we need to reschedule the date due to weather, I will work with you to select an alternate time for your session.  The deposit is non-refundable.

Please call or email to make an appointment