Children: Children are a gift, and they grow so fast! During our sessions, we keep the atmosphere light and relaxed so the child can feel comfortable and have fun. Feel free to bring personal items like that special blanket or favorite toy with you on the day of your session.

Clothing: Creating a timeless portrait involves planning ahead of time. There are many factors that must be considered to create a beautiful and relaxed feeling portrait. We will spend time before the session to discuss clothing options and time of day (for outdoor portraits) so that everyone involved is coordinated. In a portrait, the subject’s skin tone should be either the lightest or darkest tone in the composition. You want the viewer’s attention drawn to the faces first, not distracted by the colors and patterns of their clothing or surroundings. If the background is a light tone, you would want to wear light colored clothing. If the background is a dark tone, darker clothing is suitable. Clothing is to be kept simple to provide balance and harmony to the portrait. Avoid wearing trendy or ill-fitting clothing or trying a new hairstyle.

Families & Couples: In a group portrait, proper clothing coordination is critical. When decorating a home, you work to coordinate the colors of the walls, carpets, draperies and furniture. The same theory applies to your portrait. Solid colored clothing that is in the same tonal range ensures that no one with stand out from the rest of the group because their clothes are lighter or brighter than everyone else. The goal is to show unity within the group and to show a family in which each individual holds a place of equal importance.

Individuals: Proper clothing allows the face to dominate the portrait. Bold stripes, plaids, and prints are busy and confusing and do not photograph well. Especially bright colors like red and orange can ruin a portrait by overpowering the face. Light colors call attention to themselves and away from the face. Unless a high key portrait is desired, avoid light colors that approximate skin tones. Darker shades are more flattering and slimming. A pure white shirt with a dark suit jacket will emphasize your neck rather than your face. A pastel or darker shirt with a subtle tie is preferable. Feel free to bring more than one garment to you session.

Beach Portraits: Our beach portraits are very casual and fun. The tone at the beach is very light, so we recommend light colors to blend with the surroundings. White shirts or sweaters are very nice and the cuffs of the sleeves can be rolled up a couple of times to go with the casual feeling. There are three main options for clothing:

• All white- Probably the classiest look.
• White shirts with Khaki pants or long Khaki skirts-Very nice and probably the most popular look.
• White shirts and light colored blue jeans- The most casual look.

Long sleeves and pants are recommended to cover up bare skin. Bare arms and legs compete for attention in a portrait. Wear shoes that are easy to slip off so you can be barefoot in the picture.

Women should wear makeup as they naturally would and maybe a little bit more towards how you would apply it in the evening. A bit of mascera can make the eyes stand out in a portrait. If needed for a certain look, we can set you up with a local makeup artist before you session. For men make sure you shave shortly before your portrait. A five o’clock shadow is very difficult to retouch.

Print Size & Framing: Take the time to figure out where the portrait will be displayed so that you can figure out what size portrait you will need and to coordinate the portrait with the decor. Make sure that the clothing and tone in the portrait works well in the room that you will display it. Select a frame to accent the furniture already in the room. An elegant frame completes the look of your portrait and also protects it. We will assist you in choosing an appropriate frame to complete your portrait.