Tips for Better Portraits

Clothing

Avoid stripes and plaid! Solid colors are less distracting than patterns or prints! Also bring a variety, don't bring five blue outfits, even if it is your favorite color. I suggest something dressy, something casual and something in between for good variety.

I let you do unlimited clothing changes within your scheduled time period. This means if you change fast, you get more variety. Spend all day in the dressing room, you get less time in front of the camera. Most people get 3-4 changes per hour, more if they are quick and work easy. A jacket or sweater that you can throw on over an outfit makes for a varied look and a quick change.

Some shots are close up, others full length. Plan outfits completely. It’s hard to do a full length formal in you suit if all you brought were old tennis shoes....

As a general rule remember that light clothes look better on light backgrounds, darker clothes on darker backgrounds.

Group your outfits together on hangars. It's amazing how many people come with all of their clothes stuffed in a bag and wonder why they are wrinkled.

Hair

Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair right before your session. Let it be natural. Quick easy hairstyle changes during your session are OK. Although I try to help with improperly placed hair, it is hard to know what your hair is "supposed to look like". Make sure you like the look and let the me know your preferences. Hairstyle is ultimately your responsibility.

Jewelry

The best tip here is; "keep it simple"! Necklaces, earrings or pins are certainly in good taste and can be worn without distraction. We want the attention on you. Big, shiny jewelry can distract form the real subject, you.

Makeup

Apply as you would normally wear it for an evening out. Pay special attention to your eyes, which are what people see first in a photograph. An extra coat of mascara can really help bring out your eyes. Bring lipstick and powder for touchups. If we are doing a glamour or boudoir shoot we'll talk specifically about your makeup prior to the shoot.

Glasses

If you wear glasses all the time, you'll want to have them in your portraits. I can usually work around them but If you can, consider having your optician either remove your lenses temporarily from your frames or lend you a pair of frames like yours, but without lenses. This eliminates the glare and distortion problems associated with wearing glasses.

Props

Bring them! Feel free to bring props that define who you are and express your individuality or to add that little touch of something special to your pose. Some popular choices for senior portraits are: Sports equipment (soccer ball, football, hockey stick, etc.), Sports uniforms, musical instruments (tuba to electric guitar), Activities (dance leotard and shoes, hobby equipment, you name it...) Vehicles, (outdoors of course), or even your favorite Teddy Bear.

Weather for Outdoor Portraits

Welcome to Montana, where the weather changes every 15 minutes. Often if it is just raining or snowing slightly, photography is still possible, in fact, it usually means great light. If it’s coming down fairly hard we will need to reschedule. We will call you if you have a morning session that we need to cancel, otherwise, we are on! If it is during the day and you are unsure, please call the studio.