Tips for Successful Portraits

Clothing Suggestions:       Here are some tips that Kodak and Professional Photographers recommend to customers to make their Portraits more successful.   For groups/couples, Similar clothing colors and brightness levels allow the eye to go to the faces without being distracted. Busy patterns, stripes, large logos should be avoided to prevent distractions. You are always better off to select solid colors.  Avoid extremes. For example all dark outfits except one very light outfit in a group. The person with the light outfit will noticeably draw your attention away from everyone else. The same will happen with all light outfits and one dark outfit.   A light tanning is always preferable to a deep dark tan, so don't over do it.   Long sleeves to cover the arms are more flattering on most people. The lighter skin tones of bare arms draw attention away from your face, and covering the arms up forces our eyes back up to the face.  V-neck sweaters accentuate your face and are flattering on everyone.  Darker colored clothing with a looser fit slims fuller figured people.   Select clothing in good repair and ironed on hangers so we do not see crease marks and folds.  Wear layered outfits for drama.  Coordinate your top with your pants or skirt in case we need to show more of your body than a head and shoulders. This is especially true with groups of three or more.  Polish and or clean your shoes. Shoes should match your outfit in case they are seen. For large groups & families: When a large group is photographed you can buy primary color tee shirts or Color Coordinated tops for each family unit. Each family will then have a specific color for their group and the larger group will be a mix of the primaries. An example of stores that sell coordinated color schemes are Penney's Shopko, Prange's, Lands End. Tie or not to Tie: If you normally do not wear suits or ties, pick a more subtle upbeat sweater/pant combination for a more formal look. We can adjust your ties for a more informal look. The image should be more in keeping with how formal you dress.       Senior Portrait Suggestions: Seniors should expect to bring a lot more outfits than they need so that we can make some critical selections for style and color.  It is better to have too many and allow us to mix and match fabrics. Bring in a mix of collared shirts, knits, some tees, uniform jerseys, coats, hunting gear, fishing outfits etc. We are looking to define your interests and without the proper clothing we can't do it justice. Don't forget the accessories to support the outfit. Hunting gear needs hunting equipment, Uniform Jerseys should have medals, trophies and other support equipment. We are not concerned about having too much because it is always more fun to build sets with items that relate to your interest. Bring in props that tell us what you do. Balls, bats, golf clubs, volleyball & nets, uniforms, saddles, musical instruments, candles, books, hobbies, wake boards, ski's, roller blades etc. Bring your car, cycle, bike, girlfriend, family member(s), pet(s), ATV, sports equipment, guns, mounted animal trophies, sports trophies. We are using these props to define your interests at this stage of life. Lets have fun and depict your life at this stage. Call for other suggestions, we are here to help. Bring in your pets, friends and family to offer you support during the shooting session and possibly be in your images Call us ahead of time and we can give you some ideas about what to bring. We strive for some formal and informal images to accommodate many people interested in purchasing/using your portraits. If you follow the tips you help us meet those different tastes.

This is just a partial list of things you can do to improve your images. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to call and we will be glad to help. Our studio will work with anything you bring into the studio but for best results follow the guidelines or give us a call for assistance.