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We’d love to help you create the senior photo you’ve imagined. It’s such a fun time to photograph, and we want to capture who you really are, and who you want the world to see.
So here are some ideas to point you in the right direction…
Clothing.
We are big believers in the fact that you should wear what makes you feel your absolute best. If you feel great in your outfit, you’ll be comfortable and that already puts us in great shape to start capturing your personality. It should be a colour that complements your eyes, hair, skin tone. (Green shirts with green eyes, gorgeous!) That said, we have a few ideas too if you want a little extra help. Sleeveless or spaghetti straps are great for farther away & full length portraits, but can a bit tricky if it’s all you bring and you can use your pix in the yearbook… (strapless, head and shoulders, see where I’m going?) Really short skirts or shorts are really short when you’re sitting on the beach, or trying to get in to a pose, again fine for a few images, but make sure we have options. I tend to like solid colours or mellow patterns because I like your face, and more importantly, your eyes, to be the first thing viewers see. A bold striped navy and white shirt will pull you in and then you’ll see everything else. Go back to that green shirt, green eyes, against the green grass, holy cow, your eyes are going to jump out of the image, (yes, that’s a good thing!!) Change that green shirt to a purple polka dot one and that will draw the attention first. I’m pretty sure you want to be the star of your pix, not your clothes… Feel free to bring a couple of changes… Remember your feet will be in a few…
Beachy things.
If your session is at the beach. Photographing at the beach brings along with it a whole other set of issues that we want you to think about before your portraits. Sometimes it’s a little breezy, we like that, it keeps the pesky no-see-ums away, and we totally take advantage of it. A light breeze blowing your hair, gorgeous. (We do reschedule during those crazy hurricane strength winds we sometimes get, or if we feel that the breeze is no longer just lifting your hair but sucking it backwards off your face, because honestly, that’s not our favorite look!!) Think about your clothing choices here though, those little ruffles which are so adorable, might be a complete pain in the neck to keep under control, and we don’t want you fussing with your clothing. We want to have fun, and have you enjoy the entire experience. And the opposite of those perfect breezy days are those completely still days where you get the most amazing light ever. Ever. The sea turns these amazing shades of pinks and blues and purples. It’s truly an astounding thing. Some of my favorite days to photograph, but… It totally comes at a price. Lucky they’re rare. On those perfectly still and calm days where there’s not a breeze to be found, the no-see-ums have a field day. A feast. Usually on us. There a few things that we suggest. Don’t wear perfume, cologne, scented body lotions to beach sessions. Unscented hair products are your best bet. Use bug spray. I recommend these tips always just in case. Like I said. They’re rare.
Weather.
Okay, so we talked about the wind. My bff. I love photographing in all the different types of light and weather that we get here on the Cape. And boy, who knew there were so many? Sunny days. Perfect. Overcast days, some of my faves, gorgeous soft light that allows us to go anywhere and use more of the beach. Foggy days, oh there’s something so amazing about the fog and we can create some fabulous portraits with soft backgrounds. We don’t like the rain so much. That tends to be a deal breaker. But we don’t cancel until about 3pm the day of your session, so feel free to touch base with us over the course of the day. Sometimes on Cape Cod it’s pouring in the morning and by the end of the day the sun has come out, and that light after a good storm is spectacular. Amazing. Oh my gosh, you’ve never seen anything like it. Totally worth that crazy waiting time on session day. Thunder & Lightning. Yeah, at the first clap of thunder we’re done. We like our clients. We like to keep them safe. We’ll reschedule.
Props.
So we always tell people to bring things that are important to them. Not everyone does. But it makes your portraits really special when you do. Things we’ve photographed in the past, ballet shoes (my fave the girl who had a blue pair she’d had to dye for a show and was never going to wear them again so she danced right into the water for me. Nice.), Letterman jackets. Basketballs. Trumpets. Dogs. Cats. (Just the one & boy that was tricky!! Not a recommendation for the beach, lol) Class rings. Horses. Violins. Cheerleading outfits. Batons. A surfboard (again, into the water with us, fully dressed. Awesome!). Footballs. A guitar. Skateboards. Moms. What else? Anything that makes your portraits something about you. Your phone doesn’t count, in fact I usually recommend you leave it in the car because who wants to be distracted from all the fun we’re going to have? Props are included in a few images here and there, so don’t think they’re going to be in every image just because you bring them. Unless of course they’re the location, like that time I photographed the guy up in the tree with his guitar, or the boy in the middle of the hockey rink, those kind of props are pretty much going to be in every image 🙂
Locations.
We don’t have to go to the beach. We love the beach, but it’s also really fun to go to different spots. We have some awesome location ideas, and would love to hear yours. I’ve gone to graffiti walls, a walk along Main Street, the garden, the studio, the train tracks, art museums, fields, sculpture gardens, funky bridges, that tree, the hockey rink, peoples homes, people’s pools, cranberry bogs, so many cool places. If you want to go to a privately owned location, I do ask that you get the permission to be there… Gosh the world is filled with awesome spots. I’m game for most of them.
Time for portraits?
If you haven’t booked. Book. It’s a good time. If you have booked, please make sure you’ve returned our questions email to us so that we make sure we create exactly what you’re looking for! Call, email or text us any time with questions, advice, or should you need anything from us.
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