Hi guys! (and gals)
As a Vancouver Portland Area Senior Photographer I get asked all the time if I have any tips for my seniors as we go forward with pictures. Well I usually have lots of ideas and helpful hints. I decided to get a few of them down for you in a quick blog. Hope this helps a little.
Tip #1 Opt for Hair and Make Up
(Sorry fella’s this one’s for the ladies…Unless you are into that, and then thats cool)
I recommend you leave it to the pro’s for your hair and makeup. Senior Photos are a BIG deal! Make your pictures count and trust the pro’s!
You’ll want to look and feel glamorous! A pro will know exactly how to make you look like the best version of yourself on camera without over-doing. You want to ENHANCE your natural self, not cover up or change your beautiful self.
Plus you’ll have the added bonus of feeling like a million bucks, and trust me that will show on camera! When you feel great you’ll look great in your pictures! Win, WIN!
-Also help you Hair and Makeup Artist by drinking plenty of water and getting lots of sleep the day before. (This helps me and you too!)
-Also...also, opt to get a mani-pedi, because your hands and feet will probably be in some of the shots, plus who doesn't want an excuse for that? Seriously?
If you decide to do your own hair and make up. Great! Just remember to do your makeup about one shade darker than you would on a normal day. Such as your mascara should have an extra coat, that sort of thing.
Tip #2 LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
Your location matters, and it doesn’t. I mean, it matters, if it matters. Say you are an avid hiker, being on your favorite trail is a must, or if you are very sporty and you’d like some of your pictures taken where you play sports, that matters… But really what matters is how you want the pictures to feel… Do you love the look of the open fields? Do you like the beautiful woodsy feel? Mountains? Rivers? City? Well… You are in luck, we live in the Northwest and I travel! The point is, the exact location is not terribly important. We have LOTS to choose from.
The hardest part is picking, unless you want it all, in which case we can do that too! Clearly I’m no help here… Lets move on…
Tip #3 TIME OF DAY DOES MATTER!!
This is simple…. Unless we are shooting in the studio, we shoot before 9 am or 2 hours before sunset in order to create beautiful magic. Period. PERIOD!
Well that was easy.
Tip #4 Outfits.
Feel free to bring a variety! Like whatever you want! LOTS AND LOTS! We may not get to all of it… Thats fine, but we can look through and pick what we love and we'll create something amazing! (Seriously who doesn’t love dress up?)
While black and solid colors look great be sure to bring color! Colors that look great on camera are: Red and blue and white is a personal fave! Don’t forget the floral! (Maybe its just me but I am OBSESSED with floral!) Texture is super fun, and example of texture is a scarf or furry vest… you know something fun and crazy if you want!
Try something new! Get out there and try something bold that you haven’t thought about before! (Great excuse to go shopping right?) But also don’t be afraid to bring your tried and true favorite outfit that you KNOW you look great in!
Again: Be sure to have lots of variety. Do you like a combo of glam and country? Bohemian and hipster? Bring it ALL!! Lets see what crazy beautiful images we can create that represent YOU!
Don't forget to accessorize. Something fun like your fav necklace, shoes, sweater, sunglasses, dog… whatever! These really spice up the shoot and make the unique to you!
Remember you need to LOVE it and feel great in it!
Ok Moving on.
Tip NUMBER #5! Choose Your Words Wisely
This final tip might be the most important because we can basically build your whole shoot around this- from location, time of day, weather you want studio or middle of nowhere (yep thats an option) and we can especially decide your outfits…
This tip is, choose a word or two that you feel describes you. Such as: Bold, Fierce, Simple, Fun. Then we can build a simple idea platform
I.E
Bold: Red High heels, Downtown, Bolder make up, High fashion look.
Simple: Flannel Shirt, Woods, Softer Make Up, Lifestyle Look.
…You get the idea. The main point of all of this is to capture who you are! Lets get creative!
Thanks for reading my tips! Hope they help! Looking forward to working with you in the Great Pacific Northwest! Talk soon!
-Jamie
