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About Us
Advice |
Tips For High School Senior Photography Several members of the IPNOC include high school senior portraiture as part of their services. The following is a list of tips assembled from those members that can prepare you for a pleasant and rewarding photo session: Be Yourself: High school senior photos are a great way to express your personality and interests. This is a milestone that often defines the individuality of a young person before making the progression from high school to college as young adults. When it came time for my high school photos, I had long hair (yes, I had hair) was in a heavy metal band, and had other interests that included primarily my car, and dumping all the money I made into said car. There is no photo studio in the world that would have been prepared for the resulting ‘thud’ and medical response necessary to revive my mother had she picked up my photos and I discovered that I was wearing a three piece suit and a tie. If you are a young woman and seldom wear a lot of makeup and keep your hair down, then that is the way you will be most comfortable taking your photos, and your friends will recognize you. If you are a guy that plays football and is never seen without your letter jacket, then by all means, bring it with. Relax and have fun! Priorities: High school senior portraits can often be divided into three distinct categories: 1) the yearbook photo. This should be the least important of your photos. Because of the restrictions placed on photographers to conform to school design specifications for yearbook photo submission, most students opt to use their school I.D. photos for this purpose. There is no sense in paying a professional photographer for custom senior photography only to have their hands tied simply to meet the high school yearbook photo specs. If the high school wants to pay for your senior photos to be taken, then it would be a different story. 2) Photos for parents, family, etc. Parents are often paying for the portrait package, and therefore are going to insist on a number of poses that appeal to them and your relatives. While you may love your favorite mini-skirt, crop top combo, your grandmother may not share the same enthusiasm towards this particular fashion trend. 3) Photos for you, and your friends. These images will no doubt be your favorites and the ones you are most likely to be handing out to all your friends as wallet sized reprints. You may want to wear your favorite outfits, have special props or a special effect that makes a lasting impression about this important time in your life. Don’t be afraid to ask your photographer if they can accommodate your special requests. You will often find that they welcome the challenge. Details: There are many things to consider when preparing for your portraits. The first thing you will want to do is understand your photographers’ policies on the photo shoot itself. Some have time limits on sessions. Some have limits on outfits, poses, props, etc. These will also change based on whether or not the photo sessions are indoors or outdoors. Here are several sub-categories to consider: Hair & Makeup: These categories will be your responsibilities more often than not. It is illegal for us to assist you with your hair and makeup. You must be a licensed cosmetologist in Colorado to perform these types of services. Some studios have provisions for this type of assistance in their packages. Unless your goal is to look like Mr. Spock for your photos, you will not want one of us helping with your mascara anyway. Clothing: Solid colors will always work best for portraits. Simple is better. If your goal is to look as though a box of Fruit Loops exploded all over you as the photo was taken, then by all means, wear something busy and distracting. If you want to highlight your beautiful hair or eye color, then wear simple, solid color clothing that will compliment that… not overpower it. Generally stay away from white clothing because of the difficulty in balancing light with it and avoiding a ‘washed out’ look. Black is timeless and elegant. If you are self-conscious about certain parts of your body, then do not wear clothing that accentuates those areas. For instance, if you are not comfortable exposing your mid section when posing in sitting positions, do not wear a shirt that is short and will ride up on you everytime you sit down. This will cause you to constantly be pulling it down and will be distracting as well as time consuming. Glasses: Be aware that if you wear glasses, you will likely have ‘glass glare’ in your photos. These are reflections of lighting sources in the lenses of your glasses. We make every attempt to avoid it while photographing, but it cannot be totally eliminated. You can often have it retouched later, but it will likely be an added expense not covered in your basic package price. Our advice is to either not wear them or to have your optometrist remove the lenses temporarily for the session, and then replace them later. Backgrounds: Some photographers have multiple background choices for your photos, other do not, and others only do outdoor portraits. If you have a particular interest in a background, (as with any concern) it is important to discuss this with your photographer before you book you session. In a portrait, the background plays a relatively small role in your image. Most portraits are close up and there is very little space around you to actually be seen. These photos are about you… not specific backgrounds. Props: Some studios provide props, and others do not. While I would love to have a 1987 Ferrari GTO for you to sit on for your photos… I can’t quite swing it yet. I can’t throw a rock without hitting a piece of split-rail fence in Colorado, and I can stand in my driveway and see Pikes Peak. I see no point in having fake props of those types of things in a studio. Most photographers welcome you to bring your own props… guitars, soccer gear, cars, horses… well, ok maybe some of those will have to be outdoor shoots, but you get the idea. Retouching: Yes, it is not your imagination, nor are you alone… You can be three months without any acne whatsoever on your face, until the day of your high school senior photo shoot. It is extremely common. The point to remember is that photographers differ in how they offer retouching services. Some include it in their packages. Often it is an added expense. You will want to check with your photographer on the specifics of this and any other questions you have before you book a session. This will save misunderstanding and ill feelings down the road. Other services are usually offered as well at additional charge: Removing braces, scars, taking objects out of the photos, adding objects, etc. Special Effects: There are many special effects, personalization, and presentation options available to the high school senior client today. Ask your photographer about something particular you are looking for, and what the additional cost to your package will be. Presentation: Make sure that you understand the photographer’s policy on how you will actually receive your images. Will they be posted online, actual prints, given to you on a disc, etc? Make sure that the method they use is one that will work for you. In other words, if you do not own a computer or have internet access, then you will not want a photographer that offers online proofing exclusively. Refunds: Be comfortable with your photographers refund policy. Many photographers do not offer monetary refunds for services rendered, and some will charge a non-refundable retainer to book a session. This is for their protection. Most professional photographers will also insist that if a reshoot is given, that it is before your final package is ordered. Yearbook Photo Delivery: An often overlooked point is the yearbook submission. Will the photographer deliver the photo, or will it be the students responsibility to turn it in? Are there additional fees involved in this? Another question you’ll not want to miss. Copyright Protection: This is a very important and often misunderstood fact of photography in general. Photographers own all the images they take and they are automatically copyrighted at the moment they are taken. No image may be duplicated in any way without the express written consent of the person taking them. Most photographers will also state in their contracts that they also reserve the right to use the photos they take for advertising and promotional purposes. The copyright protection laws are most certainly no joke. They are Federal laws that have teeth to them if prosecuted. Most people will agree that paying the photographer to reprint them a sheet of wallets is much cheaper than being fined thousands of dollars, paying court costs and possibly sentenced to jail time. It makes scanning your photo at home and printing them on your inkjet not such a bargain after all… Any service bureau will refuse to do these actions as well because they can get into an equally big mess of trouble. The photos do not even need to say ‘copyright’ on them physically for an establishment to refuse to copy them. If they even appear to be professionally taken, they can refuse service. Copyright laws prohibit scanning, emailing, saving, printing, etc. This includes even homemade invitations, announcements, newspaper submissions, and other seemingly harmless productions. Professionals also don’t want your custom portraits, with their name attached to it (either physically or through word of mouth) to be reproduced by methods not approved by them. Quality control is a very important part of a professional photographer’s reputation. The most important point that cannot be stressed enough is to do your research and find the photographer that is right for you. Make sure that you fully understand their policies and procedures. While we feel that this is a comprehensive list of tips, it by no means is intended to cover every scenario. It is safe to assume that if you are reading this page, that the puppy-mill, garden variety photographer is not what you are interested in. The photographers in the IPNOC are dedicated to educating the public about high quality photography and services and upholding those standards. Feel free to talk to any one of them about your needs, questions, and concerns. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
-The IPNOC Photographers |