Four Feathers Photography

I was interviewed again this year for the Loveland Chamber of Commerce’s “Aware” newsletter. I was asked to give my thoughts on the senior portrait session.

Below are my tips!

BREAKING THE ICE

I like to sit down with the senior and their parents before we schedule the session. It gives us an opportunity to break the ice some. I find out more about what they’re like, what they want, and what they envision for their session. Having someone you’ve never met stick a camera in your face and start shooting can be uncomfortable. This way, the day of the shoot, some of that has been diffused and they feel a bit more comfortable with me, and it shows in their pictures!

CLOTHING:

Avoid stripes, polka dots, and bright colors such as red, yellow, etc. Bright colors will draw the viewers attention directly to the color distracting them from the subjects face. I want the focus to be on the person’s face, expression, etc, not what they’re wearing.

Choose clothing that doesn’t show a lot of skin. Skin is also distracting. Long sleeves are better than short sleeves. Short sleeves are better than sleeveless. Pants are better than shorts. Short skirts, although they may look great on the girl, show too much skin and will be distracting to the viewer. Also, posing will be limited because of a short skirt.

WHEN TO SHOOT:

Lighting is everything. The best time to photograph someone for a portrait outside is usually in the early morning or evening. When the sun is throwing light at an angle, the light isn’t so harsh. Soft, warm, light is awesome. If you want some pleasing light, avoid having your session when the sun is overhead. Depending on the time of year, the sun is overhead from about 11am to 4pm. If it’s overhead, you’re going to have shadows in your eye sockets and you’ll look like a raccoon!

 Bright sunny days with blue skies are beautiful, but they’re not all that great for shooting portraits outside. When the sky is partly sunny or overcast with clouds, this is a great time to have your portrait taken. When the sun has to shine it’s way through the clouds, the clouds act as a big light diffuser, scattering light everywhere making it more even. The clouds turn into a big soft box for the photographer and can make you look great! And the colors look great too. Strong direct light is too harsh. You’ll get hard shadows, very bright and distracting colors, and squinty eyes.

PREPARE

I always recommend that the student bring some friends or family members. Having your senior portrait taken should be fun, and not something you feel like you have to endure. Having someone there that you know will help you relax. If you feel relaxed, you will look better in your photos. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s going to show in your pictures. These are important photos! These are photographs that are going to represent you as you transition into a new chapter of your life. They will be passed down from generation to generation and you don’t want to look stiff and uncomfortable!

HAIR & MAKEUP

You want to look good for your photos but don’t over do it where hair and makeup are concerned. I want to capture you as you are. One thing that people sometimes feel inclined to do is change their whole look for the session.  If you do that, it will be very noticeable to everyone that you show the pictures to. They won’t recognize you! Be true to yourself and be who you are.

PROPS

I normally ask about the senior’s likes, dislikes, and hobbies. It’s good to include some of these into some of the photos. Do you play any instruments such as a guitar, violin, flute, etc? How about sports? Do you play football, baseball, or do snowboard, etc? How about hobbies? Do you like to fish? Bring something along to showcase something that you do. They won’t be used in every photo, but it’s always nice to incorporate some into the session. It’s a way of showing what you can do!

PETS

Pets can make an interesting addition to your session. Are you really close to your family dog, ferret, or have an exotic pet like a lizard or snake? If they’re an important part of your life, maybe having a couple of photos taken with them could be good. But keep in mind the photos are about you and your senior year.

EXAMPLES

The above suggestions are some pretty good guidelines, but don’t feel they have to be etched in stone. I’m really flexible and I keep in mind that these are not my pictures, but YOURS. I had one senior tell me that he wanted his senior portrait in a cemetery. Not your typical setting for a session, that’s for sure. But he had family in this cemetery and he was a pretty spiritual guy. He brought his mom and his girlfriend along and the photos turned out great! They weren’t macabre and they didn’t have a dark overtone to them. He looked very thoughtful and relaxed. I was really impressed with him!

This year I met with a senior and her family and she told me that she didn’t want anything in a park or anything like that. That just wasn’t her. She wanted something that showed off what she really liked, the big city! So we drove down to Denver and hit the streets of downtown and did some in Central Station as well. She is an artist and we included her paintings in some of the photos. They turned out really cool.

Last year, I had one girl really thinking outside the box. She wanted something totally different. Something edgy. So we found a wrecker company in Fort Collins that allowed us to shoot on their property. They got one of their wreckers and dragged out a couple of really trashed out beat up cars. She dressed in some torn up jeans and a concert T-shirt and wanted to shoot during the worst time of the day. The sun directly overhead and was blasting harsh light all over her. A photographer’s nightmare. Her session ended up looking like a fashion shoot or some kind of stills taken from a rock video. They turned out completely awesome and she and her family were thrilled with them.

FINAL THOUGHT

Just remember that the senior portrait is all about you! Think about what you like, places you like to go, and things you like to do. Find a photographer that will work with you to get you what you want. Listen to your photographer and have a good time and your photos will turn out great!