Tips to Get the Most out of your Photo Session

I am really looking forward to our Photo Session.

To help you get the most out of these photos, I have compiled a list of tips that will make sure things go smoothly, and we get the best possible images for you. Addressing these ahead of time will also save me time when retouching.

Please remember that the camera will see everything. Before we begin shooting I will do a quick once over and check for major problems, but if you are concerned about any of the following, I would recommend addressing it before you get there. We do have large full-body mirrors.

Clothing

Wardobe Selection - Please avoid wearing clothing with stripes or patterns, there is the risk of getting a moire pattern that is hard to remove in post-production. Also consider the background color that we will be shooting on.
Preparation - Please make sure the outfits you select are pressed and clean for the shoot. We can remove stains and lint, but if possible it is always better just to avoid this before we shoot. I do have a small steamer at the studio, in case we need to get rid of some wrinkles. There is a space to hang your clothes if your would like to bring them on hangers. It is always better to bring more than you will need, so we have options.
Lint Brush - Please bring a lint brush, particularly if you have pets or dandruff.
Shoes - If you are planning on full-body portraits, give your shoes a once-over, if they need to be cleaned or polished, it will be worth it to do so. For women's shoes, with a glossy finish, Armorall can sometimes bring out the sheen in an otherwise dull finish.
Glasses - The nature of glasses is that they tend to be reflective, and in some cases, the glare from the lights can obscure the eyes. It is important that we avoid that. In most cases we can avoid this by positioning, changing the angle of your jaw or neck. In some cases we can simply tilt the glasses just slightly on your ears, and in a worst-case scenario, we can always take the lenses out for the duration of the shoot.

Grooming

Hair (Hairstyling, moustache, beard, stubble, sideburns, neck, nose and ear hair, eye brows, armpits if you are wearing a sleeveless top). Please be sure to bring a comb or hairbrush with you, even if you think you won't need it.
Skin (Flaky or ashy skin, dandruff, acne, scars, stretch marks, skin flags, tan lines etc.) If there is anything about your appearance you are particularly sensitive to, that you would like removed or minimized, let me know and we will do so. I can do wonders with retouching.
Sheen - Some people have naturally shiny skin. Given how strong the lights will be, this may be emphasized in the photos, particularly if you are bald or balding. If your skin has this quality, it may be worthwhile to pick up some Finish Powder and a soft brush to apply it. We recommend Nyx Translucent HD Finishing Powder. This is transparent, matches well with many different skin tones, and will simply remove the shininess from the skin without changing its color, texture, or appearance. It is inexpensive and can be easily found on Amazon. If you are particularly shiny the day of the shoot, I may have you gently blot your face, to remove the surface oils.
Teeth - I advise clients to avoid coffee, tea or sodas in the days leading up to the shoot, and to work on teeth whitening leading up to the session. Very important - please be sure to brush your teeth and floss just prior to arriving.

Retouching Policy

Retouching can be a sensitive issue. Some photographers take this to a very high degree, particularly for high-end editorial and fashion shoots. This often involves adjusting the skin texture using dodging and burning, cloning, frequency separation, and other techniques. It may also include reshaping parts of the body and facial features, removing wrinkles in the folds of the body, and in some cases, tattoos. If your photos will be printed larger than 8"x10" at high resolution and require this level of finish, I would be happy to do that for you, however it will add to the cost, as this is much more labor intensive than our basic retouching for portraits and headshots.

I ask clients to keep in mind that if your photo is serving as an acting headshot, it may not be appropriate to make massive changes to your appearance in retouching, as casting directors will want to see what they are going to get if they hire you for a role.

Depending on the shot, a basic retouching will last 10 minutes and will include slight adjustments to the exposure, removing major defects in the skin, stray hairs, lint or other distractions on the clothing, and if necessary lightening the teeth and the eyes. I can get a lot done in that amount of time.

In some cases I may also do color adjustments, such as changing the color of a top slightly, or adding color or texture to the background. This also may involve removing wrinkles or lint from the backdrop, or making it lighter or darker to add contrast. These changes are subtle and would be thoroughly discussed prior to retouching.

For most headshots and portraits, my policy is to remove anything that distracts. When possible I like to retain the natural skin texture. If there is a permanent characteristic such as a birthmark, beauty mark or a mole, I will tend to diminish it slightly but leave it in place. I am open to direction if there are aspects of your features that you are particularly sensitive to. For example, it is not uncommon for some people to have one eye that is slightly larger than the other. In most cases we can use lighting and positioning to hide this, and if need be we can correct it in post-production when we retouch the photo.