So what makes a professional portrait worth more than a photo from a new camera owner or soccer mom?  The difference is in the look of the portrait.  A professional photographer spends years studying lighting, posing, composition, and style to bring out the best qualities and make even an average person look amazing.  The difference between a professional portrait and a camera owner’s photo is like the difference between a fine piece of hand-crafted jewelry and a machine-made necklace or bracelet you might find at a mall kiosk.  With the former you are assured of quality, style, and lasting value; the latter is just something to wear because it’s inexpensive and it really doesn’t matter.

A professional portrait is something you will feel good about giving to your family and friends and will be valued more and more as the years pass.  It is a true investment in one’s memories for generations to come. A camera owner’s portrait is just a road map of the human face; a snapshot that will likely go where all other snapshots have gone before. Take a look at the profile pics on Facebook. It’s pretty easy to tell whether a senior went to a quality studio or tried taking a chance and found it to be a big mistake. While times may change, value does not. Art will always be art, digital or not. I often ask young senior girls, “How much is a portrait worth that makes you look fat?”  They will quickly respond, “Don’t even show me a portrait I look fat in!”  Exactly! If you don’t look beautiful in your senior portraits, it doesn’t matter how much you saved because it’s still money wasted. That’s why we offer a money-back guarantee on our sessions. If you don’t look beautiful, it’s free!

Most girls by the time they become high school seniors have established their own unique style and look when it comes to applying makeup, and that’s great!  We all want and need our individuality.  However, when it comes to portraiture a little really does go a long way.  So let’s talk about this for a moment.  Makeup does two important things.  First, it draws attention to the woman’s eyes.  Second, it adds vibrance and color to a woman’s face. The lips and cheeks will always photograph better with a little color added and the eyes are always going to standout better with a little mascara.  Notice I keep using the word little.  That’s because photography tends to accentuate detail and color in a portrait and it’s even more pronounced now with digital.  What may actually look natural in real life can appear over-done in a portrait.  While eye-liner can draw attention to the eyes in real life, it can actually make the eyes look smaller in a photograph, and that’s the last thing we want to do because we want to not only draw the viewer’s attention to the eyes, but into the eyes.  The eyes are the windows to our individuality and our essence. We want to do everything we can to make the eyes look big and bring out their natural color.  I spend quite a bit of time and effort on lighting and retouching to do just that. So remember, it’s important to have a good foundation, albeit it with no demarcation lines between the neck and cheek, and a little cheek blush and eye shadow for that added color, but be very careful and keep in mind that less truly is more in a portrait.  I actually add a little extra eye-liner, blush, and mascara in nearly every retouch I do.  I can control exactly how much I need to add, but trying to take away is whole different story that can take quite a bit of time and will never quite look the same as if it had been done right in camera.  So by all means, keep your own unique style, but be conservative, and instead let me accentuate your inner beauty and individuality with my lighting and retouching.

I’m so surprised to find how many so-called professional photographers don’t know how to take a good outdoor portrait.  First, without good lighting, no matter how good the pose and composition, it’s going to look like a snapshot taken by your Mom or best friend.  There’s a reason “photography” comes from the Greek word meaning “to draw with light”.  Light is the essence of a quality portrait; for without it, there would be nothing but a black image.  Light is to a photographer what paint is to a painter.  Did you know a sunny day at noon is the absolute worst time to take a portrait.  The mid-day sun creates harsh shadows under the eyes and neck, and the high contrast makes your  skin and clothing look very harsh with the highlights blown to white and the shadows clipped to black.  Shooting in the shade makes for flat lighting with no dimension, while shooting in the open on a cloudy day creates raccoon eyes.  So how then do you get it right?  The answer’s actually quite simple: use reflectors.  I have assistants hold the reflectors to create the right pattern on the face, remove the dark shadows under the eyes, and put those catch lights in the eyes so critical to a beautiful portrait.  By using reflectors instead of strobe lights I can see the light and have my assistants adjust the reflectors while I’m looking through the lens.  After all, even the best strobe lights can never match the quality of Mother Nature’s sun. Having an assistant feather the light ever so subtly across the face while lowering the reflector just enough to get those catch lights somewhere between the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock positions is the key to creating that perfect lighting that makes the eye’s pop and the skin just glow.  I usually look for something to block the overhead light, such as a tree branch or front porch, and I always try to keep the sun behind the subject while reflecting it back into the face.  That back light creates a beautiful hair light too that separates the subject from the background and makes them truly stand out.  I have my assistants bounce the light back into the face from the sun using reflectors at just the right feathering.  My reflectors are nice collapsible ones, but did you know you can actually make your own out of tin foil or even a large white sheet; after all, we’re just trying to control the light.  Pretty simple huh?  Of course it also helps to understand posing and composition.  All the elements must come together to create that portrait that has a life of its own.  I shoot nearly all of my outdoor portraits with a long very
high-quality telephoto lens set at its widest aperture.  This way the background falls out of focus quickly and the face is tack sharp.  I then add a little vignette or edge blur in post processing to draw the viewer’s attention to the subject’s face and eyes.  You know even if you don’t have a long telephoto, if you get the lighting right, it can really make a dramatic improvement.  Try a few of these tips next time you’re out with your friends. You’ll be glad you did.

Many students don’t know this, but when it comes to senior portraits they really do have a choice. Contracted photographers are usually large companies that contract with schools for the yearbook portraits and offer senior portraits as well because that’s where the money is. They don’t make their money off the contracts because those are always in favor of the schools. Due to high volumes and multiple photographers-for-hire these companies often produce underclass photography. You will usually find them set up in a strip mall with no outdoor locations unless you want to travel and pay dearly for it. They also use giant light boxes and umbrellas which are very forgiving as you move around (great for kids), but tend to make the images look flat and one dimensional. With them it’s all about volume and moving the clients through at a fast pace. They use giant umbrellas outdoors too instead of reflectors because they’re easier, but trust me, the quality is not the same.  See my blog post on How To Improve Your Outdoor Portraits. A true photographer is a creative with a passion for the art. He’s like any artist who’s always striving to perfect his work. This is the reason I chose to be a direct-market photographer. The fulfillment my clients and I both get from creating beautiful images is priceless to me. If you’re looking for lasting value from your senior portraits I urge to think about this. Wouldn’t you want to feel like your photographer has a personal investment in you and willing to go the extra mile to prove it.  Not to be tooting my own horn here, but that’s a no-brainer.

I’ve noticed many people today think high school senior photography is not so much an art as just an acquired skill. As a photographer having studied the profession for some time now, I can honestly say it is quite a bit more than that, so in the interest of alleviating confusion, let’s define it. To do this we must first know the meaning of the word art, so bear with me. Britannica Online defines art as “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, and experiences that can be shared with others.” Note that art requires both skill and imagination, and nearly all forms including photography fall into two categories: applied art and fine art. Both have existed for thousands of years. What I discovered is that high school senior photography is really an applied art and is considered more a craft requiring a certain degree of imagination and creativity. To describe something as a craft is to describe it as lying somewhere between an art (which relies on talent) and a science (which relies on knowledge). No doubt photography relies on quite a bit of science; especially now in the digital age. My wireless radio transceivers, 3200 watt strobes that flash at a thousandth of a second, and thousand-dollar-plus optical lenses no doubt make use of the latest in both optical science and engineering. But like any other form of art, high school senior photography is an evolving process requiring knowledge, skill, and creativity in the areas of lighting, posing, composition, and style. No doubt fine art requires a more abstract form of talent and sometimes days, months, or even years to create a single piece of work. But applied art also requires its own form of talent in its ability to create multiple pieces of lasting value within a relatively short period of time. So in the end, even though each approach may be quite different, both truly are art because each requires skill and imagination to create those  ”objects, environments, and experiences” that we can share throughout our lives… and beyond.

It simply amazes me how many new camera owners seemingly overnight become self-proclaimed “professionals”. I’ve noticed too how their low prices really seem to tempt seniors into taking a chance. I think that’s because so many seniors aren’t really aware of the difference. Sometimes you have to actually see the difference side-by-side for it to become truly apparent. Notice the difference between the lighting, the pose, the clothing, the composition, and the expression in this side-by-side comparison. In the image on the left taken by mom with her new point-n-shoot with on-camera flash, the subject is just standing square to the camera. That’s a sure fire way to bring out the worst in a

person’s shape or physique. Also, notice the lighting is flat and one dimensional in the mom shot and the depth of field shows all the
distracting detail in the background. Now as we take a look at the professional image shot here in the studio we can see soft shadows adding dimension and drama to the shot, and we can see captivating catch lights in the eyes so critical to a beautiful portrait. Notice too, the shimmer in the hair created by a separate but subtle hair light coming from behind. A hair light like this makes the subject stand out from the background and adds yet another dimension to the portrait. A professional beauty dish was used too as the key light creating what’s known as “butterfly” lighting for that glamour look that makes the skin glow and brings out the color in the eyes.
I do hope this side-by-side comparison has made it obvious how many elements must come together to create a beautiful portrait that will last a lifetime. A snapshot is just that, a roadmap of the face that will go where all other snapshots have gone before it. It can take years of study and practice for a professional to bring all these elements together creatively and consistently time after time with each new subject. So remember to ask yourself the next time you’re thinking about taking a chance on that new camera owner, would I be willing to spend a little more for the one on the right?

As a business practice I occasionally visit other photographers’ websites, blogs, and facebook pages. One recurring theme I encounter is clients talking about how much fun they had at their session. That’s important. I wouldn’t want anything less from my clients, but sometimes with all the fun and excitement, I wonder if they’re really taking a close look at their photos. I’m often surprised at what I see. I’ve actually seen shots taken in the street with parked cars in the background or subjects standing looking out a window with no real meaning to the composition. I’ve seen a lot of automated special effects filters creating that hard edge look we all know only too well in the digital age. As a portrait photographer I’m really looking for natural beauty in my images that I know will have lasting value. I also see a lot of shots taken with large light sources that are very forgiving, but create flat one-dimensional images. It’s easy to spot them, just look for faces or entire bodies well lit with no shadows on them. The subject will standout from the background even in broad daylight.

Yes, who doesn’t want to have fun and feel famous even if only for a short while, but remember, fun is only temporary; a beautiful portrait is forever….

There is an old saying, “A beautiful portrait of someone you love becomes priceless in time”.  In this new age where just about anybody can own a decent camera and the cost of film is not an issue, I’m seeing quite a few Facebook profile pic’s out there that look like your Mom or best friend took you out back with their point and shoot and finally got one in focus.  I’m seeing more and more start-up hobbyists making business cards and selling photography for little or nothing just to pay for the camera. Did you know you can go to a Wal-Mart and get fairly good cookie-cutter photographs for well under $100 and get your money back if you don’t like them.  Be careful about spending any money at all for cheap photographs because if you don’t like them, whatever you’ve spent, you’ve wasted.  If you simply can’t afford professional portraits take a look at my blog post How To Improve Your Outdoor Portraits.  And to add to that, go outdoors, find a shade tree, pose putting your back to the sun, turn slightly to the side to slim yourself down, and compose the portrait from the waist up.  Trust me you’ll get
just as good a shot as a semi-professional would and get it for free!  However, if you are in the market for professional photographs then look carefully at the outdoor locations, studio sets and props being offered, as well as the style of photography.  And remember any photographer can make a perfect person look perfect.  Instead, look at your friends’ photographs; especially those that might have issues with their weight or are just not that photogenic.  If they look good in their portraits you know the photographer is skilled and has done his homework.  It can take years of studying and practice to become proficient at the art of lighting, posing, composition, and style so choose wisely because for most people you really only get one chance at that lifetime of memories

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Here’s a good question: What does it take to be a professional photographer?  When I thought about it, I was somewhat surprised. You don’t have to have a degree, nor do you even need a license.  At first you might think it must be pretty easy. All you really have to do is point and shoot, and just about anybody can afford a good digital camera these days.  Not only that, but you can see the results immediately on the LCD screen, delete then shoot again.  At the onset, it might seem kind of difficult to justify paying a high price for a professional portrait.  However, after extensive study, I’ve come to the conclusion that professional photography has to be one of the most underrated and misunderstood fields there is, and the digital age hasn’t helped.  How can something so simple on the surface be so complex underneath?  The more I learned the more I realized how little I knew.  It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a new corridor to be explored.  I went from pressing a button to being lost in a sea of knowledge.  Just when I thought I had covered all the basics, a whole new facet would appear.  Here’s a list of some of the disciplines within photography today.  Feel free to Google search: Digital Asset Management (DAM), Color Management, The Art of Artificial Lighting, The Art of Natural Lighting, The Art of Composition, The Art of Posing, Capturing the Uniqueness of each Client, The Art of Wardrobe Makeup and Hair Styling, Learning to See Creatively, Understanding Intellectual Property and Copyright, The Art of Retouching with Photoshop and Raw editors, the Science of Licensing Images, How to Connect with your Clients, How to be a Successful Business Person, and the list goes on. I’m now convinced that in order to shoot beautiful portraits time after time it is essential to study and practice all of these while keeping up to date as technology changes.  This is why good photography can often times be expensive.  Just like everything else though, if you shop wisely, you usually can get what you pay for.  I of course would love to be everybody’s photographer, but  I wouldn’t have the time (nice thought though), so if your looking elsewhere, make sure you do your homework. Find someone with a passion for the field, who has invested in top-notch gear and equipment, does quality work consistently, and is keen to what props and sets are in style each year.  I have some of the coolest props and backgrounds around (many from Ikea) and because my studio is in my home, I can work late hours getting that retouching just right because it does not leave my studio unless I know it’s worthy.  My studio creates a beautiful soft-box for that glamour lighting, and having it in my home keeps my overhead much lower so I can pass those savings on to you. In the end though, with every client my ultimate goal is to create that lifetime of memories by showing the world who you really are.

I will admit,  I first became interested in photography when it went digital. Film and dark rooms just  didn’t excite me.  However, I was always fascinated with technology and pursued a degree and career in it.  I loved programming computers when I was growing up.  But before computers came along, I remember as a child loving to draw and create things.  I used to spend hours building scale models for my father’s model railroad.  I was always meticulous and had to have everything look realistic (i.e. perfectly imperfect).  Once computers came along, they captured my attention and I got into programming and once again had to make sure my programs were perfect and efficient.  I loved the fact that computers didn’t ask questions.  They did exactly what you told them.  Programming made me realize how imperfect “I” was.  Years passed studying technology and I never really gave creativity another thought until photography went digital and I discovered Photoshop.  It was kind of like being a kid all over again; except this time, I was combining creativity with technology!  The more I learned about the field of photography the more engrossed I became.  Eventually I realized if I wanted to continue shooting I was going to have to make money at it.  This meant I was going to have to spend time learning how to create great images right out of the camera so as to have the best images to work with on the computer and of course speed up the post processing.  It became a real quest, and this is where I began to learn that creativity was something much more than I ever imagined.  Someone once said, “It is only the phenomenon of creativity which separates man from machines and animals.”  I felt like I had been going through life with my eyes wide shut.  In the technical world I had become used to getting my hands around something and solving it.  For some reason I couldn’t do this when it came to creating images.  It was literally limitless.  I set out to learn all the rules of creating great shots, taking class after class, reading book after book, only to realize there weren’t really any rules per say, only suggestions.  I kept seeing great images that literally broke all the rules.  I struggled with this for a long time and I think I finally had an epiphany.  It was this limitlessness that I had somehow been blind to all my life.  I couldn’t help but feel I had been living a good part of my life not exercising this essential human element. So I decided to stop struggling with it and instead began to embrace it and even more importantly, cherish it.  I truly think my work started to improve.  I kind of just let go, and gave myself the freedom to create, while either incorporating or breaking all the rules, I mean suggestions, I had learned.  I actually started to have fun; something my wife never thought I was capable of, but that’s another story :-).  All this time, I’m not so sure if it was technology or digital that was captivating me, but maybe creativity in and of itself.  I must say I have learned the hard way there is a difference when you can see the difference.  It’s kind of like when your tastes develop over time and you start enjoying the finer foods in life.  It’s not until you can taste the difference that you can truly enjoy the  difference; and once you have, you’ve been enlightened, and isn’t that what it’s all about.  It is my hope that I can instill into my clients some of that awakening I experienced on my journey as a photographer.  If I can do that through my work and my relationships with them, it will make it all worthwhile.  I truly hope I can make your portraits a lasting memory throughout your life and that you too will see the difference.