Portrait Guidelines
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    		•  If you want your portrait to be superior it is important that you plan and prepare for the occasion, so we have included some tips to help make the best of the time spent in front of the camera.

    Hmmm. . . What To Wear?

    . . .that is the age-old question, and a puzzler we often get asked when helping prepare for the best portrait possible. How you feel about how you look can make a difference in facial expression, so we want you to feel great!

    First of all, there is no wrong way to dress, only wrong applications of how you want to come across in your portrait. Let's begin with a few basic guildlines:

  • COLOR: Choose a color that you know compliments your skin tones. If you're not sure, think of the clothes you wear that you receive compliments on. Usually, you look good in them because their color brings out your best facial tones.

  • TONE: Tone is the lightness or darkness of the color you choose. If you want your portrait to be taken with a light backdrop, choose a light tone of clothing. For a dark backdrop, choose a darker tone. For a group photo, dress everyone in the same or similar tones. The reason tone is so important is that the eye goes to the area of greatest contrast, and the best portraits bring the eye to the face of the subject. When extreme tonal changes occur in clothing chosen, then the eye goes to the clothes. That is OK if you want to show off the clothes, but for a fine portrait, the personality and features of the subject's face should be the focus of the portrait.

  • PATTERN: Solid colors are best, because they do not draw attention away from the face. However, subtle pattern is fine and does add variety in a group photo. loud patterns are not recommended.

  • LONG SLEEVES AND LONG PANTS are better than sleeveless or shorts unless you want to draw attention to the body rather than the face. That is because large amounts of skin exposed draws attention away from the face.
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    		•  We say,"ABSOLUTELY!" Use a good coverage base foundation and lots of loose powder to diminish flaws and blemishes and control shine. Apply your eye and lip colors in darker tones than you usually wear to counteract the bright lights used in photography.

    Men should examine their skin and if they have red spots or blemishes, a make-up base should be applied to help hide any flaws. Men should shave shortly before arriving for their portrait session.

  • If you don't feel comfortable doing your own make-up for a professional portrait, we have certified make-up artists who can do wonders for a professional look. They can also style your hair!
    • The Truth About Glasses
    glasses printYour glasses are a part of you. If you always wear them, please plan to leave them on for your portrait session. The truth is that glasses will reflect a glare caused by the flash, or if taken outdoors, your glasses can reflect glare from a number of surrounding objects. There are several things we can do to minimize the glare, and some things you can do, too.

  • Have your optometrist remove the lenses from the rims, or use an empty set of rims for the portrait session.

  • If you choose to leave the lenses in the rims, we can do much to minimize the reflection they make. Some glasses pick up glare easier than others, and most of the time, in a studio situation, we can adjust the angle of the light and the angle of the glasses to control most of the glare. Some glasses are curved in such a way that they distort the face within their circumference. When this situation occurs, we cannot change or alter their effect.

  • After all efforts have been made to minimize the glare your glasses produce, they may still show some glare (usually a small area at the top of the glasses). This is normal and acceptable. However, if you are unhappy with this result, retouching can be done to further eliminate glass glare.

  • Retouching is a hand-painting process and by its nature takes some time. The cost of retouching glass glare is not included in the cost of the package priced portraits, or with the regular prints. It is included when purchasing the portrait finish and the canvas finish.

    Contact Us with your comments, questions, or suggestions

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    • Copyright 1997 Bracken House, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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