Guidelines For a Great Portrait

• Schedule a haircut no sooner than five days before your session, to give it a chance to "fill in" a bit. Your hair should be the way your friends and family are used to seeing it. This is not the best time to try out a "new-look."
• If possible, visit your eye doctor and ask to borrow a pair of empty frames if you wear glasses. This will eliminate glass glare and eye distortion.
  
• Bring photos you like from magazines, books, catalogs, and any other sources, to your session appointment. We will use these images to form an idea of the photographic styles and "looks" you like. The more we know about the kind of portraits you'd like, the easier it is to achieve satisfying results.
  
• Get plenty of rest the night before your session. The better your mood when you arrive, the better the portraits.
  
• Arrive early. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to the studio so you won't feel rushed. Plan on arriving about 15 minutes before your scheduled session time so you can get your outfits and props unloaded and situated in the dressing room.
  
• You may bring the music of your choice to listen to while sitting for the portrait. Music indeed has charm to soothe. We have a large selection to choose from if it pleases you. Your comfort is our goal so please feel free to bring your own CDs and tapes.
  
• Ladies, it is best to apply makeup as if you were going out for the evening. Too little and you'll look pale and washed out; too much makes you look "painted." Pay special attention to your eyes; that's what everyone will see first in your portraits.
  
• Always look in the mirror before finally sitting for the cameras. YOU are ultimately responsible for the way you look. We have plenty of mirrors for your convenience.
  
• Bring clothing you feel comfortable in. Keep in mind that some shots will be taken outdoors and some more formal shots will be taken indoors.
  
• If you have any special props that you would like to include in your photos, please feel free to bring them.
  
• Add to the fun by bringing a friend or pet (If you're bringing a friend, keep your outfits in the same tonal range. In other words, you both want to be in the same, rather than contrasting, colors. That doesn't mean that you have to have matching outfits. But with two or more people in a photograph, similar colors tend to be less distracting to the eye.)
  
• Children are SPECIAL. We will never pressure a child to smile, and we will discourage you in doing so. When they are ready to display their unique personality, we will be ready to capture it. Patience is indeed a virtue when photographing children.
  
• Your proofs will be ready within ten working days of the sitting. Once you have edited your proofs, your finished custom prints will be ready within ten working days of notification.
  
• While your final portraits will be touched up, your proofs will not be. We do all we can to make sure that the portrait is excellent from the start.
  
• Allow several hours in your schedule for your portrait session.