Preparing for your Senior Portrait
Sleep
Get a good night’s sleep the night before your session. You’ll look better if you are well rested.
Clothing
Choose clothing you’re comfortable in. The clothes you wear help set the mood for the portrait, and should complement the location you choose, as well as the décor of your home where your portrait will be displayed. Formal settings call for dressier clothes than a woodsy setting. Feel free to bring three or four outfits for our deluxe session. Think about something that will please mom and grandma, something wild and crazy that you love, and something in between.
Your face should be most important in your portrait, not your clothing. Solid mid-range colors generally photograph best and don’t distract from your face. Black recedes and slims. White can dominate and make you look heavier. Avoid patterns, large or small, as they look "busy." Think about where your portrait will hang in your home and choose colors that complement the other furnishings in the room.
Skin
Avoid over-tanning. You want your complexion to look natural.
Knees show when seated, so gals need to consider skirt or dress length. Shoes and socks show in full-length portraits, so bring appropriate shoes. Flip flops are usually too casual for any outfit. Bare feet are often a good choice for casual portraits.
Hair and Makeup
You want to look your best, so pay a little extra attention to your hair and makeup before your portrait session. If you need a fresh haircut, have it done about a week ahead. But this isn’t the time to try something radically new and different. Girls, wear your regular makeup.
Guys, if you have an afternoon appointment and are one of the few seniors with a heavy beard, you may want to shave mid-day to avoid the “five o’clock shadow” look. If you wear a beard or mustache, they should be neatly trimmed.
Eyeglasses
If you normally wear glasses, they should be part of your portrait. We control the reflections to the best of our ability by adjusting your pose, but sometimes it’s impossible to completely eliminate glasses glare. If you have thick lenses or have had severe reflection problems in the past, you may want to ask your optometrist to loan you a frame with no lenses for your portrait.