We've prepared this page to give you a few
suggestions so that you'll be the most happy with your portraits,
so please take a moment to read the following
suggestions:
CLOTHING:
In any portrait, your face should always be the main
point of interest, not your clothing. You want your clothing to
compliment your face, not compete with it.
In the old days everyone wore dark, solid colors,
but today we encourage you to bring different types of outfits, so
we can give you a complete assortment to choose from. The magic
word today is VARIETY! Instead of bringing, say, 4 white sweaters,
try instead to bring 3 or 4 different outfits. Examples:, a formal
or dressy outfit; 1 or 2 semi-dressy (or semi-casual - hey, we're
easy!) outfits; a casual; and a special outfit.
Also, try to pick your outfits so you'll
have a variety of colors & tones (that is, light & dark)
instead of all the same ( how dull, you know?). If you don't think
you have enough variety, beg or borrow from your family or
friends! Here are some examples for you to bring:
FORMAL - For girls, a formal dress,
dressy dress or suit, etc. This will probably be the one your
family will hang over the mantle, so you want this to look classy
- Solid colors are best here! Just remember that if you wear
stripes, polka dots, contrasty prints or plaids, etc., you're
going to get really sick of looking at that same design day after
day on the wall (not to mention looking outdated soon) - that's
why you want to stick to something classical and
simple.
SEMI-FORMAL - Any kind of dressy or
sporty looking outfit - a regular dress, pantsuit, fashiony look,
etc; again, you will want to lean more towards
solids.
CASUAL - This can be solids, prints,
stripes, light, dark, rainbow colored, whatever you feel like! -
Jeans, shorts, casual shirts, Levis, warmups, etc. Try to have
different colors and tones from the other 2 outfits!
SPECIAL - We encourage everyone to
bring one of these! Such as:, sports/band/drill/cheering uniforms
or outfits, snowski/tennis/dance outfits, etc.
COLORS:
As we said above, try to bring different types and
colors of your outfits. Ideally, bring at least one dark, one
light/pastel or white, and different colors. 4 different colored
sweaters & levis isn't really giving variety. Neither is
having different types of outfits, but all of them in the same
color - you won't really see the variety as well.
Want to Look THINNER?
Hey, not even Brittney Spears has a perfect
bod - what you wear can make a major difference in your size
appearance in your portraits. A few suggestions, for those who
want to look better!:
Light & bright colors
(yellow/red/pink/white/etc.) will make you look
larger.
Dark, cool colors
(blue/green/brown/grey, etc.) will make you look
smaller.
Solids Only! - NO
Stripes, polka dots, prints, etc.
Long sleeves are a definite plus - avoid sleeveless
outfits, unless you've got great arms & elbows. This is
especially true on your formal & semi-formal
outfits.
The point is to draw
less attention to your body and more to your face - that's what
it's all about!
NECKLINES - V-or cowl neck look best
- round or square necklines sometimes make your face look
broader.
HAIR - make sure it looks fresh and
natural, and clean. Don't try a new hairstyle right before your
sitting - You probably won't like it!
MAKE-UP - It's really important that
you do use makeup for your portraits - just make sure you know
what will give you the best results and don't overdo. On girls we
use "sofftouch" lenses on many of the poses, so it's important to
make sure your eyes especially are accentuated. Also, coverup can
eliminate most minor blemishes. We can also offer makeup
assistance.
JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES - Bring
coordinating jewelry, necklaces, earrings - all that
junk.
CLASS RING! Don't forget it! (also,
if you wear your boyfriend's class ring, we recommend making one
pose with it to give to him, then wear YOUR ring for the
rest!
SHOES - Make sure you bring matching
shoes, slacks, pants, belts, etc. to go with the top. We'll do a
couple of full length poses, so don't forget!
What Else To Bring: We encourage you
to bring several things to help personalize some of your
portraits. These are just some examples, please use your
imagination. so we can capture the real you!
PETS - Definitely! Cats, dogs, horse
(but please let us know in advance if you're bringing a horse!),
birds, etc.
PERSONAL
-Boy/girl-friend, car, bike; surfboard, waterskis, snowskis,
windsurfer, awards, trophies, etc.
HOBBIES: - art work, camping, RC gear, ,
martial arts, photo equipment, scuba diving, computers,
etc.
SPORTS: - sports
equipment, uniforms, trophies, etc.
COLLECTIONS: - stamps, stuffed animals,
coins, etc.
Be creative, let us
capture the real YOU!
Portraits
Tips for successful portrait sessions
These are good points to remember when
planning a beach portrait or any other type of
portrait.
Hair and make-up
· Ladies may want to apply their makeup
slightly heavier than normal and some color to the cheeks and
lips. This will enhance a woman's appearance and help minimize any
imperfections.
· To avoid a
five o'clock shadow men should shave about two hours before the
portrait session.
· Do not
change your hairstyle just before your portrait
session.
· Style your hair
and use hair spray to hold it in place. This is a good idea for
men too.
· Bring hair spray
and hairbrushes to the session for any final touches.
· If photographing outdoors, because of
outdoor breezes, it is important to fully spray your family's hair
after styling.
· Please bring
your makeup and hair care kit with you to the session.
· Facial shine is extremely detrimental to
fine portraits. Persons with oily, shiny, or perspiring skin
should use and bring along translucent powder. This applies to men
also.
· Glare in eyeglasses
can sometimes be a problem. We recommend if you wear glasses all
the time, bringing a pair that you had the lenses removed or not
wearing them at all.
Beach Portraits
· The best time for beach portraits or photography
is the first thirty minutes to an hour of sunlight in the morning
or the last hour or two hours before sunset and a few minutes
after.
· For couples and
small groups, sunrise is absolutely beautiful.
· For big family groups we recommend the
afternoon/evening hours.
·
But, whether morning or evening session, you must be on time or
earlier! Position of sunlight, which changes very quickly at the
beach, is vital to the beauty of your portrait.
· We recommend bringing a blanket, cooler
or some water to drink, and a few backup outfits in case of
excessive perspiration.
· It
is not a bad idea to remember to bring an extra pair of pants or
shorts for small ones. Sometimes there are little accidents that
may occur.
· If women or
small children wear light linen or cotton dresses remember to
bring a light slip.
· White,
ivory, light pastel solids and light earth tones are best for the
beach for both men and women.
· Loose fitting, long sleeve shirts and pant legs
for men and women seem to work best on most people, and help hide
less than perfectly toned upper arms and legs.
· Jeans and white shirts also look great
on the beach.
· Your family
members can wear swimsuits if they feel more comfortable and
natural.
· Barefoot is best
or sandals that blend with the sand, but bare feet are
preferable!
Clothing Selection
· Solid colors create a classic and timeless look
for years to come.
· Avoiding
patterns stripes, polka dots, floral, lettering, and images are
highly advisable. Patterns draw attention to the clothing rather
than to faces.
· For a
classic look, we suggest photographing in a high key all white
setting. Dress your infant or child in white.
· Pastel colors are also good for a
classic look.
· Light colors
are generally photographed with white or light colored
backgrounds.
· Bright colors
such as, blue, yellow, red, and pink would fall into a more
contemporary theme.
Props are
always fun to add to a Child's portrait. You can always bring a
doll, a special outfit, hats, and seashells for your
portrait.
Glamour Photography
We do not do Nude
Photography!
Glamour photography is tastefully done
photographs of a woman. We leave it up to the customer as to how
revealing the photographs will be. Although these pictures are
usually done for a womans significant other, male clients may
also wish to choose this service.
The photo sessions are done in our
home-based studio or can be done in yours.
A typical session lasts about 21/2 hours once the
actual shooting starts.
Glamour Tips
01. Please plan on doing your makeup
prior to your arrival. Put on makeup as though you are going out
for a fancy evening. This is generally heavier than your usual
"look", and will usually appear light and natural under the
studio lighting.
02. Use a bit more foundation
than normal, carefully blending it from your face down to your
upper body. If you plan to wear something revealing, you do not
want your face to be one color and your upper body another
color.
03. Avoid overdoing it at the
tanning salon prior to a photo session. You may burn or freckles
may become more prominent. Tanning lotions may cause your skin to
appear splotchy when makeup is applied.
04. Eye shadow should be a
lighter color rather than darker to bring your eyes
forward.
05. Blush and lip color should be
heavier than usual. Blush should be evenly blended and lip
color should be a shade darker than usual avoiding light colors
and especially anything that looks frosted.
06. Most importantly, use enough
powder for a matte finish. You should have a solid foundation
of powder. This matte finish is very important to avoid shiny
reflections of the lights, called hotspots.
07. You will have an opportunity to
touch it up and make small corrections prior to starting the
session. Wear loose fitting clothing to the session. We assume
that you will bring your own costumes/clothing.
08. Bring the tallest heels that you
have in a variety of colors (black, white, and red for
example).
09. If youre not sure what to wear,
consider some of the following:
An evening dress & high heels
His uniform or favorite shirt
A tux shirt with black studs and black
cuff-links
A tux
bowtie
Strings of
different colored beads
A leather
jacket
A vest
Cutoffs
A bath towel with wet hair
Halloween costumes
Anything
fishnet (tops, stockings etc)
Artificial flower petals or leaves
A mini skirt
An off-the-shoulder top
A tank top which is either too tight, cut-off too
much or both
Sunglasses
Scarves
Stockings
Anything unusual or outfits that you would never wear
outside
Many of the above and
other unusual clothing items are available for purchase or rental
at costume and formal-wear stores.
Examples might include special jewelry
received as gifts, sports equipment, or unusual accessories. If
these photographs are for somebody special, think about their
likes and dislikes and hobbies for ideas on what to bring.
Feel free to bring some of your favorite
CD's with you. You may feel more relaxed and, we find that soft,
mellow music works best in most cases. Printed proofs are usually
ready in about 7-10 days. You may also choose to have your photos
displayed on a secure website.
We reserve the right to require a photo
ID as proof of age.
We ask that you pay for your shooting fee
at the time of the photo session unless other arrangments have
been made.
Shooting Fees
Shooting session at our home-based
studio - $65.00 per hour (all photos burned to cd)
Shooting session at your home--$75.00
per hour ( all photos burned to cd )
Reprints
3x5 or 4x6 $7.00 each
5x7 $10.00 each
8x10
$15.00 each
11x14 $35.00
each
Wallets $10.00 for 2 of the
same pose
Composites
8x10 - $35.00
11x14 - $50.00
Portrait Packages
Please feel free to inquire about
multi-image reprint pricing. (210-316-7788)
Copyright
All digital files remain the copyrighted
property of SA Portraits until paid for in full and may not be
reproduced until then. These images will have our watermark on
them until purchased.
Additional charges will apply to orders
that are mailed to customers.
FREE 8 x10 Portrait of
your baby
Pregnancy is one of the most
precious times in a woman's life - capture this special event with
a 3 for 1 offer from SA Portraits. Be photographed 3 times during
your pregnancy,
then return with your new born for that
irreplaceable FREE "timeless portrait".
All photos copied to CD FREE
for you to cherish. cost = $125.00
(No
additional hidden charges)
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version" of this information