4. Use clothing to accentuate your best features.

  Girls may want to forego short sleeves or spaghetti straps if their arms are heavy, since these styles will only accentuate that feature.  Turtleneck tops look best on people with long necks.  Round & square faces look good in a square-neck top, while thin faces or pointed chins are attractive with rounded-neck tops. 

5. Go easy on the jewelry.

  Avoid wearing attention-grabbing jewelry.  Again, the photograph should accentuate your face, eyes & personality, not draw unwarranted attention to your jewelry. 
Also, jewelry can date a photograph very quickly. Classic jewelry pieces are best.

6. Apply makeup normally.

  It’s tempting to get very “glam” when having pictures taken, but this could very well make you look like a stranger in your senior portrait.

Apply your makeup as you normally look on a day-to-day basis, but bring your makeup with you & let the photographer know you have it.  If the photographer feels you need a touch more blush or eyeshadow, he or she will let you know. 

Avoid glitter or sparkly anything (powder, eye shadow, blush) – it tends to reflect the flash and leaves white spots & will cost extra $ to retouch in your finished portraits. 
Lip gloss is great, but avoid over-doing it. It can also leave white spots from the flash or make you look like you’re drooling.

7. Bring powder.

  If you have it, bring along some translucent powder. While in real life, a bit of shine to the face gives you that “dewy glow,” it unfortunately can look like “too much glow” in photos. Your photographer can direct you if you need to dab some powder on your forehead or nose.

8. Go with practiced hair styles.

  Getting senior portraits done is not the time to leave your hair uncombed for that “natural” look. Also, avoid experimental hairstyles. 

In general, friends & family prefer to remember you as you looked most of your senior year, not just during the period when you had your pictures taken.

We suggest working with your desired hairstyles a few days before the photo shoot to get the look you want in advance.

Get a haircut at least a week in advance to give your hair a chance to adjust & look natural. Girls having their hair styled for a formal picture can, of course, wait until the photo session day to get their hair done, but they should practice with their hair stylist beforehand so there are no surprises on session day.

9. Guys (and girls)!!!  Please shave.

  A fresh shave for guys is a must, & mustaches or beards should be neatly trimmed.  Legs & underarms should be fresh & clean for your session ladies. :D

10. Blemishes be gone...

  Don’t worry about a blemish or bruise. Express to us about retouching concerns before we begin your session to get the most attractive portrait possible. 

11. Don’t worry about braces.

  Your braces are a part of the high-school “you” & shouldn’t be avoided or hidden. However, if they really bother you, or you only wore them a short time, our lab artists can digitally “erase” them for an extra fee. 

12. Avoid tanning heavily.

  Don’t overdo the tanned look. For one thing, it looks unnatural. For another, your pictures could reveal peeling skin or a cherry-red nose.  Careful with a spray tan as well.  It can leave blotchy or look too fake.  Go lightly on the tan as we can enhance it if needed but it costs extra for our lab to "reduce" your tan look.

13. Help your glasses avoid glare.

  You can either buy or borrow a pair of suitable frames without lenses to prevent glare & reflections from the glass. Or you can ask your optician to remove the lenses from your frames for the photo session. Most will do this for you at no charge, but give them plenty of notice so there is no rush.  While we make every attempt to shoot & not show glare, sometimes it is extremely difficult or not possible.  Remember... post production removal of glare costs extra.

14. Make sure your hands are presentable.

  Hands will show in some of your favorite poses, so be sure to take the time to make them presentable – guys should trim their nails, & girls might need to touch up their manicure.  That goes for toes too.

15. Practice your facial expressions.

  Before you come to your photo shoot, practice your facial expressions in front of a mirror at home. You can try various smiles, serious but relaxed looks, & animated expressions for action shots (with sports gear, for example).  I know this may sound dumb but it really helps you feel more comfortable during your session.

16. Posing.

  "What do I do?"  "How should I stand?" "What should I do with my hands?"  "Do you want me to smile or no?"  "You want my legs HOW?" Bahahahah.... These are all some fun things we hear during our sessions & we have a lot of fun with our seniors.  Don't worry about your posing or expressions.  We will talk you through each pose & demonstrate if necessary.  We will coach you through your posing & expressions so you are at your best.