Top 5 Tips for Perfect Portraits!

Great portraits are the result of great collaboration between the photographer and the client. Our goal is to make you feel relaxed and comfortable in whatever environment we are working in, be it studio, on location, etc.

Hopefully at this point you have already booked your portraits session - you now need to prepare for your session to get the best possible results. Some things you should consider include:

Clothing Choices (Colors, Patterns)
Accessories
Make Up
Hair Style, Cut, Color
Personal Grooming
Your Look! It is the single most important part of any portrait and 2Create is here to provide you tips and considerations to help you look your BEST!

Clothing Choices: Probably the stressful part of the preparation process is deciding on which outfit to wear. When making you selection(s), consider the surroundings in which the photos will be taken whether in a room, outdoors or against one of our backdrops. Try to keep clothing patterns and designs as simple as possible. Large patterns, logos and big stripes can be distracting in the photo. Solid colors work best for black and white photography. Make sure your clothing is relaxing and comfortable…and wrinkle free! If you have additional people in your portrait session, make sure all your clothing are in the same tonal range and coordinate properly. Women should try to avoid sleeveless shirts or spaghetti strap tops - this inadvertently causes your face to compete with your upper arms.

Accessories: Feel free to bring items along that help define who you are and don’t be afraid to be a little creative. One caution is with large jewelry which can distract the overall photo. Consider scarves, hats, instruments - we’ll have some fun. If you wear eyeglasses, please consider changing to contacts or a pair of rims with no lenses. Glasses will pick up glare from the lights and will also distort your eyes slightly.

Make Up: Ideally we recommend that you book our Professional Makeup Artist to really enhance your image for the perfect Portraits. If you choose to do it yourself do not fear.  For a more natural look try to keep make up application to a happy medium. Too little make up can make your skin appear dull or tired while too much make up can make your face appear painted. Make up should appear smooth and should blend into your skin evenly. If you are going for a particular look whether it be something funky or artistic, no problem - just let us know - we love creativity! Bring your make along with you for modifications that may arise.

Hair Style, Cut, Color: When should you get your hair cut or styled. For men, between 4 and 7 days before your session. This will give the hair time to even out and eliminate any stress on the scalp that may have been caused. Women, please use your best judgment when having your hair done. Most women know their hair well enough to understand how long it takes to adjust to the desired look. Are you tempted to go for a drastic change in hair style before your session? This could have horrible drawbacks and is not suggested by 2Create Photography.

Personal Grooming: Some of the best details in portraits can be ruined by the smallest imperfections such as dirty fingernails, long toenails, chipped polish and uneven eyebrows or facial hair. Please make sure you pay extra, careful attention to your personal grooming as it will show in closeup shots. Also, get plenty of rest the night before to eliminate bags under the eyes.

That’s it, at least for now! Following these tips will help you in getting the style of portraits you are wanting. Please feel free to contact 2Create should you have any questions or if you need to book your portrait session.