Often there are benefits to natural lighting conditions and familiar surroundings.
There is an additional degree of freedom that comes from location photography and this is
often reflected in the mood of the portrait images. If your surroundings make you feel relaxed
and comfortable, then your portraits will reflect this feeling of warmth, contentment, joy and
excitement. Common locations for portraits include homes, back yards, public parks, beaches,
places of business or a host of other places where people feel they can
capture a mood or be photographed in familiar or exotic surroundings.
What is the best time of day?
The light is best when the sun is low on the horizon, generally the first
or last three hours of the day. However, large shade trees or shaded areas
may extend these hours.
Should we be photographed at our home?
We absolutely love to come to your home for your portrait. It personalizes
a portrait, and always makes it even more meaningful. It doesn't take a
spectacular house, we can always find a corner, (usually not where you expected
to be photograph) The lighting and what you are posed on is the most important
aspect and very little of the house ends up showing in focus... So don't
worry about cleaning up the whole house.
Where should we go for outdoor portraits?
We create most of our outdoor portraits in our studio patio. However, if you have a specific desire, for instance a background, we have some favorite spots in your area, or we'll go to yours.
How about long distance travel?
We oftend photograph at Lake Tahoe or on the beach in Carmel. However, we
are willing to go anyware.
Colors can be mixed, as long as colors are very subdued, and harmonize
with one another.
Try this: Lay out everyone's clothing together, and see which outfits stand
out. Replace "standouts" until there is a good blend.
Special for Outdoors
Choose "earthy" colors that blend well with outdoor surroundings.
Think of "fall colors" (dark reds, purples, greens, grays, browns,
taupe, etc)
All white, or white mixed with light khakis, also works great.
Special for Women
· Makeup as usual (Don’t exaggerate for color portraits)
· Accessories subdued
Special for Men
· Dress shirts need a jacket or sweater over them.
· Ties date portraits quickly. Choose a classic pattern of moderate width,
or skip the tie.
· Darker pants, shoes, snd socks, are best for group portraits.
Families
Can we do additional groupings?
Yes. Time allowing, we can add ‘additional. Grouping of the children alone
or the parents alone or a change of clothing.
We cannot guarantee additional concepts where small children are involved.
Their attention span is often used up after one session.
How do I prepare the children?
Treat your studio visit like a routine trip to the grocery store. Be careful
not to over-prepare young children. The best expressions happen when children
forget they’re being photographed, when no pressure is placed on them to “perform”.
We will create little distractions we’ve found to work. It’s usually best
if the parents just stand off to the side and relax!
Can you add people to groups later?
Yes, we have the best digital retouch artist in America in our minds (Luis
Valadez), and we’re able to do just about anything you ask. If one person
or several are unavailable on portrait day, they can come in later to be photographed
and we’ll insert them into the grouping… no one will know but you.
Children
Can we try multiple outfits?
Yes! However, our goal is to achieve one perfect portrait per session. It
often requires 30 or 40 images to get the one we want. So concentrating on
one outfit is preferable. It’s a good idea to bring more than one choice,
and let us help you decide. It’s surprising what works best… it’s usually
the simplest thing.
What should my child wear?
Simple, classic outfits in muted tones are usually the best. Avoid stripes
and cute designs.
For infants…the more skin showing the better, so we like bare feet, legs,
arms. White clothes are always great. And don’t cover up that body too much.
For toddlers bare feet are still great and bare shoulders too. Avoid bright
colors.
Should I stay in the room with my child?
Yes. Occasionally we’ll ask you to step out of sight, if a child’s attention
is hard for us to get. Normally we’ll want you nearby, but out of the line
of sight.
Teenage subjects sometimes open up better without a parent watching. We like
having a parent there, but if you sense tension, just slip out to our waiting
room occasionally.
What’s the best age for a portrait?
First, don’t wait for the perfect age! Bring your children when you get the
urge. And have portraits done often… you’ll never regret having done it.
That said, we love to photograph children at these “life stages”.
Infant… alone or with mother, and or father.
Baby… we love naked baby portraits in Black and White.
Toddler… wonderful barefoot in the garden portraits
Preschool… usually candid, playful poses in or outdoors
5 years… before the loss of teeth changes that young face. Close-ups are great
at this time.
9 years… a great time to do a more formal portrait for the wall
12 years…the last of childhood looks, just before dramatic changes happen
16 years… it’s fun to include an instrument or other story-telling props
High School Senior… we do a “portfolio session” to show all the complexity
of these young adults
18-19 years…leaving home…this portrait is their first as adults
Couples
What should we wear?
Many of our couples bring two outfits dressy and casual. We can photograph
the casual outdoors and the dressy in a more formal studio look.
For a classier look, don’t mix darks and whites. A mix of dark-on-dark colors
is the safest bet for indoor or outdoor portraits.
Short, capped sleeves are difficult with couples, because we tend to photograph
from the waist up, and arms can get too much attention. Longer sleeve and
darker tops always have a slimming effect. We love sweaters on the guys, so
they can bend easier. Coat and tie is fine too, but never has quite the personality.
Do we have to buy a wedding package?
No, our engagement portraits are available with our without wedding coverage.
However, there is no session fee if we’re also photographing your wedding.
Bridal Portraits
What should I bring?
If possible, bring a small arrangement of fresh flowers, or even a single
flower. Large arrangements are not needed, just something to give a splash
of color and give your hands something to hold. Any other accessories, like
gloves, a shawl, purse or cape also add texture and visual interest.
Jewelry should be understated and simple.
Long veils are great for portraits. If you’re uncomfortable with your veil,
we’ll do some with and some without.
Can we do outdoor bridals?
Yes, We have an out door garden patio.
Should I bring my groom?
We can also add your groom in his tuxedo if you’d like, and we’ll take some
of the two together and some of him alone. (Grooms sometimes get left out.)
We’ll get some beautiful wedding portraits, and that will be one thing you
won’t have to worry about on your wedding day!
How long does it take?
Allow 90 minutes for your session, and we need 4 weeks to make your final
portraits. Schedule your session 6 weeks ahead of your wedding, or the minute
you have your dress!
Large Groups (20+)
How should we plan a large group portrait?
Don’t mix dark and light clothing in the same group. Ask everyone to dress
in all darker earth tones, or all white and khaki, but not a mixture. And
rule out bright colors. This way the image will be unified and allow the
viewer to see faces rather than clothing.
Ask everyone to wear dark shoes and socks, as we’ll always see the front
row of feet in the image.
We have dressing rooms here, but only two.
Can we insert people to groups later?
We can photograph missing members or small groups to be inserted later,
only if we know in advance and leave a spot open for them. We have a great
retouch artist on staff, (Luis Valadez), and done right, you won’t be able
to tell they were added later. An existing picture of a missing person can
be inserted, but it will look much more natural if we photograph them in
a similar lighting condition.
Senior / Graduate Portraits
What Do I Wear?
We love to see you bring two different outfits (or more*). One that’s dressed
up a little, and shows you the way your parents like to see you (if you
know what I mean), and another for fun, the way you like to dress. The outdoor
pictures are great in shorts or jeans, or whatever lets you “express yourself”.
For the more classic looks, we prefer to avoid strong patterns or bright
colors that draw attention to the clothes instead of the face.
How many clothing changes can I bring?
We recommend three outfits. So bring that uniform, or letter jacket, or
whatever.
Can I bring my Pet?
Yea! Add some shots with your dog, or a group shot with some close friends
or your favorite cousin. Or add on some pictures with your bike or car,
or how about a musical instrument? Use your imagination! It will help us
to use ours.
Are your Portraits Expencive?
Yes, we are priced a little higher than lesser quality studios, yet ANYONE
can afford us! It all depends on the value you place on beautiful, artistic,
images that expresses love, not just faces.
Do I have to go to the School Photographer?
Some schools contract a photographer for your yeasbook photo, However…you
don’t have to buy those packages.
It doesn’t mean you have to settle for mediocre pictures at this important
time in your life. So go and get your yearbook obligations done, but save
your hardearned money for portraits you’ll love to show your friends. OK?
What if I Already Paid for School Pictures?
Bring them to us and we’ll credit you $50.. That’s how determined we are
for you to have great portraits!
Why do you like some portraits of yourself and not others? The answer lies in the way the portrait was taken and how close your portrait comes to the accepted idea. People like to think that if a portrait of them is needed, they might as well look their best. A portrait photographer must evaluate the overall look of a person and devise a plan to show the person in their best light.
A high camera angle is an important tool for the portrait photographer.When a subject looks up into the lens, neck wrinkles disappear and the eyes appear larger. Excellent for a person with bangs, a high camera angle emphasizes a broad forehead and diminishes a too strong chin. A low camera angle on the other hand strengthens a weak chin (good for men), increases the drama in a strongly lit pose, and fosters a feeling of candidness in the picture.
A flattering camera viewpoint shows the facial features to their best advantage. Long noses photograph best straight on the camera. High cheekbones are benefited from a slight turn and a high main light. Ears that stick out look best when the far ear just disappears behind the cheek, the near ear placed in a shadow. Profiles are interesting and artistic but are seldom beautiful. A profile portrait highlights the shape of the head, the curve of the neck and the character of the nose and lips. Handsome and regular features are needed for this treatment. Crooked smiles often look better from a slight turn of the head, either to the left or right. Both viewpoints should be considered, photographed and compared. If one such viewpoint seems more even, concentrate on that angle. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. While the person inside is the one that counts, the person outside is the one we have to look at. Jensen Photography we make you look your best!