session faq’s

 

Have a question about your upcoming session? You’ll probably find the answer here.

“What do we wear?” This is the number one question I get, and for good reason: What to wear is very important, and depends on your goals for your session.

• If you are looking for classical, traditional, or simple portraits, you might wish to choose white or light cotton pastel clothes for the children to wear. Simple ribbons are better than large bows for girls, and if the weather permits, bare feet are wonderful! Well-fitting sunsuits for little boys are great – those that have a little sleeve will photograph better than the loose sleeveless type.

 

• If you want a more modern, non-traditional, or fashion-oriented session, go ahead and dress your children in lots of color! This style is perfect for colder or rainy weather sessions when the landscape is more muted. Certain pieces will really pop – like colorful hats in the winter, bright rainboots in the summer, patterned tights or leggings for girls, and bright shirts for little boys. Do avoid really large prints or clothing with logos, as these can overwhelm little subjects.

 

• Some of my favorite session clothing is the simplest of all (for warm weather only)- rolled-up jeans with a simple shirt (or better yet, no shirt) for little boys, and simple white sundresses for little girls. Bare feet is especially important for this look. If you like monochrome prints, this is a great way to dress your children so that the prints have a really timeless, elegant quality.

 

• Fantasy clothing can also be an interesting occasional choice for a session. Fairy or angel wings for little babies or little girls can create highly customized and strikingly beautiful images. Pirate swords for boys, or even superhero shirts or capes can work as well. The possibilities are endless!

 

• It is a good idea to bring two clothing choices to your session. This way you will have much more variety in your portraits and can achieve two different looks. Most people are much happier with their finished portraits when they can do a clothing change halfway through the session.

 

• Small babies are best photographed wearing nothing, or a simple white diaper cover.

 

• For family portraits, it is not necessary to match everyone’s clothing. In fact, in my opinion the resulting portrait when everyone is perfectly matched can appear too staged and flat. Doesn’t every member of your family have a different personality? Then so should their clothes. However, you do want to make sure that the clothes complement each other and do not clash. Jeans and simple shirts for adults often work well with whatever the kids are wearing.

 

• The most important thing to remember is that whatever clothes you choose, they should be well-fitting and comfortable. Try not to dress your children in a size up – this makes the clothing fall incorrectly and will result in a slightly disheveled look.

 

“Where are some interesting local locations for photo sessions?”

• The Experiment Station (corner of Airways and the 45 Bypass) is a fantastic place for photo sessions. There are endless fields, curving paths through woods, a pond, a streambank, and an allee of pine trees. In winter, this location lends itself perfectly for bright color, fashion-type shoots because the surrounding muted landscape really helps colors to pop. In the summer, there are gardens everywhere and also some very interesting “garden art”. At the time of this writing there are old bicycles hanging as sculpture in several places.

• The NC & St.L  Train Depot downtown is a great place for modern portraiture. The picture of my son, at the top of this page, was taken there. The colors outside the Depot really lend themselves to portraits, and of course the train tracks are a great background. This is THE location for an awesome sepia or black-and-white “theme” or “story” shoot. Children look so cute sitting on a vintage suitcase – girls with a colorful parasol as well, or the boys with a book or old-fashioned hat – “waiting” for a train.

• Muse Park is a nice location… there is a wooden footbridge, and trees all around with the little pond in the background.

• First Presbyterian Church has wonderful architecture and grounds which lend themselves to classical portraiture.

• Pinson Mounds has a nice open field, and trails and boardwalks with wooden footbridges. In the fall, the colors here are beautiful! Plus, you’ll get some exercise if your kids decide to climb the zillion steps up to the top of Saul’s Mound – worth the trip up for the fantastic view. If you haven’t ever visited this beautiful state park only about twenty minutes south of downtown Jackson, go as soon as you can. It is one of the best-kept secrets of West Tennessee, and you will feel like you are a million miles away.

 

“How long will my session take?”

• Depending on the number of children involved, sessions usually take between one to one and a half hours. If there are three or more kids, the session may take up to two hours so that I can get good individual portraits of everyone as well as group shots.

“Will my photos be retouched?”

• In terms of general retouching, I process each picture individually for color and contrast. I do not do batch processing. In terms of blemish or scratch removal, I will most certainly retouch for this as well if that is the wish of my client.  I also add texture and art touched to many images.

“How long will I have to wait for my portraits to be posted online?”

• Generally, post-processing of portraits takes between one and two weeks. I spend a great deal of time on each portrait making sure they are all perfect. If you have requested a painted portrait, you may have to wait a little longer for me to finish. Please remember that artistry takes time!

One question I received recently was this one: “Why does custom photography cost so much?” I must say I used to wonder about that before I became a professional photographer myself… but now I understand why!

• The long answer to this one is quite involved, so I will refer you to a site that discusses this in detail: www.professionalchildphotographer.com