Here’s some frequently asked questions…
“I hate having my picture taken!”
Whilst not actually a question, pretty much everyone says this to us, of course what we mean is that we usually hate seeing ourselves in pictures, it’s not the actual ‘taking’ process, but the end result! This happens when a friend or family member takes a ‘snap’ on a small camera, often without any planning and you’re just not ready! Before you know it, there’s your image on Facebook looking worse for wear!
OK, this is different, when you come to our studio, you’re putting yourself in the hands of experts. We know what we’re doing and have many years experience in ensuring our clients look fabulous!
With our expertise in lighting, helping you into the right position and generating real expressions in a fun and relaxed environment, the end result will be something you want to show to all your friends!
Most people usually say at the end of their photo session, ‘Oh I wish I’d known it would be that much fun, I wouldn’t have worried so much about it!’
“What if my kids don’t behave, I’d be so embarrassed?”
We’re both parents as well, and trust us, we’ve seen it all! We’ve been photographing kids and teens since the early 90’s and nothing would surprise us anymore! But seriously, we love kids to be themselves and have fun. We encourage it! We use a bit of a physcological approach and get them doing things without the need for you to tell them to. We want you to take a back seat, there’s no need for you to tell them to ‘do this’ or ‘don’t do that’, we’ll ensure it just works and everyone has fun! You’ll discover in your photo shoot, as parents, you’ll be asked to preferably not tell your children what to do. Leave that to us, we really are the experts!
Teens are different and are often going through self-esteem issues and therefore having a picture taken can be a tough call for them. However, again, just leave it to us, we know what makes them tick and they’ll secretly enjoy themselves… although they won’t admit it to you! Many teens are quite the opposite and can’t wait to get in front of the camera! Whichever it is, your only job is to get them here in the first place, that’s the hardest part!
“I need to lose weight before letting a camera lens anywhere near me!”
Ha ha! You and us too! Sadly, that moment rarely arrives, too much eating and drinking in our busy lives! But this isn’t an issue, what we don’t ‘fix’ with creative posing and lighting, a ‘nip and tuck’ here and there with the old airbrush works wonders! Thank heavens for clever computers!
We can smooth away the lines, remove blemishes, whiten teeth… pretty much anything! But don’t worry, we won’t make 83 year old Auntie Doreen look 21 with a figure of a catwalk model!
“I haven’t a clue what we should all wear, does it need to be formal?”
NO! Formal is not the way! Keep it casual, you want to look natural in your portrait. This is the subject that usually worries most of our clients before their photo shoot. Wear what your normally wear. Wear what you’re comfortable in (no, not your pyjamas and slippers!) and remember to choose clothes that are flattering on you. Squeezing into that strapless dress when you hate the sight of your arms just isn’t going to work out.
Jeans and casual tops, leggings, dresses, pretty much anything that shows your normal style is good. But bear in mind, if there’s more than one of you in the photo shoot, then you need to look good together. That’s hard to sort, so bring a selection of clothes with you. We’ll put them on a clothes rail at the start of the shoot and advise you which outfits will go best together. We’re good like that! A couple of points to bear in mind with children; sometimes clothes with strong or bold designs with pictures of trucks or animals etc. can be very distracting on your portrait. Children will be photographed sat down, therefore, bear in mind that some girl’s dresses can be on the short side and create unforeseen problems hiding areas that you would prefer to remain unseen. So longer length dresses or the use of ‘frilly knickers’ on babies can be helpful. Just remember, the most important part of your picture is not the clothes or the patterns… it’s the people in the portrait, the expressions, the relationships!
