Seniors have been taking fast and furious during the summer. Here’s some of the newest editions from the past couple weeks.

I: High School Senior portraits are still very popular; are you finding that as well?

Ron: Yes we are. But there have been major changes in the past 30 years. What used to be maybe 10-20 exposures on film; now can be anywhere from 50-200 images taken digitally. For these students, Senior Portraits represent the first major photographic session as young adults. Many have had portraits taken before their senior session; but not of the magnitude that Senior Portraits represent.

I: So, what constitutes a good or great Senior Portrait and the sessions that these portraits come from?

Ron: When maybe half an hour was long enough for Senior Portraits years ago; an hour is primarily the least amount of time for portraits, and more than likely it will be 90+ minutes. This allows each Senior to explore different styles of clothes, as well as personalize their portraits with sporting goods, cars, musical instruments or even collections many seniors have. As to a good or great Senior Portraits; the building blocks of great portraits involve timeless rules that apply to lighting, posing and compositions that have been around since man has been making art.

I: What do you mean by these timeless rules?

Ron: Well, there’s ‘artistic’ principles that make things more pleasing and comfortable to our eyes. These involve how we as photographers ‘light’ our subjects. It isn’t just throwing a light on a subject with no thinking behind it. Lighting techniques can emphasis certain features of a subjects face or body. In addition, lighting technique can also make someone look less heavy or can even add weight to a subject by the positioning of light. And posing is another big factor. Positioning a body to look natural and flattering at the same time takes years of practice. And of course there’s composition. Composition can add ‘visual’ impact to an image; keeping a viewers eye in the image, almost like a curiosity. The same rules we use in our photographic competitions are relevant in our ‘everyday’ work.

I: So what’s new and hot in Senior Portraits today?

Ron: With the larger number of images captured, new products that allow our clients to keep most of these images are hot. These include wall folios, books and DVD shows. The wall folios blend a number of images that can be viewed on a clients home wall, while a book can use many images in a form that’s portable and easy to share. And of course, a DVD will allow many images to be shared on any TV screen, projector or computer with DVD reading capabilities. In addition, on the senior session side; fun sessions more like modeling ’shoots’ are being added, making the HS Seniors feel like they’re really at a modeling session.

I: Do you have any last words for HS Seniors and getting their portraits made?

Ron: Yes I do. Just like any other commodity or service; there are different levels of quality and price. Each client needs to look at their needs and wants as part of their selection process. But more importantly, they need to check to see if their expectations can be met by their photographer selection. At our studio, we are not only on the cutting edge for equipment; we have the knowledge and tools to retouch, enhance and finish the products our clients request to our ‘high’ expectations. We hold the ‘quality’ bar very high. This is something we ‘guarantee’ to our clients. Make sure you get the same from your photographer; you deserve to look your best in your High School Senior Portraits.

Ron: Oh, and I almost forgot; we keep getting asked about specials. It turns out we do better than ‘regular’ specials. Right now, if you book a session and pay your $100 deposit towards your session fee; you get $150 credit toward many of our extra products when you purchase $750 in portraits and extra items. This can be anytime, you’re not limited to taking your photos in July, August, etc. We have many seniors who have their sessions scheduled for the ‘cooler’ days of September and October. And if history is any example; we will have many sessions in November and December as well. We like to spread them out and keep our ‘creativity’ level at the top. Call us today and find out when you can get your portraits done!

We’d like to display some of our ‘wedding’ gown portraits, and give some good ‘internet’ coverage to our friends over at Alan Evans Bridal on Center Avenue in Moorhead, MN.

http://www.alanevansbridal.com/

Here’s a sampling of some of the work we did for an upcoming catalog. If you’re interested in an unbelievable line of wedding dresses, give them a call or stop by their store.

Plus if you’re interested, we can create that once in a lifetime portrait of you in your wedding dress. Doesn’t matter if we’re doing your wedding photos or not; we’d be happy to photograph you in your special wedding gown.

I’ve decided to post an interview with me (Ron) each Monday. Our industry has been changing quite a bit the past few years; but more importantly, the consumer and what is termed “professional” has changed even more.

So here goes this weeks interview:

I: Weddings are still taking place each week; what has changed the most in the wedding photography business in the past few years?

Ron: I photographed my first wedding in 1974 at the ripe old age of 16. Man were things different. Film and lenses were slow. You needed a lot of light to capture a proper exposure. Plus you were at the mercy of the labs to process both your film and your prints right. Now we’ve evolved into ‘digital’ cameras and backs. Capturing speeds and lenses have evolved, giving us unlimited possibilities for capturing images electronically. What most people tend to forget is that it’s still the same light we’re using to get these images. All the training I have done to get Certified as a Professional Photographer and to earn my Masters and Craftsman Degrees from the Professional Photographers of America still comes into use on every image I capture.

I: That being said; there’s been a trend for ‘photojournalism’ style wedding photography for a number of years; is that still out there?

Ron: Yes I believe it is. The old way of photographing everything ‘posed’ is no longer the norm. Funny thing is, we were doing ‘photojournalism’ way before its’ time. My background is in photojournalism and I was capturing ‘candid’ images on my 35mm camera from the first wedding I photographed. Using the long lenses and the extreme wide angle lenses with my digital equipment is just so much more fun because I know what I can do with those images in post processing. While many couples things ‘photojournalism’ photography is the only way to go; I stress the importance of a few good ‘guided’ photos during the day. Expressions, backgrounds and environmental hazards such as wind and rain can take the fun out of your wedding photographs if that’s all you have at the end of the day….candids!! Mixing the two kinds has always been our specialty. A well trained eye is worth a lot more than a finger that just pushes a button!

I:  We’ve also heard that many couples are opting for either a relative or an inexpensive photographer to do their wedding; thinking they will save many dollars by getting the prints made themselves afterwards?

Ron: This is nothing new. Many couples have always looking at the photography portion of their wedding budget as an area they can either cut or eliminate all together. An uncle or friend sometimes offers to do these as their gift to the couple. And the couple might not even think about the quality issue; or the tension that will ensue between an otherwise good relationship. We could give many examples of couples who wish they could go back and do it over again. Their photographs didn’t turn out even close to what they expected; and many times we’ve heard of ‘bad’ blood between the two parties because of it. While we can’t work with every couple on their budget; we do like to advise them about how valuable are these images? Most couples would agree this is the most important day of their life. But then they skimp on photographs and have nothing ‘great’ to display for themselves and show to their family and friends in the coming years. If the images are that bad, many couples hide them in closets instead of in coffee table albums and wall portraits where they belong. The images we capture for our clients are to remind them of their love for one another. And it’s our expertise that make them look their best; through posing, lighting, proper selection of camera and lenses. You don’t ask a dentist what equipment they’re using; you trust them because they’re the professional.

I: You mentioned your expertise in the last answer; can you explain that more?

Ron:  Because of the fast-paced information age we live in today; many people think photography is just pushing a button. In reality, it is quite a number of steps. Yes, the pushing of the button captures the image with the settings on the camera; but knowing what settings to use, along with posing, background selection, lens and aperture selection are some of the other steps involved in the capturing process. Then there’s the enhancing/retouching process. No one wants to see all their wrinkles or imperfections on their photographs. In the ‘old’ film days; we relied on negative retouchers and print enhancers to remove blemishes and smooth out details in the final photographs. Now we use software to do that job. But that software doesn’t do it automatically, contrary to popular belief. If it did, each person would end up looking like a plastic doll. It takes the trained artists eye to retouch, blend, enhance and remove items that will make the portrait or photograph exceptional. Plus the final finishing techniques of lacquer spraying to seal the photos and the mounting in an album or the professional finishing touches in a custom frame and mat or canvas portrait that will ensure a long life to the prints.

I: Wow, that’s a lot more than just pushing a button. So what final words of advise would you have for couples looking for a photographer to capture the most important day in their life?

Ron: First off; take a deep breath and think about what you want for your final product. Do you just want digital files you can play with; do you want someone that’s never been under the pressure that wedding days throw at each of us (time delays, wardrobe problems, caterer problems, weather, family issues, and much more); or do you want someone who can help make your day go smooth, no matter what happens during the day? Hiring a true professional allows you to access them during normal business hours and usually they are willing to work around your schedule; but the main thing is, they are easy to get a hold of. They will always have backup equipment in cases of emergency. And that goes for their computers, servers and backup systems as well. And they are friendly and easy to work with. The best wedding photographers get the shots they need, blend into the background for the photojournalism type photos you’re looking for, and they deliver you a professional product whether that be prints, a photo album or wall portraits that you can enjoy for years.

I: Thanks Ron for all the valuable information on wedding photography!

Any of you wondering what the Whimsies looked like…..here’s some samples.

The first couple are from two Senior Girls last year. We were able to embellish them accordingly. And the two children are from a planned session specifically for this product line. If you’d like more information, please call our studio at 701-788-2611