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!
