We had a great year (both in quantity and in quality) HS Seniors for 2008. Here’s a few more to give you an idea of the clean portraits we create for our clients. 

Here’s also some common questions we’ve been asked about our photography….. Can’t anyone just push the button and take a picture?  Yes, anyone can take a picture. We create art and portraits. There is a difference. We like to divide things into 3 categories for comparison..#1 Making the Portrait. That’s where our years of expertise and training come in for lighting, posing, background selection, lens selection and camera controls. All these come together to MAKE the portrait.#2 Enhancing the Portrait. Even back to glass negative days; photos were retouched and then work was done on the prints. In black and white days this was done with pencil and chalk. In the early days of color (and up until about 5-8 years ago, depending on when someone switched to a digital workflow), photos were enhanced with colored pencils, painters oils and chalk. These tools were used to darken, color and enhance areas of portraits. In addition, they could create different moods that weren’t obtainable through just the camera and lens. Now in the computer age, we use software, wacom tablets and computers. We can regulate our retouching so much better, seeing exactly what will be printed from our color labs processors. In the past, work was done on the negative and you didn’t see the final results until you got the photos back. Hence the reason for enhancing or fixing the retouching on the photographs afterwards.Not only do we retouch, but we can change colors of parts of the photos; merge pictures together; add other elements; make portraits look painted and so much more. #3 Finishing the portraits. A portrait isn’t complete until it is properly finished through texturing, mounting and framing or putting the image into folders. So much more is done to the completed images other than just handing a limp piece of paper over to our clients. Our clients trust us to make them look as good as we can, so the final image has to achieve this. We are meticulous when it comes to the final images we give our clients. Care is taken to make sure texturing, lacquer spraying and the mounting and framing of each portrait is done to perfection. Any portrait we frame for our clients is guaranteed for life. If anything happens to a portrait we FRAMED, we will fix it or remake it for our clients. We have seen many images ruined by improper framing techniques; that’s why we can guarantee the ones that we do. We know the acid free/museum quality products we use in all our framing jobs. Another question we get is about when should a person make their Senior Portrait appointment?  Both for 2007 and 2008 HS Seniors, we started photographing in May on the year before they graduated, and had our last appointments usually in April of the year they graduated. Some took early, and some took late. It all depended on the individuals.

For 2009 Seniors, we are offering a chance to get extra photos by at least making your appointment by the end of May, 2008. The appointment can be made anytime from now until February of 2009 and you’ll still get the same bonuses. Look for another post on this blog SOON to cover the details on this.  For you that are wondering, we’ve had several senior appointments in the books since March, and more are added weekly. To get the best time for you, you should call early to schedule your appointment

I realized I have quite a few in my favs folder. Here are some more!!

Here’s a few more samples of recent high school seniors…enjoy!!

Here’s a few more samples of recent high school seniors…enjoy!!

It’s been quite the interesting past few weeks. Hot, humid days and windy most of the days. Nice challenge to make the best looking portraits for our clients. BTW, if you haven’t figured that out yet, our motto is ‘MAKING OUR CLIENTS LOOK THEIR BEST!” And that’s whatever it takes.

We’ve spent over 30 years learning our craft. Lighting, posing, equipment (even the vast changes), enhancing and retouching; all the way to the final product. The best materials, the best finishes, the best albums and framing. Our biggest downfall is also our strongest trait…PERFECTION AND QUALITY!! We take the time to look at the best spots for your portaits; often working around unfavorable conditions (bright sun, rain, wind) to find places and hidden gems for posing and taking that ‘great’ portrait.

Then you get this really ‘cool’ slide show to show your friends and family, along with your workbook (unlike other photographers who give you a CD or only have small thumbnail images to show you), and this is all after you see your image right after your session on our ‘big’ screen!! It’s taken us years to perfect this; but it’s all for you, our clients. Then we use our years of retouching and enhancing skills to make your final images look positively GREAT!! And sometimes that takes time and sometimes we aren’t happy with what our lab sends us; so we make them redo it. But in the end, your satisfaction is our one and only goal.

So here’s some more ‘interesting’ senior portraits from the past couple weeks. I’m hoping to have time to post some children, family and wedding portraits soon. Plus I’ve got a couple dozen ‘painted’ impressionistic images from around Mayville that I’ve been working on. They are going to be available in a variety of sizes and finishes.