WordPress database error: [Table 'footprj0_wrd3.wp_automaticSEOlinks' doesn't exist]
select * from wp_automaticSEOlinks where idGroup=0
Ariana is a self described Wack-a-Doodle. That’s how her family describes her as well. Artistic and individualistic, she definitely dances to the beat of her own drum.
She acts the part, she dresses the part, she lives the part.
That’s the number one thing that came out about her at her senior pictures design consultation. And that’s what we tried to capture as we went through her senior portrait session.
In every session, we create some of the more traditional type photographs, all the time trying to incorporate the personality and style of each subject. But I think my favorites are always those unique photographs – the ones that don’t look like the typical smile at the camera senior pictures.
We’d photographed Ariana in some great places downtown, because she has a downtown style. But for the last part of her session we went to her home out in the country and worked with what we saw there.
What you see here is the very last image of the session. We were passing by this old chicken coupe when I spotted the framed window opening. Knowing her personality, her off-beat nature, her “wack-a-doodlieness” I told her to do what you see here.
It’s her parents favorite picture. Why? Because it so captured her personality, her nature.
Of course, it’s not the only one they chose. The also chose some of the more traditional types of photographs as well. But when they chose the photographs for her graduation announcement, this was the main picture, because it was SO HER!
The rest of the photographs show her style, her look, but this one really showed her personality.
That’s what we try to do – figure out a way to put the essence of who you are in a photograph. It takes knowing you as an individual, and watching for just those opportunities.
Just like we did for Ariana
Senior pictures – not just how you look, but more importantly WHO YOU ARE!
WordPress database error: [Table 'footprj0_wrd3.wp_automaticSEOlinks' doesn't exist]
select * from wp_automaticSEOlinks where idGroup=0
Ben’s a guitar player – a musician.
Based on his senior design consultation, we decided to do a Nightscapes session for him, simply because it seemed to fit him and his style the best. We were looking for a more dramatic, more funky musician look for his senior pictures.
Working in the downtown at night is quite an experience. There’s all kinds of interesting lighting, all kinds of interesting settings to work with that look totally different than they do during the daytime.
We came across this location, and I immediately pictured a scene with a performer emerging from the back of a smokey jazz club after his set. The harsh spotlight, the shadows, the alley wall all made for a rather mysterious feeling to the picture. The way Ben was dressed, especially the hat, just added to the story.
So we set him up with the open guitar case (street musician, playing for tips?) and created a series. But for one, I had him look down, almost as if wondering where his musicians life was going to take him next. He reach up to adjust his hat, and I said “DON’T MOVE”. It was the perfect final touch.
The upper image is what it looked like to the human eye, and what the camera saw and captured. I liked it, as far as it went. But my vision was for something even darker, more moody, more mysterious to really tell the story I wanted to tell, so we worked with the image in Photoshop, experimenting with different looks until I came up with the one you see in the bottom.
Ben and his parents LOVED this shot, along with the others we created. But this is the showcase, because is so essentially captured who he was at that point in his life. It told a story. It wasn’t just what he looked like – but WHO HE WAS!
This is an example of how the process works, from concept to capture to final artistic enhancement. Maybe a lot different than you thought it worked. So many people think it’s just a matter of putting the camera on automatic, and pointing it in the right direction.
But it’s not. It’s SO much more than that, and that’s why it can take YEARS of experience and training to really become an accomplished portrait photographer, producing artistic finished wall portraits, not just “pritty pitchures”
At Encore! Portrait Design, we’re dedicated to creating photographic art for YOU. And now you know why.
WordPress database error: [Table 'footprj0_wrd3.wp_automaticSEOlinks' doesn't exist]
select * from wp_automaticSEOlinks where idGroup=0
Zach is a driven kind of guy.
So much so that he had his future planned out in detail.
“I’m going to go to college, get my real estate license, become a broker and then go into business with my grandmother. And buy a BMW” He told me at his consultation.
These words guided how I photographed his senior session. I knew I wanted to capture a series of images that captured no only what he looked like, but his driven, focused personality. That’s in fact why we DO the design consultation; why we really get to know our seniors BEFORE we set out to create photographs.
His grandmother brought her BMW down so we could photograph him with it, which we did. And then we photographed him around town in various locations, including the one you see here.
We were getting ready to work, and I happened to look up and see that Zach had naturally fallen into this pose, all by himself.
“DON’T MOVE” I told him, and then I capture this one. (I always tell my seniors that we’ll hope for some “DON’T MOVE” moments, and that if they hear me say that, they are not to change ANYTHING because they’ve done something so natural, so wonderful that we could never consciously recreate it).
The beauty of this image is that it’s all naturally Zach. I selected the location for both background and lighting, but what he’s doing is all him. That’s one important aspect in how we get those “THAT’S SO YOU” COMMENTS.
This was his moms FAVORITE image out of his session. Because it captured exactly what she wanted to remember about him at this point in his life. Focused, thoughtful, contemplating where he was going in life.
By the way, Zach is studying Business Administration at U of O, just like he’d planned.
Hey Zach – THAT’S SO YOU! Senior pictures from Encore! Portrait Design
WordPress database error: [Table 'footprj0_wrd3.wp_automaticSEOlinks' doesn't exist]
select * from wp_automaticSEOlinks where idGroup=0
A great photographer is able to pre-conceive how the final product will look. Based on the planning consultation, they know the story they want to tell, and they know how to get from the concept to the final print.
But only part of the magic is in the capture process. An experienced photographer knows what they’re trying to create, and is able to use the elements of background, posing, lighting and expression to create the raw material from which the final product is created.
I’ll talk about these four elements in separate articles. But in this one, let’s talk about the second half of the process – all the magic that occurs in Photoshop.
Let’s start with basic retouching. Every face needs it, even one as pretty as Kristina’s.
Skillfully done, Photoshop can do wonderful things for a portrait. But in the hands of someone who isn’t so skillful, it can make you look rather silly and aritificial.
Photoshop is like makeup. It should only enhance what’s really there, perhaps hide a flaw like a zit, but still look natural. Overdone Photoshop is just as bad as overdone makeup.
We always start by removing any facial imperfections, and believe me, we all have them. And WOW can they come through with the resolution of today’s cameras.
But not to worry, a skillful Photoshop artist can remove just about anything that you don’t want to see in your pictures.
Then, we always smooth and blend the skin. This can very easily be OVERDONE. You’ve probably seen pictures on some websites where the people look like Barbie or Ken dolls – plastic skin with absolutely no texture. Completely unnatural.
But skillfully blended skin really enhances the look without making the subject look artificial.
We enhance the eyes, including both the whites and the iris, making them just a bit brighter and full of life. And once that’s done, we generally whiten the teeth. For some reason digital cameras have a tendency to make teeth look yellower than they really are.
And then, we apply the finishing touches, with the results you see in the bottom picture.
This is all basic retouching, done on virtually every photograph that goes into the hands of our clients. We want EVERYONE to look the best they can look. That’s part of our job.
This is the first of a series of articles. Watch for the coming ones which show you some other examples of how we start with a raw image and turn it into a finished artistic piece you’ll be proud to have hanging on your parents wall.
Senior pictures from Encore! Portrait design – now you know why we so often hear “That’s So YOU!”
WordPress database error: [Table 'footprj0_wrd3.wp_automaticSEOlinks' doesn't exist]
select * from wp_automaticSEOlinks where idGroup=0
Indoor tanning is very popular these days, with tanning salons springing up all over.
But should you use them before your senior pictures?
In general, I’d say no.
First of all, overly tanned faces tend to look oily and unnatural in photographs. Tans tend to come our darker in pictures than they appear to the human eye, so you’ll end up looking very unnatural (not to mention the fact that indoor tanning is TERRIBLE for your skin, and frequently leads to skin cancer later in life – I know, I’ve had two bouts of it, and you don’t want to mess with it.)
Spray tans are no better. You’ll look orange. And Fake
And laying out in the sun will leave you with tan lines, which will look awful, and require a lot of retouching, which will probably cost you more.
Natural is always best. Mother nature doesn’t make mistakes in combining hair, skin and eye color.
If you think you need some color, use some skillfully applied bronzer or makeup. Most girls will wear some makeup, but don’t overdo that either because the camera captures everything, and your overly done blue eye shadow will look like a neon sign. (I’ve actually had that happen)
If you think you need color, and you don’t know how to make that happen in a way that will make you look your best, find a local Mary Kay consultant. Not only can they teach you how to take care of your skin so you’ll still look 17 when you’re 60, most of them are very good at teaching you how to use makeup to make you look your best. And they’ll do it for free – they call it a facial.
|
.jpg "ENC_2871 8x10")
.jpg "Ben before and after")
no comments