Category: Portrait Tips

Photo Shoot Outtakes | Pensacola, FL and beyond

11/20/2014

I thought we'd have a little fun today! I know most people, myself included, want their pictures to be perfect the first time, every time. But that's not realistic. Life's not perfect - there are bumps in the road, "grin and bear it" situations, and moments when we're just done. Many times, photo sessions have those same moments. As a photographer, we have 2 choices: 1 - get annoyed and risk making the situation worse or 2 - roll with it, take the shot anyway because it's great to laugh at later, and know that moods can change on a dime.
So, in that spirit, below you'll find a collection of some of my favorite "take the shot anyway" moments. They're good for a laugh, and in some cases, they remind me of how far I've come since starting my business.

Babies - some of my favorite subjects to shoot and definitely some of the BEST sources of photo shoot outtakes there is! There will be tears, there will be bodily fluids, and there will be some crazy expressions.

Working our way up from babies, we have toddlers and young children. Many times they're even less predictable than infants. If nothing else, their melt downs are more dramatic!

And mom wants a picture WITH their young child?
No WAY mom! :)

There are two types of photographers - photographers who LOVE photographing teenagers and photographers who HATE photographing teenagers. I'm in the 1st group, and they usually leave their session convinced I'm a complete dork. It's by being my dorky, silly, jokey self that gets those great candid smiles mom's looking for! And that look - you know the look - I get it too! Check it out!

Sessions with pets can lead to some GREAT outtakes as well! In this one, the dog yawned just as I took the shot. I kept it because it looks like it's about to eat its owner's face off. Don't worry, Stella (the dog) was actually awesome!

I'll finish this post with pictures of my own family! These are from a session I did 2 Easters ago in an attempt to get "one great shot" of my step daughters with their dad.

This is real life. Embrace it!

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Preparing for Your Pensacola Family Portraits - Part II

10/27/2014

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What You Need to Know to Have an Awesome Portrait Session

Makeup’s easy, so we’ll start there. Makeup is a great prep for your session. Even if you usually wear very little or even no makeup, applying some makeup for your session is a good idea. On the flip side, don’t go overboard and pile it on too heavy either. Clumpy mascara and thick foundation will show.

Bronzer - No bronzer!! Bronzer gives you a beautiful sun-kissed glow in person, BUT it gives you a shiny, sweaty look in photos.
Eye liner - Eye liner is your friend. Eye liner, if applied well, can do nothing but good things things for you! If you don’t usually wear eyeliner, avoid going too heavy.
Powder - Powder is your other friend. A little loose powder can smooth out your complexion and will absorb light leaving you with a soft glow.
Lip Color - I am the world’s worst about forgetting to put on lipstick, but even I put on lipstick or a tinted gloss for photos. I suggest sticking to a gloss or a not-too-dark lipstick, and reapply as necessary throughout your session.

A simple way to think about makeup for your portrait session is to put on about 25% more makeup than you’d usually wear. So you see, the makeup part IS easy.

Location, location, location. Let’s talk about location options and how you can choose outfits to suit the location. Where we take your pictures has a lot to do with determining HOW your portraits will look in the end. Is it in an open field or beach (bright, open), urban/ warehouse area (dim, grungy, edgy), or in your home (personal)? I want the location of your session to be about you which I why I really like your input on where we shoot. I have my favorite locations and can definitely make suggestions, but at the end of the day, this is your session and YOU need to be happy with the look of your pictures. The options are boundless.
Below I’ll list some of the most requested location types as well as thoughts on what kind of clothing to consider and the best times of day to shoot based on each location.

Blues for miles

The Beach - Pretty much every family I know has a family portrait taken on the beach. It’s a classic for a reason. If you choose to go the Beach Portrait route, this is the place to break out your summer & spring outfits - and to lose those shoes!
What to wear for a beach session?

Think about the colors that are already there - blues like the sky, greens and yellows of the sea oats and sea grasses, and teals like the Gulf itself. Another fun way to go for a sunset session would be to wear warm colors - reds, orange, pink as compliment to the beautiful sunset colors.

Best time of day for beach portrait sessions - Beach portrait sessions have the most beautiful light in the hour after sunrise or within an hour of sunset. The combination of our beautiful, sandy WHITE beaches and the glaring sun can lead to harsh (read: unflattering) shadows and squinting during daytime sessions. Overcast days are another great option for beach portrait sessions.

Urban areas - Urban areas can be VERY versatile and fun. Glam it up for contrast, or grunge it down to play off the area.
What to wear for an urban session?

Thinking glam? What breaking out some fantastic cocktail wear and suits?
Wanting a more grungy look? Think comfort - torn jeans, edgy tops, with more intense makeup.

What's a good time of day for urban portrait sessions? Urban areas give us more leeway as far as shooting in the “right light” goes. We can find a lot of shadowy areas even in the middle of the day and we can use the harsh sun to our advantage. It all depends on the look you want.

Park-type settings - If we’re being honest, parks are MY favorite session location. There are so many great parks in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton - the whole area! Every area photog has their favorites. Park setting suggestions are great for the area forts as well!
So, what can you wear for a park session?

My only “what-not-to-wear” suggestion is red. Unless we’re shooting for Christmas pictures, you want to avoid red when in a primarily green location. I’m sure you can figure that one out.
If you’re into neutrals, that’s beautiful, play with blacks, browns, blues, whites. Parks are also a great place to really play with some color: purples, yellow, pinks, bright teals - they all look great in a park situation.

Family portrait sessions in the park can give us some wiggle room as far as time of day. As with beach sessions, the most beautiful light is during the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. But, depending on the amount of available shade, we can make most times of day work.

Pleasing Poses

Lastly, let’s go over a few tips about posing to please. I want to keep this simple, because most of these are common sense and things you already know. You just forget to think about them when you’re in front of the camera. Luckily, your photographer should be looking out for them and directing you into pleasing, natural poses.

It’s all about the Stance - Don’t stand facing squarely towards the camera. Angle your body slightly
Slimming any Woman - Don’t keep your shoulders on the same plane. Drop your front shoulder a bit. The easiest way to put this, is your body looks most pleasing when it’s in a relaxed “S”.

boxy pose vs "S" curve

Chins - No matter how skinny you are, when standing in a natural, relaxed state (or sitting up straight to have good posture) there’s always a little pooch right below the chin. It’s super simple to take care of this though - just bring your ears forward.
Skinny arms - I saved the easiest for last. Just pull your arm an inch or two away from your body. Insta-slim!

Below are before & after examples showing how simple changes can make a big difference.

Below are a couple of examples of what a few tweaks in posing can do!

I hope you enjoyed this and realized how easy it really is to get the great family portraits that we all want! Keep an eye our for our third installment where we talk about sessions with children - what to do, what to expect, and what not to do to get the pictures you'll love!

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Can we have a serious chat about train tracks?

10/16/2014

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None of the above three images are mine. What? Why would a professional photographer begin a blog post with another photographer's work? Easy. I want you to understand that I do not and will not take pictures ON train tracks. I admit this happily and wholeheartedly. So, these are the only ones you'll ever see me post - well, unless I take a trip by rail. Then, I might post pictures from the train.

I've heard the arguments: "They look so cool!" "Everyone else is doing it." "My baby or senior would look bada$$ up there." "My husband will come along and help me 'spot' for you."
And I've seen Facebook posts from friends and other photographers who made the decision to take the chance. It makes me shudder. But me...

NOPE, not going to happen. No exceptions, no ifs, no ands, no buts, and no amount of money will entice me to shoot on the tracks.

"But why not," you ask?

Well, not only is is dangerous as all get out, it's also quite illegal! Did you realize that railway laws are not local city or state laws but are actually FEDERAL laws? So, if you're caught on the tracks (and don't get killed by a train) you can be fined up to $10,000! That fine isn't just for the photographer; every person out there from the "model" to the photographer to the "spotters" receive that fine. I almost forgot to mention that this holds true for ABANDONED tracks as well.

Photographers taking pictures on and around train tracks has become so much of a problem that Union Pacific Railroad and Operation Lifesaver released the following:

Operation Lifesaver has six "must-know" tips for professional photographers considering a photo shoot near the tracks:

1. Trains can't stop quickly to avoid people or vehicles on the tracks.

2. An optical illusion makes it hard to determine a train's distance from you - and its speed.

3. The average train overhangs the track by at least three feet.

4. Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and rights-of-way are private property.

5. No tracks should be assumed to be abandoned or inactive.

6. People in your community mimic your behavior.

If the possibility of a $10,000 fine doesn't bother you, maybe the following articles will help you see why I so strongly feel that the risk isn't worth it.

10.14 Santa Barbara county, CA - 1 killed & 2 injured while taking photos on a train trestle
7.14 Train runs over photographers on trestle in Indiana, they miraculously survive
6.14 Missouri photographer hit and killed by Amtrak train during photoshoot
6.14 Florida photographer lucky to be alive after being hit and drug by train
2.14 Professional video crew member for "Midnight Rider" hit and killed in Georgia
12.12 California high school photography teacher hit and killed while photographing train

So, you know what? I like you! Let's not risk either of our lives or our bank accounts. Besides, train tracks have been DONE! Let's find somewhere new for your session!

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Preparing for Your Pensacola Portrait Session - Part I

4/14/2014

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What Should I Wear for my Portrait Session?

What's one of mom's biggest stresses before a Family Portrait Session? What's the #1 question on every high school senior's (and their mom's) mind before their Senior Portrait Session? What do I get the most emails about before an Engagement Session?
If you answered "What do I(we) wear?" for each of these - then you're right! At least 75% of my sessions like to run clothing ideas by me or get my clothing suggestions before a session. And you know what, I LOVE that part! I've even had brides text me pictures from a dressing room while trying on outfits for her Engagement Session.

There are 3 Big Trends (we'll call them the Big 3 from now on), especially for beach pictures. I'm sure you've seen them: dress everyone in white shirts and jeans, dress everyone in white shirts and khakis, or dress everyone in white. I get it; these are clothes that everyone has. No one needs to go shopping, mom doesn't need to stress, etc. I've shot these pictures. I've actually been IN these pictures.

To prove to you that no one is immune, here's my mom, step dad, and myself in our "white & khaki" beach picture sometime around 2003.

So to recap:
- we all agree that picking out clothes for your photo session (whatever type that may be) is stressful
- going the Big 3 route is easy - but lacking in wow factor

So where does that leave us...

Seriously consider adding some color to your portrait session! This doesn't have to involve a family wide shopping trip - if you want to go with one of the Big 3, add a funky belt, show stopping shoes, colorful jewelry, or a scarf.
Another idea is to put the grown-ups in one of the Big 3 options and have the kids in pops of color.
If you've decided to add color for the whole family, don't be scared! I'm here to help! An easy idea is to find an item of clothing that you love for one family member that's some type of pattern and then use the colors in that item to pick outfits for everyone else.

Check out the little guy's plaid shirt in the picture to the right - mom, dad, and big sis are all in solids that are pulled from that one article of clothing. How easy is that?

All you need to do to add color to your session is pick a color palette or find the perfect, colorful article of clothing and take the plunge! And ask your photographer for suggestions and opinions - he or she knows the area where you're shooting as well as the time of day!

Feel free to check out my Pinterest board: Inspiration | Clothing Color Combinations for ideas! I've added a few of my favorite combinations below.