Ten tips for great Senior Portraits

Ten tips for great Senior Portraits

1.   Sleep! – Make sure you get at least 2 nights of good sleep before your photo session so that you will look fresh and won’t have bags under your eyes.  Beauty sleep is real….

2.  Hair Care – Guys, let a new hair cut grow out for at least a week before your pictures, allowing time for any white tan lines to disappear. Also, take the time to get a close shave. Girls, if you plan on coloring your hair or getting a new style, also allow at least a week to get used to the style.

3.  Clothes –  Have your clothes and accessories ready the night before your shoot.  Choose clothes that reflect your style and the changing seasons (summer – fall).  Make sure they are clean and free of wrinkles.  Ask your photographer how many outfit changes he/she allows or suggests.  For each outfit, put your accessories in a zip lock bag and attach it to the hanger.

4.  Make-up –  Girls bring your make-up, hair spray and curling iron to do touch ups.  Make sure that your face make-up is blended into your neck so that when you look in the mirror your neck is not too white.  Also check to see  if you have tan lines that will show with the different outfits you are going to wear.  Bring chapstick or lip gloss to keep your lips moist.

5.  Glasses –  If you wear glasses, bring an extra pair of frames without lenses. Many Optometrists will allow you to borrow a pair of frames for your Senior pictures.

6.  Blemishes – Don’t worry… your final prints will look great!  Girls, don’t use too much make-up trying to hide blemishes.  It’s a piece of cake to retouch your prints if you keep a more natural look.

7.  Bring a friend –   It can be really fun to have your pictures taken at the same time as your friend.

8.  Finishing touches –  Guys, make sure your fingernails are nicely trimmed.  Girls, pamper yourself with a manicure and pedicure the day before.

9.  Smile – Most photographers will take your portrait with and without you smiling.  If you wear braces and don’t like them, ask your photographer how much they charge to have them digitally removed.  If you don’t like your smile, get in front of a mirror and practice it. Once you like a smile, close your eyes and smile, then open your eyes to see if it looks the way you want.  Get used to how it feels to smile the way you think you look best

10.  Most of all  RELAX & HAVE FUN!!!

The elusive – Shutter Actuation Count

I was very excited the day I meet a fellow Craig’s list user in a coffee shop to buy a gently used Nikon D200.  I’ve found some great deals in the past on Craig’s List and could hardly wait to get my hands of my new camera.   At the coffee shop I spend a lot of time going over the camera,  looking for any signs of abuse or abnormal wear and tear.  I took several test shots with several different lenses leading me to believe that I found a good camera at a good price.  But one question remained, how many pictures has this camera taken? Since the shutter is the heart of the camera that was the only unanswered question. Read more ›