Parent(s) Guide to Senior and 8th Grade Portraits
Senior and 8th Grade Portraits are some of the biggest milestones for your child, signifying the approach of their final year of Grade School or High School. It may have been quite some time and in some cases maybe never since you’ve had professional photographs taken. Below are some ideas to help you prepare for the shoot. The guide is intended to relieve some of the stress in planning and help make the most out of your photos.
How to prepare
A few things to do leading up to your shoot date. It’s a good idea to use chap stick a week before the shoot to avoid any dry peeling lips. Pay attention to your hands, clean the finger nails and for the girls painting them is always a good idea. Moisturizer is a plus leading up to the shoot date. Iron your clothes and hang them up the night before. Gather any props you may want to bring and clean them. Be hydrated and get plenty of rest! Guys don’t forget to shave and shave the night before to avoid any redness on the face. Groom your eyebrows, trim the nose hairs, etc. The little things will really show in the professional cameras so attention to detail is in your best interest. If you will be getting shots with a car, make sure to wash it. If you will be including a pet in some of your shots make sure they are fed and had a potty break before the shoot. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready the day of the shoot. You don’t want an upset child rushing to get to their session on time. You want to be relaxed and in a good mood! Making a checklist of things to bring such as props, jug of drinking water, hair or makeup products etc. can be extremely helpful.
2. What to wear
You will want to dress for the season. You don’t want to be in 90 degree heat in a sweater obviously or a tank top during a cold winter season shoot. You won’t be comfortable and it will show in the photos, not to mention specular highlights from sweating or goosebumps on the skin in the cold. Avoid clothing with large complex pictures or designs as these can be distracting to the viewer and take away from the subject, your child. Solid colors are always a great choice. I can not say this one enough, please no NEON colors! These colors are extremely distracting and are a photographers worst nightmare to edit. They give off horrible color casts on the skin from reflective light as well. Small stripes or checks don’t usually photograpgh well. Earthy tones, Gray’s, Black, White etc work best. You want to wear clothing that fits appropriately. You don’t want baggy or too tight, neither are flattering. Comfortable, casual is fine. Just make sure you will be able to bend, sit, squat etc in your outift(s). Consider your whole body when picking outfits, including hats, shoes etc that will compliment your entire outfit.
3. What to bring
Bring whatever props you may want to include in a shot. You’ll be better off bringing something and not using it than to not bring it and wish you had. Bring something to drink. A comb or hairbrush is always handy. Makeup for touch ups. For any pets, bring a leash to tie them up if needed and water for them. Wipes are always handy if needed. Parents and/or significants are welcome to come as well. Yes it’s ok to bring a friend or significant other!
None of this is a hard rule, merely suggestions to get the most out of your session. I do however require a parent/guardian be present during the shoot if the senior is under age 19.
Printing and Aspect Ratios
Aspect Ratio: The relationship between the width of an image to the height of an image, typically express as Width:Height. For example a 4 x 6 image has a 3:2 ratio; a 5 x 7 image has a 7:5 ratio; and an 8 x 10 has a 5:4 ratio.
Cropping: The removal of part of an image to improve framing, accentuate the subject, or change an aspect ratio.
Understanding crop ratio’s is part of the job as a photographer but most clients don’t speak that same language which leads to receiving prints that aren’t cropped right, yikes! All of my photos are shot in a 3:2 ratio because the most common print size is 4x6. However many clients want photos in a variety of sizes, not all of which fit the 3:2 ratio. The image to the right is an example of a photo I shot in 3:2 ratio. It shows what the crop would be for some of the most common print sizes. Be sure to adjust your crop before you order your prints! You don’t want to cut someones forehead off accidentally. Most photos when cropped is minimal to the composition of the image but not all so be careful when cropping to a certain size. Sometimes an image just can’t be cropped to say like an 8x10 without cutting something off. In those cases I suggest printing in a 3:2 ratio size (like and 8x12 instead of an 8x10) and then either shop for an 8x12 frame or get a larger frame and have it matted.