Putting Your Best 'Image-Attitude' Forward

When we say that someone has an “attitude”, that often means something negative.  But “attitude” doesn’t have to be that way.  A person’s attitude, per the Goggle Dictionary, implies an emotional or mental state that characterizes them.

You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with my image or my portrait?”  A great deal! Like it or not, the image you show of yourself can influence others’ perceptions of who you are as well as your level of expertise.  So, to capitalize on the impression a photo can elicit, before you take your next portrait, think about what “attitude” you want your image to bring forward publicly … your “image-attitude.”

©Dana Attebery Photography

©Dana Attebery Photography

Some things to think about … For business portraits, there are options from the professional attire (formal buttoned-up look) to the business casual look.  Do you want the look of a studio backdrop set up, an environmental shot within your office, or an outdoor portrait?  Do certain colors of clothing make you look a certain way (washed out or energized)?  Do you want to convey a smile or a serious expression?  All of these options convey different attitudes which can impact how new clientele perceive you.

©Dana Attebery Photography

We can’t control what someone thinks of us, but we can influence it.  Simply thinking ahead of time about the image attitude you want to convey can help you make choices in clothing, background, location, and expression.  And if you are taking company-wide portraits, ensuring that everyone is on the same page with their image-attitude, can help create a unified and consistent message visually.

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

Thinking of rebranding your company’s image attitude with updated headshots or portraits?  Call or email me to set up a portrait session.  I look forward to working with you to capture the image you want to convey!

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

Is that a picture of your mother? No. I don’t know who it is, but doesn’t she look nice?

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER VS. STOCK IMAGES

Imagine this… 

You buy a nice picture frame to use for a family portrait.  The frame is sold with a nice photo of a family already in it.  For convenience sake, you proudly display this generic photo in a prominent place in your home.  After all, you still haven’t taken the family portrait,  it’s going to take time to coordinate everyone’s schedule, and it’s going to cost more than the photo in the frame. Why not just use this one?! 

Someone comes to visit and remarks, “What a neat portrait of your family!”  You reply, “Well …  that’s not really my family.”

The photo in the frame - though nice - doesn’t reflect you!  If doesn’t show the uniqueness of your family.  It doesn’t reveal anything about you.  In fact, it tells a story that isn’t really true.  Sure, it shows generic “people”, but someone wanting to know more about you and your family, would gain none of that from that stock image.  In fact, they may actually start to wonder a little bit about you and what you might be hiding.  

© Image by Dana Attebery Photography

When marketing your company, stock images … though they are nice and cost effective … they are generic.  Others use the same ones.  They don’t show “your” uniqueness.  Viewers can often tell they are not the real deal.  

There is something powerful when a client comes in and recognizes a person they saw in your marketing brochure.  It’s a bit like getting to see someone famous.  Or, when an employee gets to be highlighted with their photo in the annual report sent to donors, it can build their sense of pride and buy-in to the company.  Or when customers get to see ahead of time what your location “really” looks like from the website, and aren’t disappointed and wondering “What happened?!” when they see it in person.  

© Image by Dana Attebery Photography

I can appreciate that hiring a professional photographer brings up issues such as time pressures, budgets, scheduling, and who to photograph. And truth is, there may be times when using a premade stock image needs to be your solution, at least temporarily.  

However, there is something to be said about applying and displaying the personal touch of your organization that can only be done by working with a professional photographer.  Yes, it takes some time and planning, but the benefits of using an image that truly reflects who you are can speak volumes in visual capital to your audience. 

© Image by Dana Attebery Photography

When you hire Dana Attebery Photography, you will gain fresh, high quality, interesting photos that will:

• Genuinely represent your brand 

• Be specific and unique to your environment

• Highlight the REAL people that work and care for your clientele

• Give your clients an advance taste of the ambiance and feel they will gain by coming to you

• Reflect what you and your company do with excellence.  

• And … as you grow your facilities, services, and products, you can continually reflect your competence with up-to-date photos taken periodically by a photographer who understands your brand.

© Image by Dana Attebery Photography

Want to attract new clients and show off your organization in a bold new way?  Call or email me to set up a meeting to talk over the possibilities.   I can come to your location to save you (and your staff) time …  

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com     626-374-3638         danaphotography.com

I’M SORRY, BUT WHAT DOES WATER HAVE TO DO WITH MY PORTRAIT?

In planning for a portrait, I have had clients ask me how best to prepare.  One of the first things I tell them is to drink water.  There are other preparations I share with them like clothing, hair, etc., but simply drinking a good amount of water the day before the photoshoot will help hydrate your skin and bring health to your face.  

Alcohol and caffeine (coffee, sodas) will dehydrate and can cause a prune-like look to your skin.  Not good when you want to put your ‘best face forward.’  

So, just for a few days, stop the alcohol and coffee and just drink water in preparation for your portrait.  You will see a difference!

Would you like an updated headshot or family/office portrait you feel good about?  Call or email me to set up a portrait session!   I can come to your location to save you (and your staff) time …  

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 danaphotography.com

Ugh! I don’t like getting my portrait taken!

It’s something I hear quite often when I start a headshot photo session: “I never take a good portrait” or “I don’t like the way I look in pictures.” 

I get it.  I, too, start to nitpick how I look in a photo. But as someone close shared with me, we tend to be more critical of ourselves, and others are likely not going to even notice that which we are fretting over. 

From my experience, I’ve noticed that the attitude you come into the photo shoot session with can impact the final photo.  I’ve seen people come in - of all shapes and sizes - who are excited, ready to dive in, and have fun in the process.  I’ve also had people come in who are nervous, don’t want to be there, and are dreading the photography experience.  

#1)  From my experience, if you are joyful, relaxed, comfortable with yourself … it shows up positively on film.

#2)  But … what do you do if you aren’t so happy to be having your photo taken, or you wonder how to stand or what to do with your hands (put them in your pocket, behind you, in front of you???), or you feel awkward and uncomfortable … and you are sure the photo will not turn out well!  Now what?!

If you are scenario #1, keep enjoying the process and keep bringing your enthusiasm, confidence, and positivity to your photo shoots.

If you are scenario #2, let me share some hope and insight that I use when I take photos.  First of all, thanks for showing up for the picture!  Second, please know that part of my job is to help you be able to relax and feel more comfortable with the process.  So, feel free to come as you are (nervous, not wanting to be there), and let’s take it from there.  We’ll chat a bit and talk over some ideas.  I’ll provide some coaching to help you know how to stand or sit or what to do with those arms/hands/head.  And you know what?  We don’t have to get it right on the first shot.  That’s the beauty of digital photography. No harm in giving something a try … no harm in taking extra photos.  

True Story:  I’ll never forget a headshot photo session I was doing for a company.  One of their staff expressed how they didn’t like any of the photos taken of themselves in the past.  My goal was to make sure this person enjoyed the process and to provide different portrait options. Well, the photo shoot came and went and I turned over the photos to the company for their internal distribution.  I wondered about this particular staff person and a while later asked the company about how that person had felt about the result of their photo shoot.  Come to find out … this person LOVED their photos so much that they ended asking the company representative to have more images from the portrait!

How about you?  Would you like an updated headshot or family/office portrait you feel good about?  Call or email me to set up a portrait session!   I can come to your location to save you (and your staff) time … and gently coach you into your next great headshot or portrait.

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com     626-374-3638         danaphotography.com

Tea in the Sahara … What story do you think is behind this image?

Curious? Read below to find out.

Image © Dana Attebery

Have you ever wondered what the story is behind a song, a painting, or a photograph?  When it comes to photography, an image always tells a story.  Some of those stories are deeper than others, but all images have a story to tell.

The image above is of my mother whom I recently photographed in the Arizona desert near where she lives.  The photo is based on the song that Sting wrote and performed with his band, The Police, called, “Tea in the Sahara.”  The song is about three sisters who wait for a prince to join them for tea in the Sahara desert.  However ... the prince never arrives. 

This song has resonated with me as I have observed my mother since the passing of her husband over 25 years ago.  I’ve been wanting to do this image for many years to reflect my mother’s continuing desire to be reunited with her ‘prince’ (hence, the empty chair).  

After sharing my idea with her about 10 years ago, she promptly said ‘NO.’  Just recently, though, I asked again and was pleasantly surprised when she said, “Yes, and what do you want me to wear?”   

Sometimes the stories we see in images are not always cheerful and uplifting.  Some tell a story of loss and hope.  But they all tell a story of some kind or another.

There will be times when a simple headshot or portrait is what you want.  But when you want to tell a deeper story ... before you ever pick up your camera ... it will serve you well to patiently observe, listen and get to know more about the person you want to photograph.  Photography is, after all, more than just pressing a button.  

Would you like a portrait that tells your story … or is there someone whose story you’d like to capture?  I’m available to photograph or teach YOU how to photograph.  Email or call me today for a portrait session or a specialized teaching session. 

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, 1-on-1 lessons, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, and fine art images.

info@danaphotography.com    626-374-3638    www.danaphotography.com

Umm … excuse me… there’s a pole coming out of your head!

 Sunlight or Shade (Part 3): You’re taking an outdoor portrait and you found the best shade (see last week’s article). But … whoa! … what’s going on in your background?

Not the best location for your subject!

I didn’t know humans had antlers.  Taking a portrait outdoors is more than just about the person you are photographing.  It is also about the environment they are in.  Having a background that is distracting (light pole sticking out of their head, or a tree branch looking like an antler) will take the viewer’s eye away from your subject and onto the background.  You don’t want that!  The background behind your subject should bring focus to your subject, not take it away.

Your background is just as important as your subject, and should bring the focus in on your subject. - Image © Dana Attebery

Check the background.  So, once you have found the right shade for your portrait by using the palm of your hand (see my previous blog post “Portrait Lighting - Part 2), look past your palm to see what the background is like.  Remember, your background should bring emphasis to your subject.  This can be done either by:

a) using the background as a frame to draw the viewer’s eye inward toward the person or 

b) ensuring the background is not distracting, such as what happens when you intentionally make the background go out of focus. 

Move just a little bit.  If you find good shaded light by using your palm and see that the background is distracting, simply move your subject to the right or left within that shaded area, or do a very slight turn to the left or right to get a different, but less distracting background.  

In this image I moved the subject to the left to prevent the tree in the background from coming out of her head. By doing that, I was able to use the two trees to frame my subject and bring the focus and attention in on her. - Image © Dana Attebery

I’m taking questions for future blog content.  Email your questions about your camera or how to take better photos to  info@danaphotography.com.  I look forward to answering some viewer questions in upcoming blogs.  

Want to know more now and take better pictures this summer?  I provide 1-hour, customized 1-on-1 or small group training sessions.  I will customize the training to your photo and camera questions and help you become more creative and confident in taking your own pictures!  Invest in an hour… and enjoy the ongoing results!  Call or email for details and pricing.  

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com     626-374-3638         danaphotography.com

Isn’t Shade … Shade? Find Out What The Hand Says!

Sunlight or Shade - Part 2  –  You’re taking an outdoor portrait and want your subject in the shade.  But how do you find the best shade? 

Rotating in the same spot in a shaded area shows that not all shade is the same! Which one do you think has the best lighting?

I shared in my previous post (Sunlight or Shade - What do YOU think? Part 1) that shade creates an even, soft light source with minimal shadows.  So, should you just find any shady spot and stick your subject there?  

Mmmm … no.  

Truth is, not all shade is the same!

·  Shade is created when some form of shelter (tree or building) blocks direct sunlight.

·  Shaded areas are not absent of light.  They are absent of direct sunlight.

·  Shade is lit by sunlight that bounces off other surfaces (walls, sidewalk, sky) resulting in a softer form of light.

·  Some parts of the shade may get more bounced light than others, creating different qualities of light … some which will enhance your photo more than others.

So then, how do you find good shade for portraits?  Glad you asked!

Simply … look at your hand.  (Say what?!)

Here’s what to do:

Step 1:  Find the shady area where you want to photograph your subject -- under a tree, in an archway, in the shade of a building.  (For the most consistency in your image, find a location where your subject can be fully shaded with no sunlight directly hitting them.)

Step 2:  When in the shade, extend your arm straight out in front of you and turn the palm of your hand so it is facing you. 

Step 3:  Observe the light on your palm.

Step 4:  Remaining on the same spot (while still looking at your palm), slowly rotate and notice how the intensity of light changes on your palm.  You will see your palm get brighter and less shadowy in some directions and darker and more shadowy in others. It may be subtle, but you will notice a difference. (Observing how the light looks on your palm is a great way to gauge how the light will look on someone’s face.)

Step 5:  Stop when you notice your palm is the brightest.  Place your subject in that exact location.  

Step 6:  Have your subject face the same direction your palm (not the back of your hand) was facing.  So, if your palm was facing north when you noticed that it was the brightest, have your subject face north.)

Step 7:  Congratulations!  You’ve found good shade for your portrait!

Step 8:  If you move to another part of the shady area or another location ... rinse and repeat.

Now … just because you found good shade doesn’t mean you have found the best place to take the portrait.  As the commercials of old would say, “But wait, there’s more!”

Stay tuned.  More on this subject coming up.   

Want to learn more about how to take great photos?  I offer individual and group lessons.  Call or email me today. 

Dana Attebery Photography – Serving you through teaching, portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, and fine art images.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 danaphotography.com

CEO Gregory Adams Portrait Photoshoot

Just recently I had the honor to photograph Kaiser Permanente’s new CEO, Gregory Adams inside the new Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, California. Mr. Adams was great to work and to get to know. Despite the time crunch he was in, I was able to photograph him in a variety of locations throughout the campus and capture a great image for Kaiser. My goal with the lighting on Mr. Adams was to make it light, airy and natural as is the atmosphere inside.

If you are ever in Pasadena, California, you need to check out Kaiser’s new school of medicine. It has a bright, open designed layout that includes an amazing hanging sculpture inside the length of the building.

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

Now how about you? Would you like an updated headshot or family/office portrait? Call or email me to set up a portrait session today! I can come to your location to save you and your staff time … all within Covid guidelines.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

Sunlight or Shade - What do YOU think?

Your favorite person is graduating and you want to take an amazing outdoor portrait.  Should you take the photo in sunlight or shade?  

Two quick things to understand about sunlight and shade: sunlight is a direct light source and acts like a spotlight which creates deep shadows and bright highlights, while shade creates an even soft light source with minimal shadows.

Direct Sunlight - Senior Portrait - Dana Attebery Photography

Open Shade - Senior Portrait - Dana Attebery Photography

Here’s the deal!  One is not better than the other …  it’s just how you use them!  

If using direct sunlight, one idea that is easy is to turn the person you are photographing around so that the sun’s light is coming from behind them (i.e. Backlighting).  Now their face is in the shade with even lighting and the sun becomes a hair light.

Backlighting - Marketing Photography for Azusa Pacific University - Dana Attebery Photography

If photographing in shade, like under a tree or an archway of a building, then you will have even light on your subject with no bright and dark areas on your subject’s face.  

But …  here’s a vital factor to know when taking photos in the shade. … not all shade is the same!    Stay tuned.  There’s more on this subject coming soon. 

So how about you?  Do you need a graduation photo, an updated headshot or family/office portrait?  Call or email me to set up a portrait session today! 

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com     626-374-3638         danaphotography.com

All images copyrighted by Dana Attebery Photography - 2021

The Case of the Uninvited Chin

Dilemma:   Ever seen a photo of yourself where an undesired extra chin showed up without being invited?  How do you minimize it without contemplating plastic surgery?  Click below to find out.

Adobe Stock

PHOTO TIPS FOR DIMINISHING A DOUBLE OR EXTRA “CHIN”

What’s Going On?

When we stand for a photo, we often automatically shift our weight onto our back foot and lean back a little.  This shifts our head angle and buries our chin into our neck which adds thickness to our chin/neck area - thus the double or extra “chin.”   

2 Simple Steps When Standing

First, simply shift your weight forward onto your front foot.  

Second, gently point your chin towards the camera.  (Gently is key. Don’t shove it out there.  That will just look…ahem… awkward.)  

Seated for the Photo?  

The same concept applies.  Don’t sit back into the chair where your chin will collapse into your neck and create extra chins,  Instead, sit on the front edge of the seat cushion, lean slightly forward and point your chin towards the camera. 

A Couple Extras for You 

Add a twist to it!  Whether seated or standing, slightly rotate your body away from the camera and turn your head toward the camera while you have your weight shifted forward.  

Chin up.  Lift your chin slightly, but not too much because again, that can look kind of awkward.  Remember, you want to come across relaxed and natural, not straining.

Voila! You have minimized the double or extra chin!

Now how about you?  Would you like an updated headshot or family/office portrait?  Call or email me to set up a portrait session today!   I can come to your location to save you and your staff time … all within Covid guidelines. 

Serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons. 

info@danaphotography.com     626-374-3638         danaphotography.com

Over & Above! - Creative problem-solving to bring a client’s idea to life! Part 2 - The final image

Dilemma:  How do you do this?  

Your camera is up in the air 11 feet where you can’t reach it.  Your subject is lying on props on the floor and cannot move, yet needs to see photos as they are being taken.  You need to make adjustments to the camera, the lighting, the props, and show your client the photos … all without touching your camera.  How do you do this?

Just recently, I had the great opportunity to photograph singer/songwriter, Janet Blair, for her second album.  She wanted a look that required me to place the camera directly above her about 11 feet in the air. She also needed to see the photos as they were being taken to ensure they were what she was envisioning.  If I were to have raised and lowered the camera so she could see the photos on the back of the camera, it would have wasted time and jeopardized the focus each time.  It also would have added a lot of extra work to the project.

Solution: 

I was able to remotely trigger and adjust my camera settings by using CamRanger and my iPad. CamRanger plugs into a camera and creates its own WiFi signal that connects to an iPad. Using the CamRanger app, the technology enabled the transferring of photos to my iPad in real time as well. This allowed me the freedom to show her the images via the iPad, and also make adjustments, as needed, to the camera settings, lighting and props without physically touching the camera.  Today, most camera manufacturers have their own app and WiFi built into their cameras, but I have found the CamRanger to be very reliable, and the new version has more features that are really helpful!

And this is the image Janet chose for the cover of her second album, “Over Under.”

Have something you need photographed, but don’t know how you are going to do it? Send me an email and let’s get it solved!

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

Over & Above! - Creative problem-solving to bring a client’s idea to life!

Dilemma:  How would you solve this?

Your client is lying flat on the ground … surrounded by bicycle parts.  A musician, they want a creative indoor photo that will require you to have your camera placed at least 11 feet directly above them. You have no balcony, scaffolding, or Shaquille O’Neil standing by … and a ladder isn’t going to work (because the ladder will show up in the shot).  What do you do?

I had the great opportunity to photograph singer/songwriter, Janet Blair, for her second album. I photographed Janet in her home and the area to be photographed was about 9 feet in diameter.  As a result of this width and needing to photograph directly above the scene, I had to place the camera high enough so that everything would be included and there would be no distortion (which would happen with a wide-angle lens up close).   

There was no loft or scaffolding (and Shaquille was busy that day).  If using a ladder, it would have shown up in the photo because I would have to be right in the middle of the shot - not good.  With some creative problem solving, I used a C-stand, raised it up high, and attached my camera to its extending arm. This extension allowed the camera to be directly over Janet while the stand itself remained out of view.  

(Stay tuned … next week for the final image and special technology used to capture it)

Have something you need photographed, but don’t know how you are going to do it? Send me an email and let’s get it solved!

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

Photography Dilemma: What would YOU do?

DILEMMA: You want a group photo of your team without masks on. Due to COVID, you are not allowed to sit or stand within 6 feet of each other without masks. How do you solve this?

Real-life Dilemma:  One of my clients - a major hospital throughout the U.S. - asked me to take a photograph of their team without masks on (final image above). When we arrived on-location, it dawned on them that due to recent hospital COVID protocols, they couldn’t have the team members stand together. What to do?! 

Real-life Solution:  I photographed each team member individually, taking multiple shots of each, as they posed on three different set markers (see photos below).  Meanwhile, I had my camera on a tripod with a zoom lens so I could stay a good distance away from the subjects.  Afterwards, my client chose the best pose for each subject and then digitally brought them together into one image.

Problem solved.  The group photo was obtained and COVID protections were not compromised. This is a service I have provided multiple times during this pandemic. With smart planning, great mages can still be accomplished during this time of social distancing.

The first team member came in and I photographed her on three different markers with different poses.

And then the second team member came in and I photographed her on the same three markers.

You know now what I did for the third team member …

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

How important is an image for your business?

I just read an article from MDG Advertising today about how important a quality image is to your business, article, blog, social media, and more. They said, “People are wired to value images.” Here are a few more stats they found:

• Adding a picture can improve recall to 65%

• 2/3 of people say they’re visual learners

• 68% of marketers say they plan to use images more in the future

• 67% of consumers say that the quality of a product image is “very important” in selecting and purchasing the product

These are just a few stats that show how using a “quality” image to represent your product or services can increase your visibility in the market place.

My goal as a professional photographer is to create images that attracts new clients to you. Quality is an investment that does pay dividends.

https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/infographics/its-all-about-the-images-infographic/

#visual #visualmarketing #images #quality #qualityimages #marketing

Head too big, feet too small? - Smart Phone Camera Tip

So I came across these images of an AP News story about what a news anchor’s fashion line-up. Most likely it was taken with a smart phone camera, but I doubt her head is as big as it is. 

Before the advent of the dual-lens cameras on cell phones (one wide-angle, one telephoto - means zoomed in) and now Apple’s three lens set up (hubba-hubba!), most cell phone cameras have just a wide-angle lens. When you use that wide-angle lens up close, or tilted down or up, you will get lens distortions that can really warp a face and body. So, to avoid that while using a wide angle lens, back up some and lower your phone so its not pointing down toward your subject, but more on level with your chest pointing at your subject. Next, stretch the image of your screen to zoom in (not really zooming in, but I will share that another time) so your model fills more of the frame. Or, if you have a dual lens, use the telephoto lens (you will have to step back for this) and lower your camera phone a little and take your shot. Following these tips will prevent image distortion like on the images below.

#iphonecamera #smartphonecamera #cameratips #imagedistortion #photography #portraits #danaatteberyphotography

https://apnews.com/85502971ae9045c68a62a3e1f2805b73

Booster Magazine for School Athletes

Just recently I was able to work with Western Christian Schools on photographing the cover of their first edition of their school’s Booster Club for their athletic program. After talking with their marketing director to hear their idea with the magazine, I presented the idea of a studio-styled portrait that was a little more gritty with some fashion styling, but with a serious look that they would normally be taking out onto the field or court.

Tips for Portraits

As K-12 schools have started up once again, one of the first order of things for students is getting their school portrait. You get their clothes ready and their hair combed and hope they smile.  

So what about professionals getting their headshots for their company, or their own business?  What you wear can speak volumes about you.  Prepare before you go in.  Where colors that work best for you (ask someone what they think if it adds life to you, or washes you out), make sure it is properly pressed or ironed (oh, and clean – you may think ‘Duh?!,’ but I have seen spots and frays that people miss), avoid big stripes and logos (it will detract the viewers eye from your face…which you want them to remember…same too applies to plunging neck lines), and make sure it’s properly fitted and not too baggy.   

If you are going to get a haircut, try to do it at least two weeks before your headshot.  That way if something goes awry you will have some time for it to grow a little to tame it down.  

However, the most important thing to do, which a lot of people don’t know about and forget to do: drink plenty of water.  Water hydrates your skin to look healthy and can reduce baggage under the eyes.  So, my suggestion would be to stop drinking any alcoholic drinks for two to three days before hand, and caffeinated drinks, too, and drink plenty of water so you look healthy for your portrait.  You may say, but what about my coffee?!  Try to limit that intake leading up and take in more water (yes I know that coffee has water in it…not the same thing). I know it’s a sacrifice, but your skin will look better.  Now you may be thinking ‘my attitude may not be better,’ but when you see your images your attitude will change for the best! 

Celebrate!

Azusa Pacific University sends off their grads in great style.  Time to celebrate!  I captured this image for APU's marketing by timing it just right for the explosion of streamers and fireworks.  

Candle Light

Azusa Pacific University does a great job celebrating graduation by gathering them the night before graduation to remind them to be a light to the world.  I captured this for APU's marketing with only the candle light as my light source.

Graduation!

Had a wonderful time with Maroun this month photographing his senior portrait.  I like that he was game to step out of the box and go after a 'high-style' for his portrait.  Oh, and a great shout out to his sister, Mary, for wanting to be my assistant for his shoot.  Mary, you did great!  Congratulations, Maroun!