1. What is best to wear?
For 2+ hour shoots try & bring 2-3 outfits so we can create some different looks for you. We want you to feel relaxed during your session so we recommend wearing outfits that you love & you feel comfortable. Simple and neutral are best, avoiding any patterns, logos or illustrations as these can be distracting. For adults we recommend 3 complimentary colours. All black & white are best avoided as well as too much of one colour. Pastel colours usually work well together.
Feel free to bring a few outfits including different cuts, colours & necklines so that you have some choices & we can decide on which looks will work best for you. For our corporate clients, we like the men to have a variety of jacket/shirt/tie combos and for the women some options of blouse/dress/jacket combos.
Avoid short sleeves & shorts. Long sleeved clothing is a must. When arms & legs are exposed in the photographs there will be more flesh in those areas than on the face itself which again can be distracting.
Keep accessories to a minimum - Overbearing or heavy jewellery can dominate the photograph & take the viewers eye away from your face which we want to avoid. Simple & minimal works best such as studs or small earrings. If you wear glasses & have multiple pairs we’d appreciate you bringing them along so we can figure out which ones have the least glare.
2. Makeup, hair & nails
Hair styles should be SIMPLE and must be off the face. Hair falling down onto the sides of the face create distracting shadows. Bangs that come down too low onto the face will keep light from getting into the subject’s eyes – the very most important part of the face. It is always a great idea to have your make up and hair professionally applied for your photography session. It will make a huge difference in how you look and feel. Vivid Photography & Imaging recommends FMK Hair. If you have your preferred hair and make up stylist this is always ok. As look as you feel and look fabulous and you allow enough time to have your hair and make up finished before your scheduled session. Please enquire about booking in a stylist well before your shoot. Your nails should be manicured. No chipped nail polish. We recommend applying face powders to reduce shine from the natural oils & sweat in skin.
3. Necklines for a Portrait
The most flattering neckline for anyone is something that comes up close to the neck. A wide-open neckline tends to thicken the neck in a photograph. On the other hand, a neckline that comes up to the base of the neck – a turtleneck or a v-neck top is the most flattering. It tends to slim down the person and frames the face beautifully.
Tip: Lay out all the clothing onto a bed. Shoes, socks, stockings – everything should be included…shoes, too! Then, take a careful look at the collection. If your eye goes to any one item in particular, you can be certain that the same thing will happen in a photograph. That item should be changed. Clothing should not be too tight or too loose.
4. Fashion
Your portraits are meant to be enjoyed for generations to come. Fad-type clothing should be avoided, unless you are planning to have new portraits made annually. You will feel very rewarded when you view your photographs. All of your efforts will be worthwhile.
5. How long does a portrait session last?
We allow 1-2 hours for a portrait session + setup time. This gives you time to relax & for us to give you lots of choices in your photo selections.
6. How do we view our photographs?
Your portrait session goes online to a secure and personal website that is password protected for you and your family/friends only.
7. Can we have black and white photographs?
We shoot digitally and so any image can be enhanced into bw. We always show you a proportion of your photographs in bw so that your collection has good flow and a variety of shots and poses.
8. Can we purchase a USB drive of all the photographs or can you send to them to me via a link?
Yes
9. When will see our photos?
A full private gallery will be available within two weeks.
10. “I hate having my photo taken. How can you help me through the process?”
You are not alone - it’s one of the most common feelings for most people who sit in front of a camera. If you’ve not had been had your picture taken professionally before. It’s in everyone’s interest to make you feel as relaxed as possible. Having you feel comfortable will result in much more natural & expressive pictures. We know a host of little tips that will help ease the pressure & we’ll show you some results as we go so you can feel part of the process.
11. Do you back up my photos?
Yes your photos are backed up in a least 2 separate secure locations. We will keep a copy of your photos for 4 weeks after which you will need to keep your own copy on an external hard drive or cloud storage provider such as Google Drive / Dropbox etc.
12. I have mobility issues getting to your location. What do you suggest?
Please contact us about any difficulties you might have getting to any suggested locations. We will accommodate you as much as possible on the day & chose an appropriate location based on your needs.
13. Can I keep the RAW or unedited JPEG files?
This is not something we offer. Bear with us on this- the reason is that the original RAW photos are unprocessed “flat” images that we have applied our signature colour profiles to. By giving you an edited file we are saying that we stand behind the quality of these images which represent our work for publishing.