Sarah’s Senior Pics

Konny’s Senior Pics

Allison came with some requests, like many of my seniors.  Her mom wanted tight head shots and she wanted lots of black and whites.  I always appreciate these requests, especially if you want black and whites.  Doing a simple desaturation is often not enough.  Good black and whites often need photoshop tweaking to get the contrast right.

And, the other chose to take advantage of the iStock discount.  So here are some of the iStock files from that shoot:

This particular photoshoot was a senior photo session and an engagement photo session all in one.  I had a ton of fun!  Chris and Ronae were great and I wish them all the happiness in the future!

You can visit the new site here: http://photography.sarahmusselman.com.

This is Maddie.  Maddie is an artist herself and loves being both behind and in front of a camera.  Maddie chose to go with Sarah Musselman Photography because she didn’t want the “typical” senior pictures.  She knew that I would be able to stretch the bounds and yet still take that “mantle piece” photo her mother wanted.

So we stretched the bounds.  I broke the rules – all of them.  She and I tossed around ideas.  And, here is the result:

Avoid white around your face. It will wash you out.  You know that color that you always get compliments when you wear it?  Yeah that one.  Wear that instead.

Make sure not all of your outfits are extremely trendy. That super chic outfit you have in your closet is not going to be super chic in a few years.  The trendier you dress, the greater chance you have of your photos looking dated.  A few trendy pics are fun, but try picking at least one style that’s a bit more classic like a solid colored shirt and jeans or kahkis.

Avoid haircuts and tanning the week of your session. Don’t be tempted to do some last minute beautification.  New haircuts and tanning sessions are risky business.  Sorry, but sunburn is nearly impossible to touch up, and there’s nothing I can do about the fact that your hairdresser went a little too short this time.

Men, make sure you have a clean shave or trimmed facial hair. A stray hair here or there is not going to ruin your photo session, but a 5 o’clock shadow might unless, of course, you’re going for the rugged look.  Photoshop is an amazing tool, but don’t expect me to spend hours on each of your photos shaving your face .

Avoid horizontal stripes and busy patterns. Your senior photos need to be about you, not your clothing.  Shirts with stripes and big patterns take away from you, and are often very unflattering on camera.  Stick with the solids.

If you wear glasses, remove the lenses to avoid glare. When people look at a photo of you, they want to connect with your eyes.  Lens glare is a sure way to ruin a good photo.  By controlling lighting and camera angles, it’s possible to minimize glare, but it is extremely limiting.  Glare cannot be touched up in Photoshop because it means practically reconstructing the eyes digitally.  So, if wear glasses and can remove the lenses, do.

Wear black. Black is slimming and always in style.  It also makes for some great black and whites.

Wear layers. Layers allow for quick outfits and lots of variety.  When shooting on location, there is not always a bathroom or private area nearby.  To find such a facility will take from your actual shooting time.  Wearing layers means you can add variety to your wardrobe without taking away any of the variety in backgrounds.

Bring a friend. Posing in front of a complete stranger can be nerve wrecking at first and this often shows through the first few photos.  By bringing a friend or family member, you’re more likely to feel relaxed and produce better photos more quickly.

Come with ideas. Do you want head-shows or full body shots?  Back & White or Color?  Knowing this information before you come will make best use of your session.  Find examples of what you’re looking for online, print them off, and bring them with you.  Make this photo session your own.