portraitguidelines

                        LASHELL PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES FOR PORTRAIT

A Portrait combines art, composition, and color to create a beautiful rendition of you, and just like an artist with
oils, we must work together to add harmony to the setting, composition, and color coordination in order to
achieve the mood for your portrait.

We encourage you to bring a friend or parent to assist you with any clothing decisions that you may have.
Also by bringing a friend they will help to relax you while you have your portraits made.

CLOTHING General Suggestions

1. Avoid sleeveless or very short sleeves, because your upper arms can be very         distracting (especially
women).
2. Do not choose clothing that is too tight or too loose, your clothing will need hang properly without excessive
creases or folds.
3. Changes of clothing are encouraged.
4. When planning for several changes of clothes, be sure to bring your favorite clothing. This might include a
T-shirt and shorts, formal attire, and informal clothing outfits, as well as any special outfits for individual
expression.
5. Casual clothing is great for outdoor images.
6. Clothing that is informal might be: cheerleading uniform, band uniform, sports clothing, jeans, hoodies, etc.
7. Clothing that is formal might be: Prom dress or a Suit. For a special idea, we could even use formal attire
outside.
8. Plan on bringing one very contemporary outfit.
9. ALL WHITE!! Great for special high key effect. White is a strong color and is great when used properly
with a white background. Blonde or light hair looks great with white clothing.
10. Often, shoes will show, so they should complement your clothing. Changes may be necessary with
different clothing styles.   Many prefer barefoot poses.
11. Glasses….Please ask your optician to lend you a pair of empty frames in the same style as yours. This is
very important, digital retouching can remove the glare, but it is an additional charge.
12. In the fall it is best to wear clothing of earth tones. Please avoid pinks and blues.
13. Bold, solid colors are preferred. Stay away from stripes, plaids, checks, etc. as these draw attention away
from your face.
14. Bring more clothes than you thing that you will need, we will help you select the best outfits.

                                                                  PROPS

BE CREATIVE! USE YOUR IMAGINATION! Feel free to make arrangements to use a prop of your liking.
This could include hats, musical instrument, bicycle, motorcycle, car, pet, or sporting equipment.

                                                                   MEN

FACIAL PREPARATION
1. Be sure to shave within an hour or so of your appointment. A “5 O’clock shadow” cannot be removed
through retouching.
2. If you have facial blemishes, use a cover up stick in your complexion. Our digital retouching will be able to
remove blemishes, but heavy blemishes will require additional retouching charges.

HAIR
1. If you plan a haircut, try to schedule it one week before your sitting so freshly-cut ends won’t stand out. Do
NOT change your hairstyle until you have viewed your images.
2. Make sure hair is trimmed out of your eyes. Hair in your eyes causes many problems and covers a very
important part of your face….unless that’s your style!
3.   Wash your hair!

CLOTHING
1. Suits, sports coats, or sweaters are all good selections for traditional poses. In recent years many senior
guys have gotten away from using sports coats, a dress shirt and tie will still look good if you don’t have a sport
coat that fits you properly.
2. Choose colors that best complement your hair and skin color.
3. Bring clothing that you wear everyday.
4. We encourage clothing changes, but 10 t-shirts will not allow us to be very creative. Please bring a nice
variety of outfits.

                                                               WOMEN

MAKEUP
1. To look natural, wear your normal evening makeup.
2. Use eye shadow to bring out eyes.
3. Blemishes can be minimized with cover-up stick.
4. An extra coat of mascara will make your lashes appear larger and fuller.
5. Lip gloss adds a sparkle.
6. Bring makeup for repairs and touchups.
7. Show up ready for your photo session.

HAIR
1. Wear it the way you like it best; don’t try a new style.
2. Very light spray will help tame loose ends.
3. Do NOT change your hair style until you have viewed your images.

SUNTAN
1. Too much sun darkens your skin unnaturally. It will dry out your hair, makes skin appear shiny and greasy,
and shows bags under your eyes.
2. Strap marks will show as a white marks. Digital retouching is an additional charge.
3. Keep your tan even.
4. Sunburn is a real problem. CANCEL YOUR APPOINTMENT.



LaShell Photography