Advice for your Session
The studio at Rich Beginnings Photography provides a wide variety of classic backgrounds, creative ideas, and simple props to use during your session. Below you will find some simple suggestions and frequently asked questions that will help you to prepare for your portrait session.
Props & Accessories...
Our ultimate goal is to keep our sessions simple and focus on what's most important in a portrait... the person! Adding too many props or fake looking backgrounds to a portrait can easily ruin it. For this reason, we offer a variety of simple props which add a subtle compliment your to your photo. Some of our props include simple chairs, blankets, a tea set, a wagon, and even a variety of beautiful handmade hats for babies and children. We love a little 'spice' to our images, but again, the ultimate goal is to focus on the person - not the props.
One of the best suggestions we can make is to have you supply your own props for a portrait session. Items that are significant to you naturally have more meaning than props the studio provides. Personal items are a unique way to accent what's most important to you or your child at a particular stage. Some suggestions include a favorite stuffed animal, a security blanket, a new toy, a sports jersey, or even the family pet! If you're ever unsure about a specific prop... bring it along...just in case! Having a variety of choices is never a bad idea!
Clothing Suggestions...
The goal of any portrait is to direct the viewer's attention to the face or faces in the portrait. Simple clothing in medium to dark tones of brown rust, burgundy, green, or blue are great choices when photographed against a dark background. Avoid light colors that approximate flesh tones such as beige, tan, peach, and yellow. Darker shades are often more flattering and slimming.
High key portraits are a beautiful way to create a pure, simple look to a portrait. High key portraits are photographed on a white backdrop and have a light, 'airy' feel to them. High key is very popular for babies, young children, and perfect for mother & child portraits.
When planning a group portrait, be sure to choose similar clothing colors for each person. Two of the most popular choices are khaki pants with white shirts or blue jeans with black shirts. You can also use complimentary colors to add a pop to your photos! Try to avoid bold patterns and clashing colors. These tend to compete and stand out in a group portrait.
A few more helpful hints...
- Very simple clothing always photographs best. Avoid large logos and busy patterns which often distract.
- For group portraits, choose a color scheme and dress each person similarly.
- If you are going to have a full-length portrait taken, remember to make sure shoes are clean and match the visual intent of the portrait.
- It's a good idea to have your hair cut about one week or so before the portrait session. This helps to avoid the 'just cut' look.
- Remember the little things! Belts, jewelry, and little girl's hair bows are items that are often necessary, but overlooked. In the same respect, don't forget to remove hair ties from around wrists, bulky watches, and the occasional temporary tattoo... which yes, have indeed made a surprise appearance in a portrait or two.
- If you are bringing a newborn, don't forget the baby lotion! Newborn skin is known to peel and flake, and this does show up in portraits. It is often more noticeable in pictures than it is any other time, so a little baby lotion can do wonders for their skin!
All images are copyrighted by the photographer, Caron Rich. It is illegal and unlawful to scan, copy, or reproduce Caron’s work in any manner or medium. As an artist, Caron wishes to have complete control over the final look of her client’s images, and scanned images damage her reputation as a photographer by distorting and devaluing the image quality. Thank you for respecting her work and livelihood by choosing not to reproduce Caron’s images. Duplicating copyrighted images is punishable by law with fines starting at $150,000.