I have received many questions on how to prepare for your Junior/Senior Portrait Session’s, so I thought I would share some of the important tips with you all.  Feel free to stop by the blog-site for more information.

Plan Your Session – Plan Your Clothing – If You Rush It – You Will Forget It!!!

Preparing for Your Session:

The biggest thing to remember is that it is a team effort on your part and ours to get the best possible senior portraits. A little Planning and Preparation will make a big difference. Please do not bring younger siblings to photo shoot on scheduled day. We say this because we want to be able to have complete focus on your senior.

Photo Assistant – Please Bring Another Person:

Some of the photo techniques we will use work best with another person to serve as an assistant. Please bring a parent or friend along to help with the photographs. We value the input and help these people can do for us. They would help with hair, clothing, and outdoor photographs. So bring someone that knows YOU! We also ask that you do not bring too many people with you because then they tend to be distracting to you and the photographer.

Pets – Additional $40 – Please bring a 3^rd Person to manage the pet:

If you plan on bringing a pet, plan on a 3^rd person to take care of the pet, or arrange for someone to take it home. We can’t care for pets and take quality photographs at the same time.

For A Successful Portrait Day:

Organize your clothes and props ahead of time. Be well rested. Give yourself EXTRA time to clean up, gather all of your things together, and arrive a few minutes before your scheduled session time. Remember, you want to get the time you are paying for!

Clothing Tips & Guidelines

Plan and organize for your clothing changes during your session. When picking out your clothes keep in mind your location choice, surrounding colors, and the time of day for your session.

Bring along your favorite outfits that represent who you are. Limit your outfit changes to 2 for the Basic Session. It is not the number of outfits that will determine a successful session. It is how relaxed and comfortable you are while posing.

NO STRIPES & NO PLAIDS: These patterns will draw attention from the face. I will not photograph seniors in these distracting patterns.

Make sure your clothing fits properly. Oversized or snug clothing will not look flattering.

Make sure to dress head-to-toe. Don’t forget your shoes, belt, and jewelry.

Long sleeve photography the best.

Make sure your clothing is ironed because the wrinkles WILL show in the pictures.

Make sure your shoes are nice, clean, and coordinate with your outfit choice. Consider bringing an additional pair of shoes for variety.

The Slimming Effect

To get this effect, dark colors work best. Avoid horizontal stripes in your clothing. Girls…beware of sleeveless tops, bare arms tend you make you look heavy.

Hair

Just prior to your session is probably NOT the time to experiment with a new hair-doo. If you do have a fresh hair cut or a new style, allow at least a week for it to grow on you. Wear your hair the way you like it and be sure to wash it! Clean hair has a much more healthy appearance. Keep your hair smooth to reduce to appearance of fly-a-ways, or split ends. Girls, make sure that your bangs do not cover your eyes. Avoid heavy hair spray, mousse, gel, because clean, soft hair looks the best. Don’t forget to bring your hair supplies, comb, brush, and light hair spray. Remember that your assistant will also be helping with your hair. Make sure they know how you like your hair.

Glasses

If you wear glasses, remember it is impossible to avoid reflections from the lights. Reducing or removing this glass glare will cost you $10 - $25 per image. We recommend that you wear your frames without the lenses. Ask you optometrist for a pair of empty frames that are similar to yours. If you are unable to get another frame, ask your optician to remove your lenses prior to the session. The local optometrists are very cooperative.

Make-Up: Ladies

Properly used makeup will improve your portrait immensely. For a natural look,, wear your normal makeup. Please don’t over-do it! Start with foundation to smooth out the look of your skin and to minimize blemishes. Eye shadow and mascara will help bring out your eyes. Lip-gloss adds a little sparkle to the lips, and also apply a little blush to get some color in the cheek’s to soften the shine of the nose and forehead use a little powder. Make sure to bring your makeup with you, to help keep you makeup looking fresh.

Make-Up: Men

It is helpful to use a light concealer to help reduce blemishes. Make sure to shave as close as possible to your session time. It is very hard and expensive to remove the “5 o’clock shadow” that heavy bearded guys will have. Hands will show in some images so make sure that they are neat, clean, and your nails are groomed.

Outdoors

Casual clothing looks best for outdoor sessions. Wear colors that you see surrounding in your location choice. Any solid colors look great outdoors, such as navy blues, blacks, reds, greens, and purples. When choosing your outdoor clothing avoid white or pale colors, select more solid, dark, and earth-tone colors.

Props & Personal Items

Bring along accessories and props that will enhance your photographs. Bring items that are important and personal so we can capture the “real” you. Uniforms make great pictures (Sports, cheerleading, dance, etc.) sports gear, equipment, musical instruments, or vehicles can be great additions to your photographs.

Possible add-on charges apply for:

Vehicle $10

Interest/Activity Set-up $10

Extra Outfits $10

When you purchase a Senior session, Sweet Graphix Design & Photography gives you 50% OFF a one (1) 45 minutes Family session. This deal is only good if both sessions are scheduled at the same time but do not have to be one the same day.

Yearbook Images

Seniors are responsible for knowing their school’s yearbook deadline. KNOW YOUR DEADLINE!!!

Seniors, you may turn in a wallet from your previous ordered set of wallets

…or we will email the ORIGIONAL file of any PREVIOUSLY ORDERED pose for $10

…or we will email the ORIGIONAL file of the NEW pose for $20

Other Important Issues

If you wear glasses empty frames are a must.

To look your best, get a good night’s sleep.

I will try to fulfill any location requests within Chattanooga city limits. For a special location there is a minimum charge of $30 for travel time and expense.

Plan on a 1 ½ - 2 hour session.

Using make-up will enhance your photographs.

Bring hats, ties, jackets, belts, jewelry, and sunglasses.

We also do group senior pictures. If you have friends that you would like to take pictures with please let us know ahead of time to we can adjust the booking schedule and pricing according to the number of additional people. (Please see the Investment page for all pricing)

Normal delivery is 3 weeks. If you need your order back sooner, rush charges will apply.

Professional photographs are Copyrighted Images. Copying images IS against the law.

To serve you better, Appointments are necessary!

Make a checklist of everything you will need for your session. Many seniors forget an important item or piece of clothing.

Sweet Graphix Design & Photography reserves the right to reproduce your images for advertising and display purposes.

You will receive an email with a personalized link and password to proof & purchase your images. This link will be active for 2 weeks and best of all you can share it with family & friend’s that want to purchase prints too.

Black & White or Sepia Tone

Traditional Black and White prints or Sepia Tone prints can be ordered in addition to your normal senior order. We can make black and white prints from your color pictures.

Rainy Days

If there is a threat of rain on your scheduled session day please give us a call. Overcast days are great for photography. If it does rain, we will reschedule your session for our next available session.

Viewing Day Special

When the parent and the senior come in to view the session images they have the option to purchase a memory book and a Senior slideshow of the sessions images for $250, regular price $350.

Memory Book: 20 pages of your best images

Senior Slideshow: All of your selected session images put to music of your choice. (You must provide the music)

All Printables

Don’t forget that Sweet Graphix Design & Photography has all of your announcements, invitations, save-the-date cards, and much, much, much more. Check out our Design page for a complete list of products and pricing.

If you have any question, please feel free to give us a call at 423.364.8202 or email us at sweetgraphix@live.com

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Every client will receive a FREE wallet sheet when they get MORE than 10 comments from different people posted under their specific, “Sneak Peek.” Want more? For every 5 completed referral session’s you bring me, I will create a 10 page, 5 x 7, custom hard cover album of your favorite session or upcoming session. It’s that simple. 

When posting comments on my blog-site you will need to scroll down 2 the bottom of the post and below "Reactions" you will see the word "comment." Click the word and follow the directions to post. This is the only way comments count towards free prints. Thanks

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Take a look around your home to get a good idea of where you would like to place or hang prints.

Measure the wall space where you think you might hang a print or prints.

If you have a certain frame you wish to use be sure to know the exact measurements for its correct print size.

Consider purchasing prints as gifts for friends and family if so, how many will you need?

Please feel free to invite who may wish to purchase prints to your proofing session.

Proofing sessions will last an average of one to two hours. Consider childcare for your proofing session.

Your print order will be paid in full at your proofing session. Sweet Graphix Photography accepts cash or checks only at this time. Checks are paid in the order to Brooke Ragsdale.

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I have to say I have had nothing but great things happen since I opened Sweet Graphix Photography. I have learned a lot of life/business lessons, made some incredible friends and most of all I have realized that there are people out there that get my style and appreciate it for what it is. If you haven’t had the opportunity to stop by the new website, please check it out here.

Easter is right around the corner. I so remember going to JCPenneys to get my Easter dress with my grandmother like it was yesterday. We would spend half the time arguing about color and she wanted ruffles and I wanted pleats. I have to say this year is going to be amazing picking out dresses with my girl’s and planning our traditional Easter Egg Hunt.

EASTER/SPRING PORTRAIT’S

Scheduling your Easter/Spring portrait session will start on March 11 and go through April 10th. All session’s will be shot on Sunday’s or Tuesday’s unless special arrangements have been made. You are allowed to bring up to 5 Easter/Spring props that you wish to include in your 30 minute mini-session. The cost of the Easter/Spring Mini-Session is $75. Email me at sweetgraphix@live.com to schedule your session today!

Take Care,

 

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