We’re as excited about your session as you are! We truly appreciate you choosing Debbie Daanen Photography to provide you with beautiful portraits…we won’t let you down. There are obviously exceptions to every ‘rule’ and that is why we highly recommend you schedule a complimentary portrait consultation before your appointment to ensure we are all on the same page. Here’s everything you need to know to have a fantastic session…
Colors & Clothing
- Solid colors usually work best. Stripes and strong patterns are often distracting. Work with solid, complementary tones.
- We love earth tones! Besides light, bright colors on adults tend to add a few years—and we know no woman wants that!
- Darker shades are more slimming and bright colors can overwhelm your face.
- Make sure your entire outfit looks great from head to toe; some of your images may be full-length so make sure clothes are ironed and shoes are clean.
- Short shorts and skirts don’t photograph as well as they look in person-avoid sleeveless/tank tops and spaghetti straps – the camera can add weight…who wants that??
- Be consistent with everyone involved. This will require advanced planning! When subjects wear a mixture of light and dark tones, the light toned outfit comes forward and the dark one recedes.
Grooming & Hygiene
- To cut or not to cut… There is no such thing as a ‘trim’ right before a session, schedule haircuts about two weeks prior. Same goes for color and highlights!
- If you shave… shave! That goes for faces and legs! We can’t retouch stubble.
- Keep the make-up and jewelry natural. If you wear make-up, don’t do anything unusual for your portraits. Make-up and jewelry should be kept as you normally wear it.
- Hands are often in the photographs, make sure your hands are clean (no writing on them!). Ladies, make sure your nails are ready. C’mon… who couldn’t use an excuse for a manicure? No need to thank us.
Eye Glasses
Eyeglasses cause glare and retouching charges. Talk to us if someone in your family wears glasses. If someone insists on keeping their glasses on for their portrait, we suggest that you remove the lenses for the session or even borrow an empty pair from your eye doctor.
Weather
Lighting plays a paramount role in our portraiture. If you have scheduled a location or Outback session, we insist that you be flexible. Sometimes it’s not raining but it’s just too overcast to provide us with the quality of light we want for your session. But lack of sun doesn’t equal bad photos-cloud cover is actually better when it comes to outdoor lighting. Our goal is to provide you with the best portraits possible; this may necessitate rescheduling if weather conditions are not perfect.
Session Etiquette
Please arrive for your session ten minutes early. Payment of your session fee is due when you arrive for your appointment.
Rescheduling
We have reserved your session time especially for you. If you are unable to keep your appointment, kindly provide us at least 24 hours notice so we can notify the next person on our waiting list. Example of a good reason to reschedule: your child is sick/contagious. A good rule of thumb: if your child has stayed home from school, you should reschedule their session. If they don’t feel good, chances are they won’t look good. We often encounter scheduling conflicts with kids’ sports activities. We understand that sometimes practices are changed without a lot of notice. Please communicate with your child so you can give us as much notice as possible if you need to change your appointment.
Portrait Finishes
Standard Prints: Will be retouched and dry mounted in 8X10 sizes or larger.
Museum Prints: Will be retouched as well as eye-enhanced. Eye enhancement is achieved by defining the retina, whitening the whites, and accenting the eyelashes. All studio samples are us the museum finish.
Rembrandt Prints: Steps one and two involve retouching and eye enhancement. Your artwork will then be bonded to canvas. Rembrandt prints are not matted or glassed but are allowed to ‘breathe’ as oil paintings are.
DaVinci Prints: This is our proudest achievement. Your masterpiece starts out as one of out SoHo art prints-a D.D. image that has been digitally ‘painted’ in an impressionistic style. It is then bound to canvas. Next, we hand apply a clear lacquer to the surface. The brush strokes together with the painterly rendering produce a rich look that really must be seen to be fully appreciated. Certain styles of images lend themselves better to this type of treatment, so please allow us to assist in your selection.
Framing
We know the latest trends and specialize in custom framing for your world. Your family portrait should be the focal point of your home gallery. Allow us to crown your family jewels with the latest papers and woods available. No one has a more beautiful selection nor better taste than we do!!! Come see for yourself. We’ve been around the block a few times and these suggestions come from years of experience… trust us! When in doubt, please don’t hesitate to call us. That’s what we’re here for!
~ Sale on in studio stock of small ready-made frames and art prints
~ Liquidation of several sample display frames – Contact the studio for available styles and sizes
Make your prints stand out in a fabulous new frame, while sticking to your budget!