Get the Most from Your School Portraits

What should you expect from a school portrait?  Today’s answer is… a lot.

It starts with the image itself.  Premier Portrait Studio offers 16 different backgrounds and that can make a big difference in how your child appears in the picture.  While most professional photographers can do retouching, doing it well is an art and the final effect should flatter your child without ever being noticed.  Don’t forget, Murphy’s Law will be strictly enforced on portrait day.  If your child eats a leafy green thing only one day of the year, that day will be the same day as the official school portrait and the veg will stick to a front tooth.

But, what about the other aspects of school portraits?  The ordering process should be easy and flexible.  Premier Portraits Studio offers a Second Chance form.  If you are busy and forget to order by picture day, or even just change your mind and decide you want copies, you can use the same two methods of ordering as if you elect to buy portraits before they’re taken – with the form or online.

As for products… picture options are no longer just about size.  Sure, you can decide on 5x7 or bigger or make sure that there are enough wallet size copies for everyone in the family to carry and display at will.  But, you can also order unique items that make great gifts, such as magnets that allow grandparents to enjoy their grandchildren in a different way than the traditional picture.

Display isn’t the only purpose of a good picture of your child.  Premier Portraits Studio provides two child safe cards for the parents of every student.  The cards describe what to do if the child goes missing and includes a random password.  Parents can access their children’s photos 24/7 from our secure web site; all passwords are randomly generated and names are not attached to photos.

Finally, Premier Portraits Studio never forgets that your student is part of a class.  We provide programs to help with fundraising for school events, such as panoramic photos of the graduating class, family portrait night, holiday portrait night, and spring time family portrait night.  Imagine the fun as you view, choose, and receive your pictures during those special nights.

So, expect a lot from your school portrait experience and let Premier Portraits Studio be part of this memorable time in your child’s life.

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

Tips for Getting the Best Back to School Shots

Photographs help us go back in time to the big moments in life, such as starting a new school year.  Of course, age grants adults a perspective that children simply do not have so it’s important to get everyone on board for the ritual of taking back to school photos in order to get the best portraits possible.

Take Your Time

For most of us, days are flying by and didn’t these kids just get out of school?!  One of the tricks to slowing down time is doing the opposite of what we think we should do… take more time to enjoy moments.  So, grab an afternoon or warm summer evening and show the kids your own back to school pictures.  Talk about how you felt or what you remember and get their input on what they’d like to see in their own school portraits.  You might be surprised at just how interested children can become in photographic portraits.

Pick a Good Backdrop

Most people don’t give much thought to backgrounds… it’s the background and the people are the important part, no?  No.  You’ll get a better portrait of your child if you think about how the colors behind him or her will react to flash.  A white house that faces east may be too bright in the early morning sun and you won’t have much time to adjust if the bus is on its way.

There’s no rule that the back to school portrait has to be taken on the first day of school.  Or that you can’t do a dry run.  Visit a local park or do a garden tour and get some of the colors of summer in your shot.  Digital cameras give everyone the freedom to take experimental shots without the expense formerly associated with developing film.  Try different flash settings on your camera.

Shoot the Right Height

Your kids are probably shorter than you are.  At least, until high school so don’t shoot the camera from your eye level unless you love the tops of heads.  Get down on one knee and see what a difference that can make when photographing children.

Relax

If you’re tense and nervous about getting the right shot… especially if you want to do this on a busy first day of school morning… do not expect your kids to look cool and confident.  Portrait subjects often reflect the mood of the person behind the camera.  So, breathe deeply and suggest the children do something other than line up against the front door of your house.  Ask the child to turn a bit and consider shooting more of the face and not the whole body.

Use Props

Just as Premier Portraits Studio uses props in formal school portraits, you can use them in your home photographs.  Your child may be carrying a book bag but maybe can hold a book or even something from mom or dad’s old school days.

The important thing to remember with any back to school portrait is that this shot should mirror a special day when everything is possible and children are excited to begin anew.  Enjoy that feeling with them and you’ll get a better photograph.

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

Do Your Homework Before Sitting for Your Senior Portrait

As high school seniors are discovering, graduation is a big deal.  Life changes from the this milestone in life.  There are more responsibilities and, at this time in life, it’s good to learn one very useful tip – it’s worth the time and effort to prepare for an event or task.

At Premier Portraits Studio, our part in the graduation hoopla is taking and producing senior portraits.  It’s an honor to capture this life moment and know that these pictures will be viewed again and again over decades to come, sparking memories and smiles.

Given this perspective, we can tell which seniors have prepared for their portraits and which have not.  And it never fails, those who prepare spend much less time frantically trying to correct for that lack of preparation and enjoy their sitting – and the end result of a great picture!

Last month, we shared some tipson what to bring and wear for a sitting.  There is also a handy description of how to look your best in a portrait on our web site.  This month, we’d like to use that advice to send the graduates off with best wishes for a bright future.

·         Health is one of the best beauty secrets available.  If you get enough rest, water, and veggies, your skin will glow and your eyes will be white and bright.  So, take care of your body and impress the world, whether it’s your senior portrait or an interview with a prospective college or employer.

·         Don’t try so hard.  You’re great!  Never forget that.  Ladies don’t need to hide behind way too much makeup or oversell their bodies with halters, tube tops, or V-necks… Premier Portraits Studio’s policy is against these not because we want to stifle individual expression but to allow the personality of the subject to shine through.  Guys, same for you… we’re not here to capture and essence and a ratty T-shirt or five-o-clock shadow will only detract from the real you.

·         Avoid regrets.  We’re serious about preparation.  Bring a few outfits to your sitting and think about accessories such as jewelry or even the things you touch every day in school… musical instruments, balls from your favorite sport, or a prop from a theatrical production where you were the star.  When in doubt, bring it.  We can always decide not to use it.

Premier Portraits wishes all graduates a happy summer and long, successful life ahead… with good dose of preparation.

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

Tips for Getting the Best from Your Senior Portrait Sitting

As you get ready for your senior portrait, Premier Portraits Studio has some tips to help you get the best picture possible.

Bring a few changes of clothing and keep your outfits SIMPLE in terms of detail and color.  Honestly, trendy, complicated outfits can date your portrait.  (Look at your parents’ graduation photos from the 80s.  See what we mean?)

Prints can compete for attention when you really want to show off your eyes and smile.  These will be enhanced if you avoid colors that blend with your skin tone; contrast is good and, again, bring a few pieces of clothing so the portrait photographer can help you get the best look.

Accessorize but remember, jewelry should enhance your look, not replace it.

Bring your makeup with you and apply it as you would normally.  Avoid the temptation to accentuate features; leave the highlights to the professional photographer.  If another application is necessary, he or she will tell you and you’ll have the makeup right there to use.

If you want to wear a hairstyle that is not your usual “do,” then practice it several times before your portrait.  You don’t need stress or aggravation (or tears!) just before a camera freezes your face on film forever.

A professional photographer can deal with imperfections such as blemishes but not so much a five-o-clock shadow.  Shave before you arrive.

Be you.  If you wear braces or have no tan… that’s part of who you are and the goal is not to look so “perfect” as to be unrecognizable.  It’s to honor and remember the person who you are… and imperfections today will be cherished memories in the future as you grow and mature.

Don’t forget the details.  Put a bit of shine on the shoes and treat yourself to a manicure (guys, this is something that can make your portrait that one notch classier).

Bring a good cheering section… mom, dad, grandparents and/or friends.  Make an event out of it.  This is a big moment and take the time to appreciate your accomplishments so far, and the people who have supported you through it all.

Well before the big day, spend some time in the mirror – okay, like you normally do – to see how you look when you project your inner self forward.  Concentrate on how great you are… of all the people on this earth, there is only one you.  Remember that.

Above all, trust your photographer and enjoy this special moment.  It will only come around once in your lifetime and, if for any reason you feel off, reschedule.  This is all about you!

Congratulations, seniors!  We know you’ll change the world and are excited to be part of the excitement!

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

Why Switch Photographers?

The experience of seeing the little faces shined up and ready for a formal portrait should be one of the highlights of the school year but, if you’re frustrated with the service from your current photographer, Premier Portraits Studio suggests you consider five reasons to make a change.

Professionalism

To us, at Premier Portraits Studio, professionalism is more than equipment, paper, or dressing well to demonstrate respect for the schools where we take pictures.  It’s an attitude among our photographers that comes from training so we all know how to work with children to get their best side and how to marry the two worlds of the latest digital photographic technology with the people who are the spotlight of our portraits.

Best Fundraising Commissions

Premier Portraits Studio will match your previous year’s commission or you’ll receive ours, whichever is greater.  We also offer signing bonuses for our customers who commit to long-term contracts with us.

Fast Turnaround

Your finished prints are in your hands within three weeks.  We guarantee that and deliver before your December break.  Your needs are important to us and we respect the way in which the school calendar progresses.

Customer Service

We are a local business and our reputation is important to us.  We promise fast, accurate, and friendly service because that is who we want to be to our neighbors and friends.  When people smile at the name Premier Portraits Studio, it makes us proud

Again, as a local business, we offer unique advantages.  The entire photographic process stays within Connecticut, supporting the economy in which your students will grow.  As an active part of this community, we have contributed over $500,000 to events and efforts that enliven and enrich our area.

Finally, it comes down to people.  Portraits are pictures of those we love and who better to take those images and make them into lasting, treasured mementos that someone who is a neighbor, friend, and trusted partner in the school portrait adventure?

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

Supporting Schools with the Right Photographic Products

Schools are finding themselves between the rock of tight budgets and the hard place of funding increased security.

Premier Portraits Studio is aware of the budget cuts coming from municipalities filled with overburdened taxpayers and the state’s attempts to straighten out its complicated system.  We remember our own school portraits – getting out the good clothes… the dire warnings against making funny faces… the anticipation of waiting to see how the picture came out… presenting gifts to grandparents… finally realizing that you can’t date any family pictures by the portraits sitting on furniture in the background because these things stayed around forever.  Our family loved us enough to dust us for decades.

While some changes are good – digital picture technology means no guessing as to how the shot came out – we want to offer kids the same old-fashioned joy we felt and make portrait time a special time.

We can also support the unsung heroes of this whole experience, the administrative staff, by offering the right photographic packages and products at the right prices.

Premier Portraits Studio’s digital service department can customize items to suit each school’s needs.

·         Our Administrative CD provides an image CD staff members can use to load student pictures into your school software program, including Power School and IPass.

·         We can produce wall, desk, and monthly calendars for office staff and secretaries.

·         Sticky Prints offer two photos of each student, ready for permanent record files and teacher projects.

·         Our identification cards support critical student safety programs with sturdy plastic cards for the kids, faculty, and staff, designed to a school’s custom design specifications (barcodes to describe student ID numbers, grade, homeroom, teacher, etc. while protecting this data from strangers).

·         We can also produce complementary ID badges for visitors, volunteers, and substitute teachers.

·         One of our more popular middle school items is the Mug Book, featuring each student organized by grade and name.

Call Premier Portraits today to start your successful school portrait program with packages to fit parents needs, the largest background selection in the state, and experienced portrait photographers.

Fast efficient delivery of your photographs and your administration products are standard business practice with Premier Portraits.

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303

School Pictures from Premier Portraits Studio come at a Smart Price

School portraits are a rite of passage in lives that are changing quickly.  Think about it… celebrities may worry about being photographed twice in the same outfit but kids… they can’t fit into the same clothes when it comes time for the next school picture!

The photographers and staff at Premier Portraits Studio find that being part of this tradition is an honor and a joy.  Our mission is to provide quality portraits to schools and parents and the most relaxed, engaging sitting for the students who come to our studio for a once-in-a-lifetime picture.  Never again will they be so young and it’s important to remember each phase of these important lives.

We take this honor and responsibility to heart and recognize the difficult economic times facing our schools.

That’s why Premier Portraits Studio offers the most affordable rates in the state for the best quality portraits possible.

We applaud the teachers and faculty that are continuing to educate our children despite sharp state and district budget cuts.  They’re our heroes and we’re proud to provide portrait packages that reflect the way their efforts shape and develop young minds.  Our photographic packages fit the needs of parents, the largest selection of portrait backgrounds in Connecticut, and experienced portrait photographers.

Our staff has the knowledge and practice of working well with school administration requirements, delivering photographs and administrative products in a timely and efficient manner.  Making your orders easy and delighting customers is standard business practice with Premier Portraits Studio.

We look forward to working with the principals, secretaries, teachers, faculty, parents, and, of course, students, to provide one of the most significant keepsakes of our lives… the school portrait.

Premier Portraits Studio is a professional photography studio located in Plainville, CT. We specialize in school photography, event photography, corporate/business portraits, weddings, engagement sessions, newborn, child and family portrait photography in the CT area and beyond.

We are a family business, housing our own photography lab, and members of Associated Professional School Photographers (APSP) and Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

PremierPortraits Studio is locally owned and operated at 260 East St in Plainville, CT and is committed to supporting the community with quality service and portraits. 860.410.4303