Preparing for your Portrait Photo Session: Part One

When preparing for your portrait photo session, you should take into consideration many factors, including by not limited to clothes, props, lighting, location, backdrop, and vision. This article will specifically cover what type of portrait you will be taking and where.

What type of portrait will you be taking?

A family portrait session is much different than a school, business or newborn portrait. Pertaining to clothes, a general rule of thumb for group or family portraits is to choose 1 to 3 colors which are similar tones that go well together. The days of white shirts and khaki pants are over. Choose soft colors like light blue, gray and blush or warm colors such as brown, orange and burgundy

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School and business portraits are often taken indoors with a backdrop in the background. Solid colored shirts are often your best bet for these types of portraits. If you like white, we suggest going with an ivory or off-white instead. If you are looking to add another layer of customization, try utilizing a scarf, blazer, cardigan or jewelry.  

Newborn portrait sessions are becoming very popular and are often more fun and creative. Newborns in their natural, no clothes environment are one way to take newborn portraits. Another way is to use props such as hats, sunglasses, toys and stools to spruce up the portrait. If you are looking to have your newborn wear clothes, solid colors, again are your best option.

Where will you be taking to portrait?

When it comes to choosing where to take your portrait you have three main options. (1) Indoors in a professional studio. (2) On site at your home or office (3) Outdoors.

If you choose to have your portrait taken indoors, most professional photographers have dozens (upon dozens) of backgrounds to choose from. You will want to make sure you choose a background that will match well with your outfit. If you chose to wear grey, choosing a grey backdrop may not be the best choice. 

Many choose to take their portraits on-location or outdoors. You will want to take your location into consideration when choosing your outfit. For example, if it is winter and there is snow on the ground, white is generally not a good color option. Red on the other hand is. If taking your portrait in the Fall when there is beautiful colors on the trees - orange, tan, dark browns are good complementary colors for your outfit.

Ultimately, the vision you have for your portrait comes down to how you will execute your portrait photo session. Choose a professional photographer who will walk you through the whole experience from start to finish. The session itself will last about an hour, but your photographer should invest additional time to cropping, photo shopping, etc to present you with the best proofs possible. 

Spruce Up Your Website in 2019

In today’s world of ever-changing technology it doesn’t take much for a website to appear old and outdated. While a complete web redesign often makes since, there are often more simpler, affordable ways to spruce it up.

1. Use white space. With reading devices becoming smaller and smaller the white space around page titles, images and text allow for better readability.
2. Ditch the stock photography. It is easy to pick out generic stock photography. Using real images of your staff, products and services can build trust and can make you stand out from your competitors. No stock photography can connect to your brand better than your own real image. Click here to view an infographic from MDG Advertising about using high quality photos and why it matters.
3. Use images wisely. Strategically place images on your website to break apart text. Use in conjunction with white space mentioned in tip number one and be sure it is relevant to what is being said on the page.
4. Spruce up your website theme. Updating colors, buttons, images, spacing and layout can bring a whole new look to your website. Be sure to keep it consistent with your brand.

Premier Portrait Studio is a professional photography studio located in Plainville, CT. We specialize in school photography, event photography, corporate/ business portraits, weddings, engagement sessions, family portraits and more. Contact us today for more details.

Premier Celebrates Third Annual Holiday Portraits Event

Put an end to the shivering! Although the winter season hauls in frosty chaos and chilly temperatures, our warm and welcoming studio will make taking holiday portraits seem like a mere breeze!

On Saturday, December 3^rd only, bring up to 5 family members (please add $5 per additional member) and choose between a Christmas Tree/Snowy Background, with or without Santa Clause. Sessions will last ten minutes and there are no session fees. As always, pets are welcomed!

Photo packages start at $10. Various Christmas card designs are also available. Be sure to RSVP to (860) 410-4303 to reserve a spot! All that is needed is a small, $5 deposit.

After your session, you will be able to view and purchase your photos, which will then be printed in a just few minutes, or be picked up on a later date.

We are excited to take part in your holiday portraits this year, as we are eager to see existing clients and to meet new ones!

Happy Holidays!

Putting a Face to your Name

As a business owner, a fresh graduate, or simply any job seeker, having the right headshot on social media will bump you towards the front of the line for an interview and bolster your overall professional brand.

The truth is that LinkedIn demands professionalism – Facebook doesn’t. While Facebook lends itself mostly to maintaining personal relationships, LinkedIn is the conduit for professional networking. While it may be appropriate to post a selfie on Facebook, LinkedIn demands a more professional portrait.

Consider these tips regarding the professional headshot:

1. Background – Establishing a neutral background ensures the focus is on you and not surrounding context. A light, consistent color will do just fine.

2. Attire – Dress for the job you want, for recruiters and potential employers can view your headshot at any given time. Your appearance speaks for itself, so keep jewelry and personal artifacts to an absolute minimum.

3. Hair – Stick with natural hair colors and clean-cut looks. Although the job industry is evolving, the majority of employers are going to have a preference for a more classic appearance.

4. The picture – Leave it to the pros. Capturing your professional self requires professional photography. Premier Portraits specializes in portrait photography.

Give Premier Portraits a call to book an appointment before someone skips you in line for your dream job.

Carve Your Best at the Pumpkin Fest!

Premier Portraits invites you to come celebrate pumpkin season by attending the community-hosted Pumpkin Festival in Plainville on Saturday, October 22th, from 4-9pm. We’ll have a photo booth set up to capture you and your family in their most ghoulish getup!

The PumpkinFest is an outdoor festival that features live music, prizes, games, a kid's costume parade, a pie eating contest, a plethora of food trucks, a haunted house, and over 50 local vendor booths.

If that’s enough for you, bring your carved pumpkin to the Pumpkin Patch tent to be lit up on display on the library lawn for all to see. With that being said, the spookier the better!

For more details about the festival, visit http://plainvillepumpkinfest.com, or for any questions about the booth, call us at (860) 223-4126. 

Harvest Season at Premier

Fall is a beautiful time of the year to take family portraits. The leaves are changing, the sunsets are vibrant and the lighting is ideal for photographers.

Local farms play host to timeless, fall activities, including corn mazes, comedic “Head in the Hole” boards, hayrides, petting zoos, and other, family-friendly pastimes.

Jack-o-lanterns are the staple of Halloween photo décor. Orange pumpkins wait patiently atop green vines to be taken home and carved into family-favorite designs.  

Covered bridges and their classic, New England backdrops are a hot spot for autumn foliage photos.

After a long day of raking with the family, celebrate by jumping into a pile of leaves, but don’t forget to capture the action. Round up the family and schedule an appointment this October with Premier Portraits! 

Let the Games Begin!

It’s football time in Connecticut, and Premier Portrait Studio is on the sidelines to capture all of the action! While cheering parents cradle steamy, hot cocoa, Premier’s professional photographers clench their cameras to catalog our aspiring, young athletes at their best during the game.

Aside from the pigskin sport, Premier also covers an array of autumn athletic events, including group photos to ensure that no team member is left behind. But it doesn’t stop there . . .

When the cleats come off and the dancing shoes go on, Premier joins in on the fun for homecoming celebrations!

To read more about our high school services, visit: http://www.ctpremierphotos.com/high-schools/. To speak with us directly, dial 860.410.4303 (Plainville Studio) or 860.223.4126 (New Britain Office), or shoot us an email: studio@premierportraits.net.