On Location Information

What to expect: I pride myself on making the process of taking pictures quick, fun & easy! If you have ideas you are looking for before hand, please send samples and ideas. We will meet at the desired location and exchange some hellos. I will ask you if there are any expectations or specific photos you want & we will start shooting. At any time feel free to offer your ideas or suggestions. I will ask you at the end if there are any more combinations you were hoping to get. If we have the ability we will do image previews and selection on location. Images are delivered in downloadable gallery within 1 week. Picking a location: Most people over analyze this. Most of the photos will be closer up. We will definitely get some shots with backgrounds, but it's not the majority of the time. My recommended locations are always great because I'm familiar with them and it allows us to move quicker and get more shots. I've been doing this long enough that I can take pictures anywhere, so I am up for ideas. Some locations have extra charges which are for distance, parking fees & photography permits in specific locations. Location Suggestions: Old Town, McMurray Natural Area, The Environmental Learning Center, CSU Oval, CSU Perennial Gardens (early fall), north side of Spring Canyon Park, Watson Lake (add $25), Soderberg/Horsetooth/Lory (add $40), Rist Canyon/Picnic Rock/Gateway Natural Area (add $60), Loveland/Wellington/Windsor (add $30), Devil's Backbone (add $75). Travel to places outside of the Loveland/Fort Collins area will need to inquire. General Prep Tips: Think about the background color: In snow, don't wear majority white. In fall, watch out for too much yellow. In summer, watch out for too much green. In spring where we get the beautiful tall brown grass photos, don't wear browns. In studio if know your background color, just try not to wear that same color. In studio we can adjust it, so again wear what you feel best in. Clothing No-nos: Do not wear shirts with words or bright neon athletic reflective shirts (unless you are going for that look). Feet: Loud running shoes can be a huge distraction in the photos. Consider doing some of the photos barefoot as a family to take away the footwear distraction. The exception would be for high school seniors looking to portray a look. If you are wearing pants, wear a neutral sock. Women: Bulky clothing like poofy down vests and overly large pants can be unflattering. Arms tend to look larger in photos, so if you are critical of your arms, avoid sleeveless. For headshots, blazers/jackets with structured shoulders are always a nice pick and you can usually find them at discount box stores like Burlington, Nordstrom Rack or TJ Maxx. Pick clothes that flatter your body not what's trendy. If you shirt tends to have static, rub the underneath with a dryer sheet before you come and it should hang nicer. Make up: Feel free to wear as much make-up as you feel comfortable with. Apply makeup as if you were going to a wedding, dance or nice event. If your skin is splotchy or you have a lot of acne, it is much easier to blend it if you have a good layer of foundation applied. For longer headshot sessions it is easier to add makeup than to tone it down. Lip gloss makes your lips shiney and looks great for photos. Glasses: Anti-glare frames are the best because we can move around freely without having you change your position based on the glare in your glasses. If you know your glasses have glare, please let me know at the beginning of the session. Photo greys/photochromatic lenses/transition lenses: please avoid these or be prepared to remove them as pictures look a little silly with dark lenses. Hydrate: Peeling or dry skin on the face does not photograph well. Make sure you use a good moisturizer for a week ahead of time if you deal with dryness. Same rule applies to the lips. Vaseline applied on the lips and nose a few days in a row before a shoot can do wonders.