Jonathan W. Souer - Photographer

Jon Souer - Senior Portrait Photography

What makes Senior Portrait Photography different from most other portraits is the inner beauty of the youth involved. Young adults have a great outlook on life and it should show in the portrait. In order to capture this spirit a lot of the limits, taken as rules by many, are free to be broken.

The Plan - When you contact me for a photo shoot I will set up a time and place to discuss your needs and wants. We will talk about how many outfits you want and what special items or people you want photographed with you. If you are unsure of something or have questions before or during your session, please ask. We want you to feel comfortable so you can get the senior portraits that you want. It is a good idea to plan some shots for the look and feel you like and some shot for the look your mother likes. That way you can have proofs of each to choose from.

• Wearing one of your outfits to the session will save you some time. During the planning we will decide what shots will be taken first; a lot depends on the time of your appointment and whether we will be indoors or out. (Changing outfits when on location can be very simple or may be somewhat difficult. Working in a public park may impose some difficulties, however, especially if there are no public restrooms or they are closed for the day. Other public locations may make it extremely difficult to change outfits with any privacy (or without attracting unwanted police attention). If we will be shooting portraits on location and you will require a change in outfit, please consider how the change of outfit will be accomplished in the selected location.)
• The best way for you to look good in the photo is to be relaxed, and the best way for you to relax is to get out of the photo studio. Bring the studio to you, instead of the other way around. When you control the setting to whet you like (outdoors / indoors / your home / etc. . ) you'll be a lot more comfortable, which will come across in the photos.
• The following lists some things to think about:

Clothing - The key is variety. Expressing all sides of your personality, sporty, dressy, casual, or formal is what senior portraits are all about..

• Solid colors can also work best with your home's decor. It is important to consider the decor style and color of the room where a wall portrait will be displayed. Coordinating outfits to the different backgrounds is a key to awesome portraits.
• Be aware of short shirts that expose the tummy. If you bring a shirt like this, be sure you are comfortable with this look.
• Woman: Short skirts are ok, but they do limit posing options such as sitting. They are best for standing poses. Men: Shorts do not photograph well as the legs distract from the face.
• Your feet will show. Wearing appropriate footwear will allow more posing options.
• Watches can have a glaring effect that you may want to avoid. Wear one only if it is significant to your outfit or has personal meaning.
• Bring extra outfits to your sitting, we will break periodically to allow you to change. We will discuss the poses you would like to capture with your next outfit and may suggest some additional poses you might try. Once you have completed changing, checked your hair, makeup and clothing.

HAIR - Avoid changing your hairstyle or cutting your hair before your session. Let it be natural. Quick and easy hairstyle changes during your session are OK, but make it quick or you loose time. Please remember drastic changes in hair color may have you question in ten years "What was I thinking?"

Although our photographer tries to help with hair, it is hard to know what your hair is supposed to look like. So make sure you like the look or let the photographer know your preferences. Hairstyle is ultimately YOUR responsibility.

GLASSES - A lot of glasses glare and show distortion. We do our best to minimize lens glare, but if it still shows up, it can be retouched out. It is best to check with your optometrist to borrow an empty set of frames similar to yours for your photo session.

SUNBURN/TANNING - AVOID SUNBURN! Sunburn and peeling skin DO NOT photograph well! Tan, yes, burn, no. If you are considering a tanning booth, don't overdo it so you look too fake and baked!

COMPLEXION - We retouch blemishes, so don't worry about breakouts. Cover up for blemishes and a scar is a great tool for both guys and girls as long as it is blended. TATTOOS, SCARS AND BRACES - Just let the photographer know if you want tattoos to show or not. Scars are not automatically retouched, but can be removed or softened charge at your request. If you have braces, don't fight smiling, we can retouch them out with our digital art services. Tell the photographer about any flaws that you are trying to hide, there are infinite ways of adjusting the lighting and/or posing to compensate for flaws. You'd think a photographer would do this automatically, but sometimes the things that people feel are flaws are not obvious to the rest of the world.

PETS - You may bring your pet for the session that is 30 minutes or longer as long as they are house trained and are able to controlled by the family.

JEWELRY - It is best to keep it simple as we want the attention on you. Big, shiny jewelry can distract from the real subject, YOU. If you have different jewelry for different outfits, place in a plastic bag and hang on the hanger with that outfit.

PROPS - BRING THEM!! Part of what makes photography so fantastic is the ability to bring out the various facets of your personality. Use your imagination and bring props that define who you are. Sports equipment and uniforms, your favorite hat, musical instruments, sunglasses, leather jacket, and items that define activities you are interested in such as dance leotard and shoes even skateboards to snowboards and skis are some suggestions. For the guys, your car or motorcycles are great for outdoors. Let us know what you have in mind so that we can be prepared.

FRIENDS & PARENTS - Some people find it more comfortable to bring Mom and Dad, a friend, brother, or sister along to help ease the jitters and give you the extra confidence that you look great. Friends or parents are welcome, however, be sure you bring the person or persons who will not distract or make you nervous. If this happens, they will be asked to wait in our reception area.

WEATHER FOR OUTDOOR POSING - If it rains on the date of your session, don't panic! We will have you come in to complete the indoor part of your session and schedule you to come back to do the outdoor posing. Or, you may reschedule for another day to complete the total session. Please keep in mind that we are always at the mercy of Mother Nature and cannot guarantee fair weather. You may choose to complete all your posing indoors on the day of your original appointment.

Some portrait sessions require more than a single location. When this occurs we will complete our portrait series in one location and then make plans to meet at a specific time and place in the next location. We ask that you please be prompt. This can be especially important near the end of the day when we want to capture the fine and elegant light of the sun before it sets over the horizon. The sun sets surprisingly fast and being even a few minutes late can result in many missed photographic opportunities.

Your Home Work Assignment - Yes I know this is not school but you still have an assignment to generate posing ideas you like. Look through magazines, find a old either a shot of you that you actually like, surf the internet, check out old yearbooks, or any other source for photos and poses you like. The best way to describe the image of yourself that you want is to show me a photo and say "like this but with . . . different", otherwise you will get a portrait that I think you will like. Expect to have a great time, because you will.

Arrive Early - Plan on arriving 10 minutes early (whether it is at my studio or at some other location you have requested) and dress in your first outfit so you have time to freshen up, check your outfits, hair, and makeup for the shoot. We want you to have a fun and pleasant experience so we will ask you if there are specific poses you would like to capture and if you have any questions we can answer. This is why you had the homework assignment. You know yourself much better then anyone else and only you know the layout of the look you want. Use the sample images to show me the result you want to achieve.

Have Fun With the Shoot - It's okay to be a little nervous at first, as you get accustomed to the strobe lights and equipment you will relax. We will first demonstrate the lights for you so you will know what to expect when they flash. We will then show you the area or areas where you will be posing.

• Don't just smile for the sake of smiling, don't stand in a certain position just because the photographer tells you to. Basically, if you feel uncomfortable, you will look uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to tell your photographer that something feels uncomfortable. A bad photographer will be annoyed, but your photo will look better. A good photographer will appreciate your help in making a good photo.
• Try to forget you're having your picture taken. Really try to actually be happy or at least amused when posing. If you're not smiling with your whole face, it will be apparent. When you are talking to the photographers, feel free to engage and interact with them. Just do what you can to forget that this is "A Portrait" and have fun with a natural smile.
• The initial poses usually are the more formal poses. This allows you to get the required images out of the way early so you can then concentrate on the images you want to convey your personality and interests. The best pictures tend to be in the middle of the session, when the person being photographed is getting used to the shoot.

Last Call for Posing Ideas - When we have completed all of the planned poses and outfit changes we will then ask for any final poses or ideas you may have for portrait images. If time permits, we will then take any additional images that are suggested to complete your portrait series.

Copyright - Due to the artistic talent and custom nature of photography intellectual property law dictates that images created are copyrighted. Rights to reproduce the images are based on the type of release you request.