 Secret #1. The location is very important for having your portrait created. It is much more important than you might think. Portraits created in the studio, while they can be a nice representation of your family, have less emotional meaning to you than portraits created in your family home, at a local park, on your boat (if you have one), or any special place for you.
Secret #2. The clothing everyone wears. The wrong clothing can ruin a family portrait. Did you know that the wrong clothing can add 22 pounds to the way you look in a portrait, and the correct clothing can remove 22 pounds. Also, the clothing has a great deal to do with the overall feeling, design and compositional depth the portrait will have.
 Secret #3. The photographer should help everyone to have fun, feel comfortable and relaxed. For your family portrait to be so meaningful to you that every time you look at it gives you a warm feeling, everyone has to look "natural". It becomes very important that everyone is relaxed and having fun during the photography, or you won't like their expressions or body language, and therefore won't like the portrait!
Secret #4. Style and design considerations. Here we are talking about artistic and creative considerations: things like perfect, dimensional lighting; how everyone is positioned in the portrait so they look comfortable, and so the composition is pleasing to the eye. It is important to consider the artistic talent of your photographer.
 Secret #5. The Human Sensitivity of the photographer. Does the photographer like children? Does he truly want to put forth the effort to create a fantastic portrait of your family for you? Does he listen to your wishes and concerns, and take great effort to create exactly what YOU want.
Secret #6. Pick a photographer who is as excited as you are about your family portrait. Enthusiasm is the life of creativity. It's the backbone of good customer service, and it tells you the photographer loves what he does. |
