"How To Avoid The 11 HUGE Mistakes That Ruin Most Senior Portraits..."
Dear 2009 Senior (or parent of 2009 senior),
It's
a good thing you're checking this site out right now! That tells me
it's important to you that your senior pictures (or your son's or
daughter's) look really fantastic. And yes, class of 2009 seniors are
being photographed RIGHT NOW!
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"I was SO SICK of seeing the
same old boring senior photographs! All my friends had the typical
close-up, cheesy looking photographs created, and I wanted something
really great. Thank you, Jason, for creating the best photograph of
me that I have ever, or probably will ever have taken!" -Ashley Poudre High School - Class of 2007
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Okay - Admit it. You Really DO WANT These Photographs To Look Fantastic, Don't You?
From
a graduating senior's point of view, nothing could be more
disappointing than not liking the way he or she looks in that
super-important portrait that all his or her friends and relatives will
see!
On this webpage, I'm going to reveal some powerful secrets to helping seniors look great in their portraits!
Think
about this a moment... more people will see this portrait than ANY
OTHER PHOTOGRAPH you ever have taken! Yes! Even more than will see
your wedding photographs! So you want him to be really proud of it?
Right?
Well, research has proven that the two major things that are most important to seniors about their senior portraits are:
1.) That they look really good in the portrait, and 2.)
They also want the portrait to have some kind of "artistic quality" to
it. That is to say that the photographs themselves to look fantastic,
as well as the senior looking fantastic in them. There's a three
dimensional feeling to it, and there's quality to the light. And his or
her personality comes through. The portrait has what I call "SPARKLE"
to it.
By "Sparkle" I mean that when the senior's friends and
family look at this portrait, they say, "Wow, you look like a million
bucks! It's like you're going to step right off the paper and speak to
me! This photo of you is really great!" That's what I call "Sparkle."
And I'm going to do everything I can to help your senior portraits have that special "SPARKLE!"
Why?
Because I love photographing seniors! It's what I do with a passion!
You want to look fantastic in these photographs, and I'm going to help
you achieve that!
Here's How To Avoid The 11 Huge Mistakes That 9 Out Of 10 Seniors Make With Their Senior Portrait!
Let's go through the 11 huge mistakes that 90% of all seniors and their parents make when it comes to their senior portraits.
Obviously,
you should contact me right away about whether or not I have any
openings left to create your senior portrait. I am extremely booked up
already, but hopefully I still have some openings so I can do your
senior portraits for you.
But that's not the point of this
website. The point of this website is to give you these 11 major
mistakes that most seniors make in reference to their senior portraits.
If you don't decide to work with me, that's fine. I still want you to
be aware of these major mistakes, so you don't make them yourself when
planning your portrait!

"I've had more great comments
about my photographs! I can't believe how great you made me look in
them! I felt like a rock star having my photograph taken for 'Rolling
Stone' or something! Every one of my friends has been begging me for
one of my wallets of this one, and my parents were thrilled with some
of the more traditional pictures you created of me. Thank you so much!" -Scott Poudre H.S. -Class of 2007
Mistake #1 Ruins More Senior Portraits Than Anything!
Mistake
#1 is wearing the wrong clothes! This is very normal. Even if the
senior were a professional model, he or she still wouldn't know what to
wear that would help him or her look the very best in a still photo.
The "Art Director" would say what to wear! The "model" would just show
up, and do what he's told! The hair person does the hair. The Art
Director plans everything and tells the subject what to do next.
You
see, people don't know what really photographs well. They just don't
know. Well, we know. That's our job. And we love it. And we're
really, really good at helping you select the best clothing for your
photographs - clothing that will help you look your very best. We will
help you with this. Don't worry.
For example, the wrong clothing can make up to a 44 pound difference in the way you look in your portrait! 44 pounds!!!
Now,
most high school seniors want to look as thin as possible in their
portraits. Clothing makes a HUGE difference in this area, so let's make
sure your clothing is really perfect!
Mistake #2 Is A HUGE Destroyer Of Senior Portraits!
Mistake
#2 is making mistakes with hair. Many seniors goof this up in several
ways. But also, most photographers goof this up, too, because they
don't know how to photograph hair properly.
This is such a big
point! As you know, your hair is a huge part of your appearance. It
can make or break how you look. We've all had "bad hair days" and if
your photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing, your
photographs will look like a permanent "bad hair" day.
One of
the things that separates my photography from that of most of the other
photographers in the area is that I pay as much attention to the light
that is lighting your hair, as I do to the lighting that is
illuminating your face. And they are completely different lights!
You
see, if you study Hollywood Portraiture of the stars, you begin to see
how careful the photographers are about lighting the hair. Well, I've
studied the best professional Hollywood photo masters - such as George
Hurrell, who is responsible for many of the finest portraits ever
created of the Hollywood Stars. And I'm going to use these very same
techniques to create your senior portraits to help you, and your hair
look really, really perfect.
For example, many seniors who go to
other photographers often complain that, if they have dark hair, that
their hair seems to disappear into the background. Or, if they have
light hair, that their hair has no "life" or detail in the photograph.
Or if their hair is brown, that it doesn't look as great as they wanted
it to. It's not just how they combed or prepared it, it's how it's lit
in the photograph, too!
Well, that's not ever going to happen
to a portrait created by me, because I'm going to take the time and the
care in the lighting of your hair so it looks absolutely perfect. It's
as if one of these Hollywood Master Photographers just finished
photographing Freddie Prinze Jr. or Jennifer Love Hewitt, and now is
going to do your portrait, and I'm going to put as much care into
lighting you as they would!
"I just wanted to thank you
for making my senior photography experience so perfect. Ever since I
was a freshman, I was nervous about what my senior photographs would
end up looking like. I had heard so many horror stories about girls
being so embarrassed by their photographs that they wouldn't even hand
them out to their friends, and I didn't want that to happen to me. My
photographs turned out better than I ever could have imagined." -Jordan Rocky H.S. -Class of 2008
Mistake #3 - An Amazing Secret Revealed!
Okay,
you and I have to talk about blemishes here. If you (or your son or
daughter) has some, and who doesn't, you're probably worried about
whether or not they will show in this portrait.
The HUGE
mistake that almost EVERY SENIOR makes is that they don't ask the
photographer about retouching before having the photos taken. I know,
every senior is embarrassed about blemishes, and doesn't want to talk
about it to ANYONE - especially a person they just met.
But this portrait is really important, and you want to look REALLY GREAT in it, so we need to talk about this blemish thing.
The
secret: Be absolutely positively sure that your photographer is going
to carefully and painstakingly RETOUCH all your portraits - and do it
to perfection! In my humble opinion, a portrait that is not
professionally retouched is NOT A PORTRAIT! It's just a "picture" that
no one cares enough about to properly finish and produce to the best
quality that money can buy!
I guess that's another reason that
so many seniors and their parents hire us to create their senior
portraits. We honestly, sincerely care about how you or your son or
daughter will look, and we aren't going to embarrass you in any way,
but we are going to do everything in our power to help you look "like a
million bucks" in these portraits, so all your friends are really
impressed! (And "a million bucks" means THERE WILL BE NO BLEMISHES ON
THE FINISHED PORTRAITS!)
You see, what this all "boils down to"
is you want a photographer who is going to take good care of you.
Someone whose only goal is to help seniors look absolutely perfect in
their portraits! And that's what we are all about. Taking the time,
and putting forth the effort to spare no expense in helping you look
really attractive -better than you've ever looked - in your senior
photographs!
Mistake #4 Is A "Silent Killer" Of Senior Portraits!
Most
seniors don't understand (or don't want to admit) that they get nervous
in front of a camera. And they don't know what to do about it.
You
see, there are over 30 muscles in your face. And if you're tense, these
muscles tense up, and therefore, you won't like the photographs. You
won't know why you don't like 'em. You just won't.
One of the
keys to our success in photography, is that we will not photograph any
senior, without having met them in advance. And what's the purpose of
this? Yes, we're going to talk about clothing, and all the other
things. But the main purpose of this meeting is to give you the chance
to meet us, get to know us, and see just how well we are going to take
care of you through this. You will see the studio. We'll give you a
tour. We'll spend time with you so you begin to feel comfortable and
confident about how you can trust us and take our advice.
This
is going to make an enormous difference in how natural and confident
you look on the day of your photography! It's almost like magic! You
will be impressed!
I can't stress this enough. You see, most
photographers just are not willing to do this. Why? Because it takes
time. All they want to do is crank people through their studio like a
"factory." They want to do your photograph as if they were building a
car. They want to put you on the assembly line, and run you through,
click-click-click-turn this way - click, etc....Next person please.
We
will not do that to you. We're going to meet you ahead of time, and
we're going to treat this as if it were the most important photo of
your life - because it is.
See what a huge difference this will
make in how you feel on the day of your photography? You'll feel
great. You'll have met us. You'll have seen the studio. You'll know
that what you're wearing is perfect. You'll know that your hair is
going to look perfect. You'll know that no blemishes will show! So
You'll be confident, and excited - not nervous and apprehensive.
Mistake #5 Will Ruin Your Senior Portrait
If You Aren't Aware Of It!
Most seniors don't realize that it takes longer than 10 minutes to create outstanding senior portraits.
One
of the unique things that separates us from all the other photographers
in the area, is that we take all the time that is necessary to create
portraits that you will be proud of. Photographs that your friends and
relatives will really like - yes like!
That's what we're all
about. We're not going to rush you through like it's a factory. We're
going to help you through this whole thing. We understand that this
portrait is important to you, so we're not going to rush through this.
Mistake #6 Is Critically Important To Your Appearance In Your Portrait!
Most
seniors don't realize that sometimes, "today is just not the day" for
their senior portrait to be done. The hair just isn't right today. Or
maybe you didn't sleep well last night. Or perhaps you've had too many
stresses at school or home. Or maybe you just had a fight with your
boyfriend or girlfriend, etc.
Well, we understand this. We
honestly understand that the day we set up for your photography may end
up not being the best day, when it arrives, for whatever reason. And we
have absolutely no problem, whatsoever, with you calling us and
rescheduling the session, if "today isn't the day." We WANT YOU TO DO
THAT!
You see, one of the things that is really unique about
us, is how easy and fun we are to work with. So, for example, let's say
you end up deciding to have us create your senior portraits, and we set
up a time for your session for Tuesday, the 15th at 3:30pm. Well, let's
say you wake up that Tuesday, and just "doesn't feel right." Plus, your
hair isn't cooperating that morning, and you're really tired, too.
Well,
you just call us. You say, "Hi, today just isn't the day. I'm really
sorry." And we will immediately understand and know exactly what you
mean. And we will reschedule the session for you - no problem.
Now,
we are terribly busy, and booked up, BUT, WE DON'T TREAT YOU LIKE A
FACTORY. We understand. We won't make you feel guilty. Why? Because
we've been doing this for over 6 years, and we completely understand
exactly how you feel! It's no problem at all.
We understand this is a once-in-a-life-time thing.
Now, I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Give me a break. This is just a photo."
Well,
yes, but it's your SENIOR PORTRAIT, and it's the only one you're ever
going to have. And all the people who matter to you are going to see
this portrait! So let's make darn sure it's fantastic! Right? And
that's what we're all about. That's what's so special about us.
It's
not the film we use. It's not the camera we use. It's not the
backgrounds we use. (Although we use the best of everything!) The
thing that separates us from everyone else, is how sincerely we want to
help you look absolutely perfect - stunning - fantastic - better than
ever - in your senior photographs.
Mistake #7 Is A Little Technical, But
Extremely Important To You!
Seniors
(and an awful lot of photographers) don't realize how important light
is in photography. The wrong light, and the wrong direction of light
can add up to 27 pounds to you on film, and also, bring out your worst
features!
It's really a matter of life or death in portraiture.
The light is the "paint brush" with which I "paint" your senior
portrait. It's very important!
Now, one of the things that
separates my photography from all the other photographers in the area
is that I have studied light from the true Masters of fine portraiture
for over 12 years.
I understand that there is only ONE type
and direction of light that will help you look your VERY BEST. Only
one. And this is different for every person! Again, that's another
reason we must meet you in advance, so we can determine the very BEST
LIGHT for you and have it ready to use at your session day and time.
You see, there are five major highlight areas on your face. And they must be PERFECTLY lighted, or you won't look your best!
Also,
I don't want to get too technical here, but if you're still reading
this, you realize how important this portrait is, and you sincerely
want to look your absolute best. So... the "Transition Zone" of light,
between the highlights and the shadows is what "paints" the contours of
your face, and brings out your personality and "SPARKLE." So we want to
be darn sure that this "Transition Zone" is perfect, too! I could go
on and on, but you get the idea.
Also, light is equally
important for outdoor senior portraits! It must be absolutely PERFECT
if we are to create a portrait of you which truly "Sparkles". So, the
type of outdoor portraits you like will then determine the perfect TIME
OF DAY to create the portraits. It's so important.
Mistake #8 Determines A Great Portrait Or A Terrible One!
Nine
out of ten seniors don't realize how important posing is. The most
important word when it comes to posing is "NATURAL." You absolutely
don't want to look stiff and fake! One of the most common comments we
hear from our clients is how "natural" the portraits look. Our seniors
love how good they look, but they also love how "natural" they appear
in the images.
You see, I understand that you want to look
really great, but also you don't want to be put into some weird,
stupid, pathetic pose that makes you look stiff and unnatural.
Yes,
I will "guide" you so the composition and "look" of the portraits is
really great. But I will NOT push you around and try to put you into
unnatural positions that are just plain crazy looking. You and I will
work together to help you look confident, comfortable, and just plain
great.
This Is Extremely Important To You! Don't Miss This:
You
want to be sure to select a photographer who will not "manhandle" you
with the posing. Almost all the photographers in our state tend to
touch their clients and push them around way too much when posing
them. (In my humble opinion.) The posing is so important, and should
not be done by sticking you in the middle of your back if you aren't
sitting up quite straight enough! But that's what so many
photographers do. Why? Because they're in a hurry. They have another
51 seniors to photograph before the day is over, and they can't take
the time to "guide" you. They just stick their hand into your back,
grab you by the shoulders, and get you to sit up straight. Not only
does this make you really uncomfortable, but it also makes you look
stiff!
That's why I call it "guiding". I will guide you with
words. I don't grab you or poke you. This is so important to helping
you feel comfortable!
However, I am really picky. I'll be
very careful, and very attentive to detail. I may pick a little at your
hair if something is out of place. I straighten your collar or
sleeves. I straighten your shirt if it has a funny wrinkle in it.
Don't worry about a thing! We'll make sure you look "like a million
bucks"! We're very picky, but we don't manhandle you - and we won't
drive you "nuts" with being overly picky either!
Strange, But True...And You'll Be Very Glad...
In
fact, I have a nickname here at the studio. They all call me "Eagle
Eye." And they call me that because I'm so darn picky. Everything
must be perfect before I expose the film. I'll work quickly, but
carefully.
The key thing with posing, is that you look
honestly natural. The seniors I photograph tell me all the time how
great their photographs look from a point of view of being natural.
They say things like this: "It's like I just sat down naturally, by
myself! That's exactly how I sit! I can't believe it! How'd you know
that?" And you see, that's what "guiding" will do for your portraits,
too!
We're talking about where your arm is in the portrait. And if your hand is in the portrait, does it look natural?
And
so many seniors and their parents don't realize this when they're
calling around to different photographers. They have no idea how
important this is. So look at the photographs done by any photographer
you're considering selecting. Do they look natural, or do they look
"posed" or stiff?
If you'll look at the photographs I've
included throughout this website, you'll see how natural and
comfortable they look. And read the comments the people have said
about their senior portraits. Hopefully that will help you.
Mistake #9 Is Of Enormous Importance! Don't Miss This One!
This
mistake has ruined so many senior portraits! It's the mistake of not
choosing a photographer who GUARANTEES THAT YOU WILL BE REALLY HAPPY -
and who will give you all your money back, if you aren't!
Here's our guarantee: "You will be THRILLED (not just 'satisfied') with your portraits, or we
will do whatever is necessary for you to be thrilled, or we will return
every penny of your money. No hassles and no hard feelings either. We
want you to be THRILLED with your senior portraits, and will spare no
effort or expense to see to it that you are! We absolutely guarantee
it!"
You see, only a photographer who really believes in his
product and service is going to be willing to have such a powerful
guarantee. So his guarantee is your first indication of whether or not
you even want to work with him. I just can't stress this enough. Ask
about the guarantee. Listen to their reaction. That will tell you if
you want to trust your senior portraits to that photographer.
Mistake #10 Is So Obvious, And Yet Most Seniors Or Their Parents Don't Do It!
What's
this mistake? Not asking lots of questions when you're talking with
photographers. Now, if you're still reading this, you certainly have
the questions to ask, right?
Remember, you are the customer -
you have all the rights! You have the right to ask the tough
questions, before you make any decisions!
You ask them first about their guarantee, and see how they respond.
Then you ask them if they will meet with you in person, at no charge, to discuss the clothing, etc, and give you a tour.
Then
you ask them if they will guarantee that they'll remove any and all
blemishes you might have at the time of the photography.
Then
ask them about how they light the hair perfectly? Ask them if they know
who George Hurrell was, and if they understand his techniques.
Then ask them how much time they are going to spend with you. And do they do outdoor portraits, as well as indoor portraits.
Ask them if they are understanding if you call on the day of your session, to reschedule because "Today isn't the day."
Ask
them if they understand the importance of the correct lighting of the
"Five Major Highlight Areas." Ask them if they know what a "Transition
Zone" is.
Ask them if their posing is natural, or more "posy and stiff."
See how much you have learned so far? Pretty amazing, when you think about it, isn't it?
Mistake #11 Can Ruin Everything!
What's this mistake? It's choosing the WRONG PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR SENIOR PORTRAIT. Everything depends on that one decision.
And
hopefully, now that you know these 11 major mistakes that most seniors
or parents make - you won't make those mistakes! You'll be able to
chose the right photographer for yourself, based on all this new found
information you now have!
Now, we may not be the right
photographer for you. But the fact that you're still reading this means
we probably are. Because we care about all the things I've talked about
to you here. But the only way you'll really know for sure if we are
right for you or not is to call us.
So What Should You Do Right Now?
Now,
while it's fresh in your mind, pick up the phone, and call me so we can
chat on the phone. No charge. No obligation. No sales pitch. We're not that kind of studio. CLICK HERE to find the number to call. We'll just chat. You can ask us any
questions you may have. We'll see if there are any session times still
remaining for seniors. If there are, and if you'd like to, we can set
up a time for you to come in and we can show you around the studio, and
chat a bit. There's still no charge or obligation. You do not need to
have made a decision to hire us, before you can come in and chat with
us! No way!
Then, after we meet and chat, if you feel you'd like
to have us create your senior portraits, fine. If not, fine also. We
are here to help you in any way we can. But we're not here to pressure
you into doing anything you don't want to do. The decisions are
completely up to you.
However, I do want to urge you to act
immediately! My schedule is almost completely full at the time I'm
updating this site. Very few senior session times remain! Why?
Because I have such a great reputation from my past seniors I have
worked with. They tell all their friends, and then they all call me,
and my book just completely fills up. Plus, because we spend so much
time with each one of the seniors we photograph, we can't photograph as
many seniors as other photographers who have more of a "factory"
arrangement.!
So if anything I have said here sounded the least bit interesting to you, CALL NOW! DO NOT WAIT EVEN ONE DAY ON THIS! CLICK HERE right now to get the number to call.
I Have A Very Special Offer For You...FREE! (But ONLY if you're one of the first 49 people to call me!)
As
long as you are one of the first 49 people to call me - just to chat -
I will make you a FANTASTIC OFFER! You can save 50% off the creation of
your senior portraits (or those of your son or daughter)! That saves
you a bunch of money! But you'll need to act quickly!
Call right away. I can't wait to talk to you about your senior portraits! CLICK HERE
Sincerely,

Jason Noel Professional Senior Photographer
PS.
Call us now. We have an excellent reputation in the community, and
we'll take really good care of you. So call us today. We'll just chat.
No charge, no obligation, no sales talk. But don't put it off. I know
that at this moment, you aren't sure about your senior portraits.
That's fine. But, please understand that because we spend so much time
with each one of our seniors, we only have 49 session times remaining
for this special offer. Once they are gone, you will not be able to get
the 50% discount off the creation of the images. So call right now.
PPS.
One last thing. Having your senior portrait taken is such a personal
thing, that you want to be sure you select a photographer who is not
only really driven to help you look fantastic, but who you (or your son
or daughter) also like and trust. That's why I urge you to read the
comments from some of the other seniors we've photographed, and then
call us and chat on the phone. This will give you an immediate feeling
as to the type of people we are, so you can decide now, while we
hopefully still have some session times available, whether or not you'd
like to at least come in and chat. CLICK HERE to call right now. We will enjoy hearing from you!
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