This means so much to a photographer

Many of the children I photograph feel like an extended family to me. This is especially true of the Mehrle family. I’ve had the good fortune to photograph Kerk and Liz Mehrle’s children for many years now. Their home was recently featured in The Northside Sun edition of Beautiful Homes and Gardens. Liz is a talented artist and has a great appreciation for the work of other artists. This is clearly evident by the decor of their home. In addition to the collection of art, there are two walls of black and white photographs that I have taken over the years. Liz commented in the Northside Sun article that these walls contain her favorite collection of artwork in her home. I would love to think that she loves this work because of my photography skills, but I understand that she loves these photographs because they represent her family. Kerk and Liz value family and these walls are a snapshot of their time together. It has been such an honor to be a participant in documenting their life.

I have watched Pryor, their oldest child, go from elementary school to a senior in high school. We recently added her senior pictures to the list of photography sessions I have done for the family. My fondest memory of Pryor was during a session on some hunting land several years ago. Pryor was given the task of driving me around the land to scout out photography locations. It gave me the chance to get to know her a little better as we rode around the countryside. She was humble, sweet and a pleasure to be around. I know how proud her parents are of her and they have good reason to feel that way. I want to say thank you to the Mehrles and all the families that have allowed me to play a part in documenting their lives. It touches my heart when I hear that photographs I have taken are cherished by someone. Thank you all.

Best outfit choices for girls portraits

What type of outfits do you recommend for my senior portrait? This is a question I get asked all the time by senior girls and their mothers. Here are a few suggestions that I hope will help you decide what to wear for your senior portrait session or when being photographed at any age.

Black and white photography

I am a big fan of black and white film photography. It has a timeless look that will never go out of style. I would recommend having one outfit that is very dark or very light for your black and white photographs. In fact, as illustrated above, black dresses or white outfits with texture work exceptionally well. Any outfit that provides contrast and texture to a black and white image is a good choice.

Color photography

Pastel colors and bright colors are great choices for portraits. This is especially true for backlit images like the ones above. Many of the girls I photograph select a pastel top with white jeans as one of their outfits. Colors that highlight your personal features are also important. If your eyes are blue and wearing something blue draws attention to your eyes then by all means make that one of your options. Use a little caution when selecting a red outfit for your portrait. Sometimes red will reflect on to your skin and cause you to look a little red in your images.

Sweaters and coats

I like to encourage girls to bring a sweater or coat for some of their images. One of the most difficult things about having your picture taken is trying to decide what to do with your hands. Wearing a coat or sweater offers a a great solution to this problem. Some other options would be a scarf or necklace that you can hold onto in a relaxed manner.

Detail shots

The final piece of advice would be to consider parts of your wardrobe that would help tell your story. This would include anything that is unique to your personality and way of life. These types of images are often overlooked, but can greatly enhance a portfolio of images from your session. Most importantly, don’t stress out about having your picture taken by a photographer. Just be yourself and it will all work out fine.

The look of film - Part 2

Color film photography in portraits

Backlit images - This is one of my favorite attributes of color film photography. In digital photography it is usually necessary to use strobes to expose backlit subjects properly. This is because it is very easy to blow out highlights with a digital camera. In other words, detail in the brighter areas of the image will be lost. Film however retains details in the highlights quite well.

The images above were captured on Fuji Pro 400H film. This film is considered a 400 speed film. In other words, it is rated at 400 ISO. For the images above, I intentionally overexposed the film and rated it at 200 ISO. This brings out detail in the shadows while retaining the highlights due to the films latitude.

I also like the fact that anyone having their portrait taken in this situation does not have to wait on the photographer to set up lighting. It can be a much more pleasant experience.

Skin tones - One of the most important things to get right in portrait photography is skin tones. The images above were shot on Fuji Pro 400H film rated at 200 ISO. It has been my experience that portrait images captured with this method require very little if any touching up. Skin looks beautiful straight out of the camera. What do you think? Please feel free to comment.

I want to share a couple of other things I have discovered doing portraits with a film camera. First, it helps me be more engaged with my subject. I spend more time getting to know the person I am photographing and not looking at a screen on the back of my camera. Second, it slows me down and forces me to consider each shot more carefully. I have found that this increases the number of quality images in a shoot considerably.

I hope you enjoyed this series on the look of film. While film is more expensive and often more difficult, It is the method I prefer for most of my photography.