How Do I Choose My Portraits?

When planning a portrait session, the photographer and the client can become partners designing a vision of the story to be told for generations. This new artistic partnership comes together to stir the imagination, celebrate the moments and relive the experiences that bring everyone together.

Once the portrait session has been completed the work of creating art begins. The images are posted and everyone is ready to see the results. Below is an outline of the three level process for creating a well told story in portraiture.

Level One Images: The initial previews are posted with a minimum of editing because everyone wants to see the images quickly.

At level one, your work is to select images that naturally appeal to you. Begin by categorizing your initial favorites. Separate your favorite images from the pack by looking for positive attributes. Your basic instincts, experiences and the influence of others will way heaviest in your choices. Don’t allow “little things” to separate you from your artistic vision. The “little things” will end up on the cutting room floor by the time a final image is ready for printing. Choose the best of who you are and nothing less. When previewing your portraits, press ★ to select an image as a favorite.

Level Two Images: The process of artistic editing begins. Just like in the movies, the cutting room floor becomes cluttered with unwanted image attributes that have given way to artistic expression. Your favorites collection is where the editing process begins. Talk to the photographer about your ideas for editing the portrait.

Listed below are some of the image characteristics that make winning portraits. Many of these thoughts and ideas would have been discussed early in your portrait session plans.

1. Artistic cropping; exploring light and angle; composition and line; balance, position and scale; point of interest; shape and form; the tone and hue of color and black and white; texture; pattern; perspective; framing; the background; time of day and kinds of light.
2. Originality, simplicity, natural, beauty, workmanship, well crafted, pleasing, tasteful, designedly, expressive, imaginative, lighting, black and white, color, creativity.
3. Posing choices include: full length, 3/4, from the waist, head and shoulders, close up (the face, hands, ring, etc).
4. Clothing style: formal, dressy and casual.
5. Hair style: pretty, edgy, casual.
6. Expressiveness: eyes, open mouth smile, closed mouth smile, happy, serious, introspective, funny.
7. You may want to include: friends, parents, relatives, pets, favorite places, school activities, hobbies.
8. Timeless - will others enjoy and appreciate your portraits in the future.
9. Portraits that are appropriate and tasteful to you and others. Imagine that you are in the future looking back. How will you see yourself in your portraits? What will your portraits have to say about you? Will you see the real you as you are today? Will you see yourself as you dreamed of becoming one day? And, how will others see you at some point in the future?

Level Three Images: The final touches are put in place.

Now you can choose with confidence. Viola!