ABOUT YOUR SITTING:

At The Photo Express, we offer you a choice of sitting styles, so that you have a Senior Portrait especially for you. We've prepared this page to give you a few suggestions so that you'll be the most happy with your portraits, so please take a moment to read the following suggestions:

CLOTHING:

We really want guys to bring several different outfits too, so you can have a variety of poses to choose from. Remember that for most of your formal or dressy looks, solids and medium to dark tones look best.

In any portrait, your face should always be the main point of interest, not your clothing. You want your clothing to compliment your face, not compete with it.

The word today is VARIETY! Instead of bringing, say, 4 white sweaters, try instead to bring 3 or 4 different outfits. Examples:, a formal or dressy outfit; 1 or 2 semi-dressy (or semi-casual - hey, we're easy!) outfits; a casual; and a special outfit.  And just for fun, bring your favorite old beat-up shirt.  

Also, try to pick your outfits so you'll have a variety of colors & tones (that is, light & dark) instead of all the same ( how dull, you know?). If you don't think you have enough variety, beg or borrow from your family or friends! Here are some examples for you to bring:

Tuxedos for Guys: - No problem, they look cool!

FORMAL - For Guys, a suit, dressy outfit, etc. This will probably be the one your family will hang over the mantle, so you want this to look classy - Solid colors are best here! Just remember that if you wear stripes, polka dots, contrasty prints or plaids, etc., you're going to get really sick of looking at that same design day after day on the wall (not to mention looking outdated soon) - that's why you want to stick to something classical and simple.

SEMI-FORMAL - Any kind of dressy or sporty looking outfit - pants, button up shirt or Polo shirt, GQ Look, etc; again, you will want to lean more towards solids.

CASUAL - This can be solids, prints, stripes, light, dark, rainbow colored, whatever you feel like! - Jeans, shorts, casual shirts, Levis, warmups, etc. Try to have different colors and tones from the other 2 outfits!

SPECIAL - We encourage everyone to bring one of these! Such as:, sports/band/drill/cheering uniforms or outfits, swim trunks, snowboard/tennis/dance outfits, etc.

COLORS:

As we said above, try to bring different types and colors of your outfits. Ideally, bring at least one dark, one light/pastel, and different colors. Hey, guys, 4 different colored sweaters & levis isn't really giving variety. Neither is having different types of outfits, but all of them in the same color - you won't really see the variety as well.

THINNER?

Hey, not even Ben Affleck has a perfect bod - what you wear can make a major difference in your size appearance in your portraits. A few suggestions, for those who want to look better:

Light & bright colors (yellow/red/pink/white/etc.) will make you look larger.

Dark, cool colors (blue/green/brown/grey, etc.) will make you look smaller.

Solids Only! - NO Stripes, polka dots, prints, etc.

Long sleeves are a definite plus - avoid sleeveless outfits, unless you've got great arms & elbows. This is especially true on your formal & semi-formal outfits.

The point is to draw less attention to your body and more to your face - that's what it's all about!

Retouching:

We can soften or remove: blemishes, lines, bags, scars, moles.

We CAN retouch: braces, teeth, strap marks, crossed eyes, glass glare, stray hairs, etc.; but this is done digitally, and IS done at an additional charge.

Freckles: We can soften, but you probably won't look right if they're TOTALLY removed - besides, freckles are cool! Also, makeup helps! If you do want them ALL removed, we can do this digitally at an additional charge.

Glasses: Strong corrective lenses distort - photograys hide your eyes - they all reflect - these cannot be retouched except at additional cost. Ask your eye doctor to loan you a pair of (matching) empty frames, or remove the lenses beforehand. (Some types, we can do here). Your portraits will look 1,000,000% better!

SUMMER SUN - We CAN retouch sunburns, redness or peeling, but only digitally, (see above). And, with sunburns and red skin, we can't always fix EVERYthing, even digitally! A slight tan looks ok in portraits, but if you look like a bronze goddess, or a Red Lobster, well, that's the way your portraits will be! There's something called SUNSCREEN (preferably 30+) that's been around for years - use it! But, if you get burned before your sitting, the best thing to do is - RESCHEDULE!!

Collars - Try a variety of collars, including button up, as well as crew neck shirts - round or square necklines sometimes make your face look broader.

HAIR - make sure it looks fresh and natural, and clean. Don't try a new hairstyle right before your sitting - You probably won't like it! If you're getting a haircut, do it several days before so all the fresh ends don't stick out!

BEARDS - & mustaches should be neatly trimmed. If you don't wear a beard, shave right before your sitting. Or, if you want, bring a razor and we'll do the first couple poses looking like the guy in the Calvin Klein obsession ad, then shave (let us know!).

CLASS RING! Don't forget it! (If your girlfriend wears it, make sure you get it from her beforehand!

SHOES & Belts - Make sure you bring matching shoes, slacks, pants, belts, etc. to go with the shirt. We'll do a couple of full length poses, so don't forget!

What Else To Bring: We encourage you to bring several things to help personalize some of your portraits. These are just some examples, please use your imagination. so we can capture the real you!

PETS - Definitely! Cats, dogs, horse (but please let us know in advance if you're bringing a horse!), birds, snakes, etc.

PERSONAL -Girlfriend, car, bike; surfboard, water skis, snow skis, windsurfer, awards, trophies, etc.

HOBBIES: - art work, astronomy, fishing gear, camping, hunting outfits, RC gear, amateur radio, martial arts, photo equipment, scuba diving, computers, etc.

SPORTS: - sports equipment, uniforms, trophies, etc.

COLLECTIONS: - stamps, stuffed animals, video games, coins, etc.

Be creative, let us capture the real YOU!