1.Should I do an outdoor or indoor portrait session?
Most of my clients prefer outdoor natural light photo sessions, and honestly I do too! But, it ultimately depends on several factors, the weather and time of year being the most important. In Windermere, FL, we have long hot and humid summers. An outdoor afternoon session is great as long as it’s not too hot! We also need to keep an eye on the weather forecast because we typically get afternoon showers in the summer. Also, while winters are very mild, there are some cold snaps may not be ideal for outdoor photos. Another factor to consider is your desired aesthetic or vibe. Do you want to be surrounded by nature or an urban setting in your photos, or do you want to have carefully controlled lighting with a colored backdrop? Shooting indoors gives you more versatility with lighting and more flexibility if the weather is nasty.
2. What’s the best time of day for an outdoor portrait session?
You may have heard of the term “golden hour.” This is usually the first hour right after sunrise and the last hour immediately before sunset. Golden hour (either morning or evening) is the ideal time for photos because the sun is low in the sky and casts a soft golden light which creates the most flattering and dreamy portraits. However, other times of day should not be ruled out for more creative or dynamic photos, such as midday or nighttime. Also, there are lots of ways to mitigate harsh midday sunlight, but more on that in a future post!
3. What should I wear for my portrait session?
There’s no right or wrong answer here, but there are some general guidelines that can help you choose what to wear to help you feel and look your best! If you’re having a headshot taken, you’d want to wear something professional that is standard for your industry. If you're having a family portrait session outdoors, you should dress appropriately for the weather. Building on that, you’d want to generally choose solid colors or subtle patterns and avoid overly busy, complicated designs or graphics, as these can distract from your beautiful faces in your portraits! You may also want to try to avoid every family member matching completely (wearing the same outfit), but rather wearing complementary outfits. I will be posting a detailed how-to-dress guide to my website, so stay tuned!
4. How will you deliver my photos to me?
After our shoot, I review and cull the photos that we took during your portrait session. I will make some basic adjustments in Adobe Lightroom to create your proofs, and I will then upload the proofs to an online gallery where you can view and select your favorites. Depending on which photo package you purchased, you will get to select a certain number of favorites for final editing and retouching. Once your final photos are ready, they’ll be delivered to you via the same online gallery and you’ll be able to download your high resolution completed images and purchase prints and other products from my online store!
