Senior Men's Style Guide
FAQs, GROOMING, DO'S, DON'Ts, SUGGESTIONS, and CLOTHING GUIDE
GROOMING
EyeBrows and facial hair
Timing is everything when shaving for your portrait. If you have a fast or uneven growing facial hair I recommend shaving a few hours before your session. A five o’clock shadow cannot be removed from the finished portrait without smoothing the face too much.
If your eyebrows are not well controlled and the shape is too large or wide for your eyes and face, I recommend considering a stylist to wax, shape, and pluck them. This is not something you want to do the day before your session, in case you have redness associated with removal. Moms are a great source of information when it comes to this subject.
Blemishes or Acne
One of the easiest things to do is remove blemishes. I got you covered!
Nails
Clean and trim your fingernails or have a manicure the weekend before your session.
Your hands will be highlighted in some of your photos. Your nails should be portrait ready.
Pets
Yes! You will need someone extra to watch and care for your pet while you’re being photographed. A leash, photogenic collar, and water (with portable water bowel) are required. Bribery snacks are recommended. Please note that some locations have fire ants, little sticker burrs, or even small shards of glass that do not bother people with shoes, but pets should be watched for any hazards that may harm them. In the hotter months, you may consider an additional person that can take your pet home after his or her photos are taken.
Specialty items you might wear
Items such as watches, glasses, and other tight-fitting items you wear can leave indention marks on your skin and may take a long time to disappear. If you are not wearing a particular piece of jewelry in your portrait, please remove it at least an hour before your appointment.
Hand made friendship bracelets, and ‘cause’ silicon bracelets are fine with me if they are fine with mom and dad. Please discuss these items before your session. Fine watches, rings, necklaces, pins, and bracelets are always in good taste and should be coordinated or considered with each outfit you bring.
Shoes
Bring them! Think about each outfit and the shoes that go with them. Unless it is sport related, tennis shoes are my least favorite accessory for men. That being said, we usually crop higher than your shoes. Do not go out and buy any shoes for your session! I will work with what you bring. In some of my locations, we may encounter a sticker burr or two -which is why I recommend closed toe shoes to family members attending the session.
Glasses
Yes! If you wear glasses all the time, you’ll probably want them in your portraits. Keep in mind, that light may glare and some reflection is to be expected. Even non-reflective lenses can show some reflection. If you choose to wear glasses in keep in mind that removing glass glare from your photographs is possible, although not always perfect. I have been photographing glasses for over 2 decades, and I know where and how to avoid harsh glare, but it is not always a perfect outcome. No worries, I wear glasses myself and I have you covered!
Transition Lenses
Tinted or transition lenses will darken under all forms of lighting and are not recommended. If you can remove the transition lenses prior to your photo session or have a different pair of glasses that do not have transitions, that is preferable. I cannot guarantee that your eyes will be seen in transition lenses and it is not something that I can successfully retouch the way I would like to.
Fair skinned
I use a warming filter for fair skin. Do not feel like you need to have a tan, natural or fake. It’s simply not necessary.
Spray Tan
If you enjoy having an overall even spray tan, I think it’s a wonderful invention. Please be mindful of the spray tan fade (blotch) out. Exfoliate everything before your spray tan session, then have your spray tan appointment 1-2 days prior to your photo session. Do not use any abrasive products that wear away the color in delicate areas like your underarms and neck area. Look out for clothing that rubs in those areas as well.
Natural Tan
Yes and no. Avoid getting a sunburn the week prior to your session. Sunburns bring out the red capillaries on your face and can really affect the color of your skin (more than the eye can see). Heavy sun dries out your face, which brings natural oils to the surface of your face. In the Texas heat, shine is hard to control.
WHAT TO WEAR
(Remember, these are only suggestions. Feel free to diverge from these suggestions. If you have questions on something in particular, send me a text with a photo of the outfit-or whatever you are questioning- and I will give you my thoughts- 817-888-4218.)
Bring many options- I can help narrow down your choices
Button up shirts, sweaters, polo style, jackets. If you bring a variety of colors and clothing, together we can go through your options. Traditional styles will stand the test of time and keep your portraits looking fresh for years to come. Trendy clothes are great to show personality. No matter the trend, always choose colors that compliment your skin and eye color. Keep in mind which clothing styles look best for your body type. Avoid clothing that is too tight or clothing that pulls in an awkward direction. Simple silhouettes are more flattering for portraits.
Something to hold
What to do with your hands? Pockets can help you feel comfortable in front of the camera. I highly recommend considering pockets on your pants, shorts, or hoodies.
Something casual
What you wear everyday. Long sleeves or short sleeves, tees, jeans, torn jeans, shorts, hats, bring different colors that look good with your eye color.
Something different, trendy and fun
Whatever you want. If you are a fashionista, go for it! Anything that works well with your personality and body type.
Identity clothes
Sports, music, art, your latest Halloween costume....you get the idea.
Jeans
Wear your favorite jeans. Dressy dark denim, chambray, acid or stone washed. Ripped or faded, a good pair of jeans is my ‘must have’ in my closet. They all photograph well.
A suit?
Maybe, maybe not
If you have a suit or you love wearing a suit, they photograph well! If it’s not something you wear, it is not something you want in a picture either.
Shirts
Anything goes, but try to bring an assortment of style and color. All white, black and beige might be classic, but could borderline on boring. I am not suggesting bright colors or neon clothes! If bright colors are not your style, look towards the deep blue, navy, deep red, medium to dark greens, which have some color but still read as a neutral. Shirts that are too long should be tucked in with a belt. If you do not like tucking in your shirt, choose shirts that have appropriate length just below the belt.
Texture and layering
Layering is a great option for dress shirts. An undershirt (ironed) is a good idea when wearing a tucked in button down or dress shirt.
Texture can add depth to your images. Choose shirts with textures and dimension over smooth fabrics. For example, if you are choosing between a solid, smooth blue polo top, or the same blue polo with a more distinct weave, the second options adds more visual interest to your picture.
What to bring
Uniform (with proper shoes or pads), stick, ball, helmet, jersey.
A comb or brush, hairspray (if you use it), sunglasses, favorite hat,
Retouching
Retouching is included in the price of every portrait you purchase from Bratton Photography.
No additional charges apply for blemishes, fine lines (for us grown ups), background distractions, enhancements to sky or ground cover. Occasional bra slips, minor tan lines, minor marks in your spray tan, few wrinkles in a shirt, pulled threads, etc. Bruises, scratches and cuts are also part of the retouching that is included with your pictures.
In the heat of the moment, I might ignore many distracting areas of a photograph because my subject is ‘just perfect’ and the light is ‘right on’ at that moment. Retouching is just part of the final product that everyone assumes is possible. And for the most part, it is possible. If all reasonable preparations have been made, no additional retouching charges will be assessed. It is my honor to provide the best photos I can possibly produce!
Items that need retouching but could have been prevented with proper preparation will be quoted prior to completing the job. Retouching is $100 per hour, but charged in 15 minute increments. If retouching requires additional time and costs, you will be given a quote prior to the work being done. This will never be a surprise cost!
Here are some examples of preventable retouching with approximate costs:
Wrinkled, waded up, un-ironed or new folded shirts straight out of the package.
Highly dependent on fabric and pattern,
12-15 minutes per image for complex patterns, $25, Solids are 4-5 minutes per image. $8
Eye brows that are severely neglected, 3-4 mins per image, $6-7
Excessive sun burns, can range from $5 to $15 per image.