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There are many elements to creating professional and attractive photography. In the following paragraphs I will address each category/subject that I feel needs to be addressed to have successful experiences with photography.

Lighting

An photographic image of your client is dependent on lighting that illuminates their image. Lighting that is too bright will give a glare on the portrait. Lighting that is too dim won't make for a good portrait either. Images will be hard to see. Good lighting will make things go smoothly at the studio. Adjust lighting by moving it to the location that is best suited for your client. This may mean moving lighting forward or back or to one side or the other.

Exposure

Lighting goes along with exposure in that if you have too much light your exposure will be too much. Not enough light can make your exposure not enough. You want to capture the best image you can but having just the right element that work in harmony together. Adjust lights for each picture to ensure quality professional photography.

At the Studio

Ask your clients to bring three outfits for three totally different pictures and settings.
Recommend colors that are flattering in pictures, such as red, blue and yellow. Black simply isn't the best choice for a client to wear as it appears dark in the picture and requires skilled makeup for the facial features to look distinctive. Several different backgrounds for the client to chose from are a great idea. This allows them to customize their own portrait.

Posing for the Picture: Smiling Customers

Try many different poses as one pose can look exceptional with one client but doesn't work for another client. Try different poses such as; one client standing with the other one sitting. Another excellent pose is to have each tilt their head towards eachother.
Another option is to have both clients or all clients if it is a family stand at different heights with the shortest in the front and the tallest in the back. Trying different poses is a sure way to guarantee a personalized photograph each time you take a picture. It's important for the photograper to establish a rapport with clients as it is easier for someone to grin or smile when they feel comfortable with the person who is taking their picture. Many people don't like pictures of themselves and get nervous when having a picture taken.

Photo Retouching Service

This is a very valuable service as photographs don't turn out perfect. It would be ideal if they did. A photo retouching service can aid in correcting and removing "red eye" problems.
They can also aid in bringing the picture closer or far away and this is called "cropping."
Blemishes that might be found in the picture such as a canker sore on a person's lip or blemishes on their cheeks can also be fixed with a photo retouching service. Last but not least, color can be adjusted to make the most attractive picture. Some colors might not be flattering in the initial picture but with photo retouching services they can be corrected until they are flattering.

Learn more about this author, Kris Vaassen.
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