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On this website, I'm going to reveal some powerful secrets for helping you to look great in your senior portraits!
Think about this a moment... more people will likely see this portrait than ANY OTHER PHOTOGRAPH that you will ever have created. Yes! Even more than will likely see your wedding photographs! So you want to be really proud of it - right?
The two major things that are most important to seniors about their senior portraits are the following:
1.) Seniors want to look really good in the portrait.
2.) Seniors also want the portrait to have some kind of "artistic quality".
That is to say, Seniors want their photographs to look fantastic, and themselves to look fantastic in the photographs. They want something with a three dimensional feeling - the right quality of the light, their personality, and "SPARKLE".
By "SPARKLE" I mean that when the senior's friends and family look at this portrait, they say, "Wow, you look like a million bucks! It's like you're going to step right off the paper and speak to me! This photo of you is really great!" That's what I call "Sparkle."
And I'm going to do everything that I can do to help your senior portraits have that special "SPARKLE!"
Why? Because I have a great time photographing seniors! You want to look fantastic in these photographs, and I'm going to help you achieve that!
Here's how to avoid the "11 Huge Mistakes" that many Seniors make with their Senior Portrait!
Let's go through the 11 huge mistakes that 90% of all seniors and their parents make when it comes to their senior portraits.
Obviously, I want to create your Senior Portrait. However I stay very busy, and my openings for Senior Portraits fill up fast. I spend a lot of time with each senior, and therefore my openings are limited. Therefore you really need to contact me right away to see if I still have any Senior Portrait openings.
But that's not the point of this website. The point of this website is to give you these 11 major mistakes that many seniors make in reference to their senior portraits. If you don't decide to work with me, that's fine. I still want you to be aware of these major mistakes, so you don't make them yourself when planning your portrait!
 "The day of my Senior Portrait session, it rained. It NEVER rains in Atlanta these days!! Bobby never missed a beat. First he called us and offered to do the session another day if we desired. Due to our tight schedule, we needed to go ahead with the session. He used a variety of indoor locations to create great portraits. I am really enjoying showing to my friends."
Katie, Kennesaw, GA (Class of 2008)
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE
LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
MISTAKE #1:
Don't allow "incorrect clothes selection" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
Mistake #1 is wearing the wrong clothes! This is a very normal problem. Even if the senior is a professional model, he or she might not know what to wear to look their very best in a still photo. Do you realize that most models don't decide what to wear themselves, but are told by an "Art Director" what to wear in a photo session? The "model" just shows up, and does what they are told! A hair person typically does the hair. The Art Director plans everything and tells the model what to do next.
You see, most people just don't know what really photographs well. It's our job to know, and we are really good at helping you select the best clothing for your photographs - clothing that will help you look your very best. We will help you with this, so don't worry.
Do you realize that the wrong clothing can add weight and make a VERY LARGE difference in how you look in your portrait - you can't afford to get this wrong!!!
Now, most high school seniors want to look as thin as possible in their portraits. Clothing makes a HUGE difference in this area, so let's make sure your clothing is really perfect!
MISTAKE #2:
Don't allow "unflattering hair" to ruin your Senior Portraits!
Mistake #2 is making mistakes with hair. Many seniors goof this up in several ways. However, many photographers also goof this up because they don't know how to photograph hair properly.
This is such a big point! As you know, your hair is a huge part of your appearance. It can make or break how you look. We've all had "bad hair days" and if your photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing, your photographs will look like a permanent "bad hair" day.
One of the things that separates my photography from that of many other photographers is that I pay as much attention to the lighting for your hair, as I do for the lighting that is illuminating your face. And they are completely different lights!
You see, if you study Hollywood Portraiture of the stars, you begin to see how careful the photographers are about lighting the hair. The Hollywood photo masters perfected these techniques to make the famous Hollywood stars look great. I'm going to use these very same techniques to create your senior portraits to help you, and your hair, look really perfect.
For example, many seniors who go to other photographers often complain that their dark hair seems to disappear into the background. Or, if they have light hair, they often complain that their hair has no "life" or detail in the photograph. Or if their hair is brown, that it doesn't look as great as they wanted it to. It's not just how they combed or prepared it, it's how it's lit in the photograph, too!
Well, that's not ever going to happen to a portrait created by me, because I'm going to take the time and the care in the lighting of your hair so it looks absolutely perfect.
"I'm always nervous about how I look in photographs. When I saw my photographs, I was so excited and could not wait to show my friends."
Amanda, Mobile, AL (Class of 2005)
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
MISTAKE #3:
Don't allow "blemishes" to ruin your Senior Portraits!
Okay, you and I have to talk about blemishes here. All teenagers are worried about blemishes showing in their portrait.
The HUGE mistake is that MOST SENIORS don't ask a photographer about retouching BEFORE having the photos taken. I know - blemishes are embarrassing, and we just don't like to talk about them to ANYONE - especially a person we have just met. However your portrait is very important and you want to look REALLY GREAT. We need to talk about this blemish thing to eliminate your worries.
The secret: You need to be absolutely sure that your photographer is going to carefully and painstakingly RETOUCH all your portraits - and do it to perfection! In my humble opinion, a portrait that is not professionally retouched is NOT A PORTRAIT! It's just a "picture" that no one cares enough about to properly finish and produce to the best quality that money can buy!
I guess that's another reason that so many seniors and their parents hire us to create their senior portraits. We honestly, sincerely care about how you or your son or daughter will look, and we aren't going to embarrass you in any way. We are going to do everything in our power to help you look "like a million bucks" in these portraits, so all your friends are really impressed! (And "a million bucks" means THERE WILL BE NO BLEMISHES ON THE FINISHED PORTRAITS!)
You see, what this all "boils down to" is you that want a photographer who is going to take good care of you. That is, select someone whose only goal is to help you look absolutely perfect in your portraits! And that's what we are all about. Taking the time, and putting forth the effort to spare no expense in helping you look really attractive - better than you've ever looked - in your senior photographs!
 "Our daughter Amanda had a great time with Bobby and loves her senior portraits! We always know that we are going to get fantastic portraits and personalized service from Bobby. His guarantee is fantastic - it's hard to find businesses that completely guarantee that you do not pay unless you are thrilled beyond words. We have always been more than thrilled with the portraits that Bobby has created of our kids!!! Thanks Bobby - we really love the portraits"
Norbert & Rhonda, Mobile, AL
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
MISTAKE #4:
Don't allow "unrelaxed facial expressions" to ruin your Senior Portraits!
Most seniors don't understand (or don't want to admit) that they get nervous in front of a camera. And they don't know what to do about it.
You see, there are over 30 muscles in your face. And if you're tense, these muscles will tense up, and you will not like the photographs. You might not realize "why" you don't like 'them - you just know that something is not quite right.
One of the keys to our success in photography is that we will not photograph any senior without having met them in advance. And what's the purpose of this? Yes, we're going to talk about clothing, and all the other things. But the main purpose of this meeting is to give you the chance to meet us, get to know us, and see just how well we are going to take care of you through this whole process. We'll spend time with you so that you begin to feel comfortable and confident about how you can trust us and take our advice.
This is going to make an enormous difference in how natural and confident you look on the day of your photography! It's almost like magic! You will be impressed!
I can't stress this enough. You see, most photographers are just not willing to do this. Why? Because it takes time. All they want to do is crank people through their studio like a "factory." They want to do your photograph as if they were building a car. They want to put you on the assembly line, and run you through, click-click-click, turn this way, click-click, etc....Next person please.
We will not do that to you. We're going to meet you ahead of time, and we're going to treat this as if it were the most important photo of your life - because it is.
You will see what a huge difference this will make in how you feel on the day of your photography? You'll feel great. You'll have met us. You'll know that what you're wearing is perfect. You'll know that your hair is going to look perfect. You'll know that no blemishes will show! So you'll be confident and excited - not nervous and apprehensive.
"Bobby - Don't we look so cute together! I love this photograph of me with my dog. Thanks for including her in my session."
Amanda, Auburn, AL
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
MISTAKE #5:
Don't allow a "rushed" Portrait Session to ruin your Senior Portrait!
Most seniors don't realize that it takes longer than 10 minutes to create outstanding senior portraits.
One of the unique things that separates us from many other photographers is that we take all the time that is necessary to create portraits that will make you proud. Photographs that will get your friends and relatives excited! We turn your portrait session into a model shoot in which we all have a good time.
That's what we're all about. We're not going to rush you through like it's a factory. We're going to help you through this whole thing. We understand that this portrait is important to you, so we're not going to rush through this.
MISTAKE #6:
Don't allow a "personal problems or a bad day" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
Most seniors don't realize that sometimes you just have a bad day - and it's really unfortunate when that bad day falls on the day of your portrait session. For example, maybe you didn't sleep well last night. Or perhaps you've had too many stresses at school or home. Or maybe you have recently been fighting with your boyfriend or girlfriend, etc.
Well, we understand these kind of days - we have them ourselves. We honestly understand that the day we have scheduled for your photography may end up not being the best day, when it arrives, for whatever reason. And we have absolutely no problem with you calling us and rescheduling the session, if "today isn't the day." We WANT YOU TO DO THAT!
You see, one of the things that is really unique about us, is how easy and fun we are to work with - so, for example, let's say you end up deciding to have us create your senior portraits, and we set up a time for your session for Tuesday, the 15th at 5:30pm. Well, let's say you wake up that Tuesday, and just "don't feel right." Plus, your hair isn't cooperating that morning, and you're really tired from that long night of studying for a test.
Just call us and tell us that "Today just isn't the day - I'm really sorry." We will understand and will work with you to reschedule the session - NO PROBLEM. We have been through this ourselves before, and understand that sometimes things happen outside of our control.
All we ask is that you realize how terribly busy we are and work with us considerately as we find a time to reschedule your session. We will NOT make you feel guilty about this. Our business is based on good long term relationships with our clients, and we look forward to the same with you.
We understand this portrait is a "once-in-a-lifetime" thing.
Now, I know what you are thinking. You're thinking, "Give me a break. This is just a photo."
Well, yes, but it's your SENIOR PORTRAIT, and it's the only one you're ever going to have. And all the people who matter to you are going to see this portrait! So let's make darn sure it's fantastic! Right? And that's what we're all about. That's what's so special about us.
It's not the camera, backgrounds, or equipment we use, although we use professional grade photography equipment. The thing that separates us from everyone else, is how sincerely we want to help you look absolutely perfect - stunning - fantastic - better than ever - in your senior photographs.
MISTAKE #7:
Don't allow "poor lighting technique" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
Seniors (and an awful lot of photographers) don't realize how important light is in photography. The wrong light, and the wrong direction of light, can add many pounds to you in your photograph. It can also highlight your worst features if used incorrectly!
It's really a matter of life or death in portraiture. The light is the "paint brush" with which I "paint" your senior portrait. It's very important!
I have studied lighting for many years, and as such, I understand that there is only ONE type and direction of light that will help you look your VERY BEST. Only ONE. And this lighting is different for every person - based on your features! Again, that's another reason we must meet you in advance, so we can determine the very BEST LIGHT for you and have it ready to use at your session day and time.
 "You provided such a wide variety of senior portraits for Amanda. She looks very beautiful in the photos. All of us loved them, and she couldn't wait to show her friends. Thanks."
Rhonda & Norbert, Mobile, AL
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
You see, there are five major highlight areas on your face. And they must be PERFECTLY lighted, or you won't look your best!
I hate to get too technical here, but if you're still reading this, you realize the importance of your portrait, and sincerely want to look your absolute best. So... the "Transition Zone" of light, between the highlights and the shadows is what "paints" the contours of your face, and brings out your personality and "SPARKLE." So we want to be darn sure that this "Transition Zone" is perfect! I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
Also, light is equally important for outdoor senior portraits! It must be absolutely PERFECT if we are to create a portrait of you that truly "Sparkles". So, the type of outdoor portraits you like will then determine the perfect TIME OF DAY to create the portraits. This is very important.
MISTAKE #8:
Don't allow "poor posing" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
Nine out of ten seniors don't realize the importance of posing. The most important word when it comes to posing is "NATURAL." You absolutely don't want to look stiff and fake! One of the most common comments we hear from our clients is how "natural" the portraits look. Our seniors love how good they look, but they also love how "natural" they appear in the images.
You see, I understand that you want to look really great, but also you don't want to be put into some weird, stupid, pathetic pose that makes you look stiff and unnatural.
Yes, I will "guide" you so that the composition and "look" of the portraits is really great. But I will NOT push you around and try to put you into unnatural positions that are just plain crazy looking. You and I will work together to help you look confident, comfortable, and just plain great.
This is extremely important to you! Don't miss this:
You want to be sure to select a photographer who will not "manhandle" you during posing. Many photographers tend to touch their clients and push them around way too much when posing them (in my humble opinion.)
Posing is so important, and should not be done by merely sticking you in the middle of your back if you aren't sitting up quite straight enough! But that's what so many photographers do. Why? Because they're in a hurry. They have another 51 seniors to photograph before the day is over, and they can't take the time to "guide" you. They just stick their hand into your back, grab you by the shoulders, and get you to sit up straight. Not only does this make you really uncomfortable, but it also makes you look stiff!
That's why I call it "guiding". I will guide you with words. I don't grab you or poke you. This is so important to helping you feel comfortable!
However, I am really picky. I'll be very careful, and very attentive to detail. I may pick a little at your hair if something is out of place. I may straighten your collar or sleeves, or straighten your shirt if it has a funny wrinkle in it. Don't worry about a thing! We'll make sure you look "like a million bucks"! We're very picky, but we don't manhandle you - and we won't drive you "nuts" with being overly picky either!
Strange but true...and you'll be very glad...
The key thing with posing, is that you look honestly natural. The seniors I photograph tell me all the time how great their photographs look from a point of view of being natural. They say things like this: "It's like I just sat down naturally, by myself! That's exactly how I sit! I can't believe it! How'd you know that?" And you see, that's what "guiding" will do for your portraits, too!
We're talking about where your arm is in the portrait, and that your hands look natural?
And so many seniors and their parents don't realize this when they're calling around to different photographers. They have no idea how important this is. So look at the photographs done by any photographer you're considering to select. Do they look natural, or do they look "posed" or stiff?
If you'll look at the photographs I've included throughout this website, you'll see how natural and comfortable they look. And read the comments the people have said about their senior portraits. Hopefully that will help you.
MISTAKE #9:
Don't allow a "poor guarantee" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
This mistake has ruined so many senior portraits! It's the mistake of not choosing a photographer who GUARANTEES THAT YOU WILL BE REALLY HAPPY - and who will give you all your money back, if you aren't!
Here's our guarantee: "You will be THRILLED (not just 'satisfied') with your portraits! If not, we will do whatever is necessary for you to be thrilled, or we will return every penny of your money. No hassles and no hard feelings either. We want you to be THRILLED with your senior portraits, and will spare no effort or expense to see to it that you are! We absolutely guarantee it!"
You see, only a photographer who really believes in his product and service is going to be willing to have such a powerful guarantee. So his guarantee is your first indication of whether or not you even want to work with him. I just can't stress this enough. Ask about the guarantee. Listen to their reaction. That will tell you if you want to trust your senior portraits to that photographer.
MISTAKE #10:
Don't allow "lack of upfront communication and planning" to ruin your Senior Portraits.
What's this mistake? Not asking lots of questions when you're talking with photographers. Now, if you're still reading this, you certainly have the questions to ask, right?
Remember, you are the customer - you have all the rights! You have the right to ask the tough questions, before you make any decisions!
Ask them first about their guarantee, and see how they respond.
Ask them if they will meet with you in person, at no charge, to discuss the clothing, etc, and give you a tour.
Ask them if they will guarantee that they'll remove any and all blemishes you might have at the time of the photography.
Ask them about how they light the hair perfectly.
Ask them how much time they are going to spend with you. and do they do outdoor portraits, as well as indoor portraits.
Ask them if they are understanding if you call on the day of your session, to reschedule because "today isn't the day."
Ask them if they understand the importance of the correct lighting of the "Five Major Highlight Areas." Ask them ito tell you about "Transition Zones".
Ask if their posing is natural, or more "posy and stiff." Look at samples of their work.
See how much you have learned so far? Pretty amazing, when you think about it, isn't it?
MISTAKE #11:
Don't let the "Wrong Photographer" ruin your Senior Portraits.
The final mistake is choosing the WRONG PHOTOGRAPHER for your Senior Portraits. Everything depends on that one decision.
And hopefully, now that you know these 11 major mistakes that most seniors or parents make - you won't make those mistakes! You'll be able to chose the right photographer for yourself, based on all this new found information you now have!
Now, we may not be the right photographer for you. But the fact that you're still reading this means we probably are. Because we care about all the things I've talked about to you here. But the only way you'll really know for sure if we are right for you or not is to call us.
 "I really loved all of the different photographs that you created during my portrait session. I was initially disappointed when I woke up to rain since I was looking forward to outdoor photographs as well. Although we had to work inside, you still created a large variety photographs using different poses, clothing changes, and sets. I was very pleased and have had fun showing all of my friends. Thanks."
- Katie, Kennesaw, GA (Class of 2008)
CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE LARGER VERSION PLUS MY COMMENTS
So What Should You Do Right Now?
Now, while it's fresh in your mind, pick up the phone, and call me so we can chat on the phone. No charge. No obligation. No hard sales pitch. We're not that kind of studio.
Click here to find the number to call. We'll just chat. You can
ask us any questions you may have. We'll see if there are any session times still remaining for seniors. If there are, and if you'd like to, we can set up a time for you to come in and we can show you around the studio, and chat a bit. There's still no charge or obligation. You do not need to make a decision to hire us before you can come in and chat with us! No way!
Then, after we meet and chat, if you feel you'd like to have us create your senior portraits, fine. If not, fine also. We are here to help you in any way we can. But we're not here to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do. The decisions are completely up to you.
However, I do want to urge you to act immediately! I stay very busy and I want to make sure that we have time to work you into our schedule in a timely fashion. Plus, because we spend so much time with each one of the seniors we photograph, we can't photograph as many seniors as other photographers who have more of a "factory" arrangement.!
So if anything I have said here sounded the least bit interesting to you, CALL NOW! DO NOT WAIT EVEN ONE DAY ON THIS! Click Here right now to get the number to call.
I have a very special offer for you...FREE!
(But ONLY if you're one of the first 22 people to call me!)
As long as you are one of the first 22 people to call me by the end of January - just to chat - I will make you a FANTASTIC OFFER! You can save 50% off the "creation" of your senior portraits (or those of your son or daughter)! That saves you a bunch of money! But you'll need to act quickly!
Call right away. I can't wait to talk to you about your senior portraits!
Click here..
Sincerely,
Bobby Rivers
Professional Photographer
PS. Call us now. We have an excellent reputation, and we'll take really good care of you. So call us today. We'll just chat. No charge, no obligation, no sales talk. But don't put it off. I know that at this moment, you aren't sure about your senior portraits. That's fine. But, please understand that because we spend so much time with each one of our seniors, we only have 22 session times remaining for this special offer. Once they are gone, you will not be able to get the 50% discount off the creation of the images. So call right now.
One last thing. Having your senior portrait taken is such a personal thing, that you want to be sure you select a photographer who is not only really driven to help you look fantastic, but who you (or your son or daughter) also like and trust. That's why I urge you to read the comments from some of the other seniors we've photographed, and then call us and chat on the phone. This will give you an immediate feeling as to the type of people we are, so you can decide now, while we hopefully still have some session times available, whether or not you'd like to at least come in and chat. Click here to call right now. We will enjoy hearing from you!
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