Portraiture
The Dreesen Approach to Portraiture
Our objective is to offer the finest in photographic portraiture. Through
four decades of experience we have found that achieving a high level of
success consistently is determined by how well we and our clients have
the ability to communicate prior to the photographic session.
We have come to believe it is essential to have a plan,
to understand our objective, and to have a vision or a specific image
in our mind. Our objective is to place strong emphasis on expression,
feeling, personality and mood. To achieve this, it is essential to communicate
in depth on color and tone balance in relationship to the setting of the
portrait.
We sincerely hope you enjoy viewing our images as much as
we enjoy creating them.
The Consultation
We consider the consultation session, the creative planning session - this is the time for guidance...understanding the direction we are taking. Once we have established a specific direction, then we can make decisions on clothing colors and tone.
Clothing Selection
The objective of any fine portrait is to direct
the viewer's attention to the face. Everything else in the portrait
(clothing, hair, backgrounds, and props) should be secondary to the
face. When the face dominates a portrait, you will never tire of it
as time goes by. Improperly selected clothing can overpower the face
and ruin an otherwise excellent portrait. While it is our job to choose
the proper portrait lighting and pose for you, we must rely on your
help in selecting clothing that will create the visual effect you wish
to achieve.
Clothing Color and Tone Balance
Choice of clothing color may vary as long as colors balance witht the tone value of the set.
- Garments in medium to dark tones of brown, rust, burgundy, green, or blue always photograph well.
- White or light colors work well with white or light sets.
- Mid-tone clothing works well with most settings as long as the tones and colors work well together.
- Deep colors work well with deep backgrounds, but can work with mid-tone settings depending on the colors.
- Always avoid bright colors as well as prints, plaids, and patterns.
Any of these will probably destroy any efforts to
produce a high quality portrait.
Clothing Style
Very simple garments always photograph best.
Turtle necks or V-necks are flattering, provided neither is exaggerated
in style. Avoid very wide or particularly deep V-neck garments, as well
as bulky cowl neck sweaters, which completely hide the neck. Long sleeves
are essential since, in a portrait, bare arms will overpower the face.
Women being photographed in full length should wear long skirts, pants,
or dark stockings in order to keep the eye from being directed toward
the legs and away from the face.
Clothing for a Family Group
When photographing a family group, proper clothing coordination is
critical. In home decorating, a major concern is to coordinate the colors
and tones of the walls, carpets, draperies and furniture. This kind
of coordination is necessary when selecting clothing for a group portrait.
Choose clothing in the same tonal ranges so that no single member of
the family stands out because his or her clothing is too light or too
bright compared to the rest of the group.
Conditions of Sale
- Camera charges are due prior to the session date.
- Fifty percent deposit is required when placing the initial order, the balance is due at time of completion.
- All images are copyrighted, and we reserve the right to place our studio name on all of our portraiture.
- A minimum purchase of an 8x10 of each image is required before a smaller size of the same image is sold.
- Dreesen Photography may use any photographs from any photograph session for display, exhibition and general advertising purposes.
Selecting Your Portraits
After your portrait session, we will contact you when your images are available for viewing online. Or, if you wish, you can set up an appointment to view your images in the comfort of your own home, where we will project your portrait images so you can see even the smallest detail of each image. We will help you make your selection and explain how we complete the finished image with retouching and artwork. Once you make your selection, we can display different sizes to enable you to make an informed decision about what size portrait would be suitable for your needs. Then we can hold frames over each image to visualize how different styles complement the image. If you plan to have someone help you make the decision about your portrait purchase, please inform them when your portraits are available online, or invite them to attend when you view your images at home.