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Okay
- Admit it.
You Really DO WANT These Photographs To Look Fantastic, Don't
You?
From
a graduating senior's point of view, nothing could be more
disappointing than not liking the way he or she looks in their
super-important portrait that all their friends and relatives
will see!
On
this webpage, I'm going to reveal some powerful secrets to
helping seniors look great in their portraits!
Think
about this for a moment... more people will see these portraits
than ANY OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS you ever have taken! Yes!
Even more than will see your wedding photographs! So
you want to be really proud of it? Right?
Well,
research has proven that the two major things that are most
important to seniors about their senior portraits are:
1.)
That they look really good in their portraits, and
2.) They also want the portraits to have some kind of "artistic
quality" to them. That is to say for the photographs themselves
to look fantastic, as well as the senior looking fantastic
in them. There's a three dimensional feeling to it, and there's
quality to the light. And his or her personality comes through.
The portrait has what I call "SPARKLE" to it.
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 I can to help your senior
portraits have that special "SPARKLE!"
Why?
Because I love 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 9 Out Of 10 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 senior portraits.
Obviously, you should contact me right away about whether
or not I have any openings left to create your senior portrait.
Hopefully I will still have some openings on the day you request
so I can do your senior portraits for you.
But that's not the point of this website. The point
of this website is to give you these 11 major mistakes that
most 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!
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David S.
Fargo South
HS
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Mistake
#1 Ruins More Senior Portraits Than Anything!
Mistake
#1 is wearing the wrong clothes! This is very normal. Even
if the senior were a professional model, he or she still wouldn't
know what to wear that would help him or her look the very
best in a still photo. The "Art Director"
would say what to wear! The "model" would just show
up, and do what he or she's told! The hair person does the
hair. The Art Director plans everything and tells the subject
what to do next.
You see, people don't always know what really photographs well. They
just don't know. Well, we do. That's our job.
And we love it. And we're really, 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. Don't worry.
For
example, wearing the wrong clothing can add as much as 25
pounds to the way you look in your portraits! That's a lot
of perceived weight!!!
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 Is A HUGE Destroyer Of Senior Portraits!
Mistake
#2 is making mistakes with hair. Many seniors goof this up
in several ways. But also, many photographers goof this
up, too, 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 some other photographers in the area is that
I pay as much attention to the light that is lighting your
hair, as I do to the light 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. These Hollywood photographers are just great portrait
photographers who happen to be working with the Hollywood
stars. Well, I've studied portrait lighting from some of America's
best portrait artists for over 20 years. And I'm going
to use these very same techniques to create your senior portraits
to help you, and your hair look really, really perfect.
For example, many seniors who go to other photographers often
complain that, if they have dark hair, that their hair seems
to disappear into the background. Or, if they have light hair,
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 should never 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.
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Kelcey C.
Griggs County Central HS
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Mistake
#3 - An Amazing Secret Revealed!
Okay,
you and I have to talk about blemishes here. If you (or your
son or daughter) has some, and who doesn't at this age, you're probably
worried about whether or not they will show in this portrait.
The HUGE mistake that almost EVERY SENIOR makes is that they
don't ask the photographer about retouching before having
the photos taken. I know, every senior is embarrassed
about blemishes, and doesn't want to talk about it to ANYONE
- especially a person they just met. I was no different when I was that age, and I had a huge complexion problem. Believe me, I can empathize with the seniors about blemishes.
But this portrait is really important, and you want to look
REALLY GREAT in it, so we need to talk about this blemish
thing.
The secret: Be absolutely, positively 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 cared 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 YOUR FINISHED
PORTRAITS!)
You see, what this all "boils down to" is you want
a photographer who is going to take good care of you.
Someone whose only goal is to help seniors look absolutely
perfect in their 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!
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Sara L.
Oak Grove HS
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Mistake
#4 Is A "Silent Killer" Of 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 tense up, and therefore, you won't like
the photographs. You won't know why you don't like 'em. You
just won't.
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Ashley G.
Fargo South
HS
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One of the keys to our success in photography, is that we
try to meet every senior we photograph in advance of the portrait session. And what's
the purpose of this? Well, 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. You will see the studio. We'll give you a tour and show you a video presentation of other seniors we have photographed.
We'll spend time with you so 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
just are 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
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, etc....Next person please.
We will not do that to you. We want - really NEED -
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.
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 have seen the studio. 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.
Mistake
#5 Will Ruin Your Senior Portrait
If You Aren't Aware Of It!
Most
seniors don't realize that it takes longer than 10 to 15 minutes
to create outstanding senior portraits.
One of the unique things that separates us from many of the
other photographers in the area, is that we take all the time
that is necessary to create portraits that you will be proud
of. Photographs that your friends and relatives will really
like!
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Klara K.
Moorhead
HS
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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 these portraits are important
to you, so we're not going to rush through this.
Mistake
#6 Is Critically Important To
Your Appearance In Your Portrait!
Most
seniors don't realize that sometimes, "today is just
not the day" for their senior portrait to be done.
The hair just isn't right today. Or maybe you didn't
sleep well last night. Or perhaps you've had too much
stress at school or home. Or maybe you just had a
fight with your best friend, etc.
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Drew O.
Fargo North HS
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Well, we understand this can happen. We honestly understand
that the day we set up for your photography may end up not
being the best day, when it arrives, for whatever reason.
And we have absolutely no problem, whatsoever, 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 16th at 3:30pm. Well, let's say you wake up that Tuesday,
and it just "doesn't feel right." Plus, your hair isn't
cooperating that morning, and you're really tired, too.
Well, you could just call us. You say, "Hi, today just
isn't the day. I'm really sorry." And we will immediately
understand and know exactly what you mean. And we will
reschedule your session for you - no problem.
Now, we are busy, and on many days are booked up, BUT, WE
STILL DON'T TREAT YOU LIKE A FACTORY. We understand.
We won't make you feel guilty. Why? Because we've been
doing this for over 25 years, and we understand
exactly how you feel! It's no problem at all.
We understand this is a once-in-a-life-time 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 very
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 cameras we use (although we use some of the very best).
It's not the outdoor locations we select or backgrounds we use (although we try to
use the best of everything). The thing that separates us from
so many other photographers, is how sincerely we want to help
you look absolutely perfect - stunning - fantastic - better
than ever - in your senior photographs.
Mistake
#7 Is A Little Technical, But
Extremely Important To You!
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 lots of pounds to you on camera, and also,
bring out your worst features!
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Phil R.
Moorhead
HS
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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!
Now, one of the things that separates my photography from
many of the other photographers in the area is that I have
studied light from some of the true Masters of fine portraiture
for over 25 years.
I understand that there is only ONE type and direction of
light that will help you look your VERY BEST. Only one.
And this is different for every person! 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
see, there are five major highlight areas on your face. And
they must be PERFECTLY lighted, or you won't look your best!
Also,
I don't want to get too technical here, but if you're still
reading this, you realize how important this portrait is,
and you 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 really sure that this "Transition Zone"
is perfect, too! 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 which truly "Sparkles". So, the type
of outdoor portraits you like will then determine the perfect
TIME OF DAY to create the portraits. It's so important.
Mistake
#8 Determines A Great Portrait Or A Terrible One!
Nine
out of ten seniors don't realize how important posing is.
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.
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Michelle T.
Fargo South HS
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You see, I understand that you want to look really great,
but also you don't want to be put into some weird pose that
makes you look stiff and unnatural.
Yes, I will "guide" you so 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 with the posing. Some photographers in this area tend
to touch their clients and push them around way too much (in my humble opinion) when
posing them. The posing is so
important, and should not be done by 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 half dozen 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 straighten your collar or
sleeves. I 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...
In
fact, they call me a "perfectionist." And
they call me that because I am so picky. I want everything
be perfect before I take the portrait. I'll work quickly, but
carefully.
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!
That's how I hold my hands all the time! I can't believe
it! How'd you know that?" And you see, that's what
"guiding" (and getting to know you better) will
do for your portraits, too!
We're talking about where your arm is in the portrait. And
if your hand is in the portrait, does it look natural and is it posed properly? There are right ways and wrong ways to photograph hands. I'll show you how and why and you'll remember it forever!
So many seniors and their parents don't realize this when
they're calling around to different photographers. 9 out of
10 callers seem to only want to know one thing - "How much
does this cost?" They have no idea how important this posing
is. So look at the photographs done by any photographer you're
considering selecting. 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.
Mistake
#9 Is Of Enormous Importance!
Don't Miss This One!
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, and we will do whatever
is necessary for you to be thrilled, or we will return every
penny of your money, PLUS we will write you a check for an
extra $10 for your trouble! 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 the guarantee is your first indication
of whether or not you even want to be photographed there. 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 Is So Obvious, And Yet Most
Seniors Or Their Parents Don't Do It!
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!
You ask them first about their guarantee, and see how they
respond.
Then you ask them if they will meet with you in person, at
no charge, to discuss the clothing, etc, and give you a tour.
Then you ask them if they will guarantee that they'll remove
any and all blemishes you might have at the time of the photography.
Then ask them about how they light the hair perfectly? Ask
them if they have studied light with great portrait artists,
and for how many years, and if they understand lighting techniques.
Then 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 if they know what a "Transition Zone" is.
Ask them if their posing is natural, or more "posy and
stiff."
Ask them MORE than just, "How much is an 8x10?"
There are so many other things that are more important than
someone doing it for 'a couple bucks less'.
Mistake
#11 Can Ruin Everything!
What's
this mistake? It's choosing the WRONG PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR
SENIOR PORTRAIT. 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 choose 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. That's OK. But the
fact that you're still reading this means we probably are.
Because we care about all the things I've shared with you
here. But the only way you'll really know for sure if
we are right for you or not is to call us.
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 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 available that will fit into your
schedule (We know how busy everyone's lives are). If there
are, and if you'd like to, we can schedule 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 have made a decision to hire us, before you can come in
and chat with us! No way!
Then, after we meet and visit, if you feel you'd like to have
us create your senior portraits, fine. If not, that's OK too. 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! My schedule
for the summer and fall will be busy. Why? Simply
put, because people love my work, and high school seniors aren't the only clients I photograph. I also photograph business executives, children, families, weddings and more. I don't want to sound arrogant
here, but I try really hard to please every client who trusts
me with their portraits. They tell their friends, and their
friends call me, and my schedule just fills up. 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 next 25 people to call me!)
As
long as you are one of the first 25 people to call me - 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), as long as they are taken by the end
of December, 2007! 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,
Larry L. Harrington, CPP, Cr. Photog
Certified Professional Photographer
Photographic Craftsman
PS. Call us now. We have an excellent reputation
in the community, 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 can't photograph,
and don't want to photograph, as many seniors as the "Factory"
photographers - and you probably already know who they are.
The special "50% Off" offer listed above is only available
to the first 25 callers to schedule and be photographed by the end of August , 2007. Once these are booked, you will not
be able to get the 50% discount off the creation of the images.
So call right now.
PPS. 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. We keep an album in our studio with testimonials and photos from many clients who are THRILLED that they came to Larry Harrington Photography. Take a look at it when you stop in for a visit and a tour. Again, I urge you to 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 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 look forward to hearing from you!
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