It is always fun to work with up and coming talent. I met Giovanni during one of my promotional shoots for Pierre’s Bridal. He had a great look and we really hit it off so I gave him a call a few weeks later and asked him if you would like to come in and do a shoot. I had been working on some new lighting and wanted to try out my new Intuition Background.

It was a wonderful shoot and we got a lot of great images. Here are a few of my favorites.

Smartphone camera quality has come a long way over the past few years, to the point that many people don’t feel like digital cameras aren’t necessary anymore. But if you are looking to get beautiful, professional photos done, having a professional photographer with a great quality camera is worth its weight in gold.

There’s a reason why people don’t use smartphones for important events like weddings, senior pictures, engagement photos, etc. It’s not just the equipment that’s different, but the knowledge and expertise that a professional photographer brings to the table that ensures you’ll get high-quality photographs worth framing.

Things a Professional Can Do With a Digital Camera

Even though smartphone cameras have newer and better capabilities every year, there are things a high-end camera can do that a smartphone just cannot.

• LENS VERSATILITY: Being able to control zoom is an invaluable asset when taking professional photos. Although smartphones do allow for some digital zooming in and out, it is nowhere close to the magnitude of a digital camera with optical zoom capabilities. The lens versatility also allows for shooting better photos close up. With some cameras, their macro modes have the ability to shoot from as close as 1cm away.

• MANUAL CONTROL: Smartphones are usually only best for “point and shoot” type photos because of their limited abilities. On the other hand, digital cameras allow you to change multiple settings independently, such as shutter speeds, flash, ISO, and aperture size, allowing for better, crisper photos.

• BATTERY LIFE: Smartphones are absolutely infamous for low battery endurance. We all know the eternal struggle of keeping our phones charged for a whole day while trying to use it for everything from checking emails to playing games. Professional cameras have better battery lives, usually lasting anywhere from 300 to 500 pictures before needing to be charged again. Most professional photographers will have multiple batteries on hand for longer photo sessions, ensuring that they can get every shot.

• COST: New, good quality smartphones now usually cost a minimum of $1000. This is a lot of money for anyone to dish out. The price of high-end cameras has decreased dramatically over the past 10-15 years, definitely making them a more cost-friendly option when searching for something to take photos with. But when you consider the cost of a camera and trying to take pictures yourself, suddenly the cost of hiring a professional photographer is quite reasonable.

• INNOVATION AND LONGEVITY: As cameras get better and technology continues to change, smartphone cameras have not been able to keep up with the advancements. Yes, smartphone quality has grown by leaps and bounds, but is still not good for motion pictures, long-range photography, low light settings and close up photos.

• MEMORY: At some point in everyone’s life with a smartphone, they have received the dreaded “Memory is full” message. With a camera, when you receive that message, all you need to do is pop in a new memory card and continue shooting. No harm, no foul. This is perfect for long sessions or days where there are multiple mini sessions.

Photographer’s Skills Also Crucial

Not only is the equipment that is used vitally important to photo quality, but also the skills of the photographer. Having 35 years of experience in photographing different people, settings, events and landscapes is insurmountable as compared to the photo quality from your iPhone.

Professional photographers are specially trained in every aspect of making your portrait from beginning to end.  Lighting, placement of the subject, color theory … and don’t forget the camera itself. Most cameras have a bit of a learning curve, so there ends up being a lot of training time and energy put into learning how to make every picture you take great.

Studio M has been creating memories for families in Michigan throughout our years of experience. We know how to make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed enough to be yourself in front of the camera. This will ensure that we capture the best picture of you and your family. We also value continuing education, learning new tips and tricks all the time from photographers around the world.

Don’t settle for a smartphone camera to capture an important, once-in-a-lifetime memory. Contact Studio M today!

Iszy contacted me looking for some modeling headshots. We had a great session! Check out the photos below. Best of luck, Iszy!
Want professional headshots to further your modeling career? Contact me!

Izsy Colston

You have your photo session booked, but now you need to do some final planning. Particularly, you need to think about what you and/or your group will wear. Although you definitely want to show off your personality during a photo session, some clothes just don’t work well in front of the camera. Here are some tips to make sure that your next photo session turns out great.

Dress Up

First and foremost, you want to make sure that you look nice. This is not the time to come dressed the way you do on an everyday basis. In saying this though, you don’t want to come looking like you are going to prom (unless it is your prom photoshoot, of course). Make an effort to look nice, iron that shirt that you haven’t worn in a long time, and clean up your shoes so they are nice and shiny. Take this opportunity to show off and look your best.

Match Everyone Else in the Group

For the most part, matching is a good thing, but maybe not in the way that first comes to mind. Instead of the entire family showing up in the same plaid shirt, have everyone dress in coordinating colors. The color palette that photographs the best would be the jewel tones, which includes dark green, navy, burgundy, etc.

Another little tip is to choose the same tone for both top and bottom. For example, if you are wearing a dark green top, then stick to darker pants. If you are wearing a lighter colored top, then stick to lighter toned pants.

Avoid Stripes and Bright Colors

I always tell my clients to avoid stripes and bright colors for very important reasons. Let’s start with stripes. Stripes are a no, not for how they will make you look but for what they will make the photo in its entirety look like. When stripes are photographed or filmed, they can sometimes create what is called the Moire Pattern Effect. The Moire Effect creates a strobing, warping effect with the stripes, making the photo just difficult to look at.

Bright colors are also not a great choice for your clothing because they can cause a distraction. If one or two people in the group are wearing neon green, it is hard to look anywhere else. Also, in a lot of cases, overly bright colors are just not flattering for many different body types.

Wear Clothes That Enhance Your Figure

Unfortunately, we all know that not everything looks great on everyone. Dressing for your body is the way to make all of your photo sessions yield great results. One tip that I like to give to everyone who comes in for a photo shoot is to always wear a top with sleeves that are to the elbow or longer. This allows for slimmer lines and keeps the focus on the face of the person being photographed.

There’s always the tip that I think everyone has been told since childhood: stick to darker colors to create a slimming effect. This is completely true. Tying back into the “no bright colors” rule, wearing darker hues is proven to help create a slimming effect that is always flattering.

Some ladies that I have photographed have started to use shapewear. There are endless options out there for every body type and style preference, and they definitely work well in two areas: creating a slimming effect and boosting confidence.

Keep the Purpose of the Photos in Mind

Ultimately, what you wear depends on what the photo session is for. If the photos are for corporate headshots, then come dressed to impress in your business attire. If this is a family photo shoot, then relax, show your family’s personality, and have fun. You know what you want to convey in your photos, so make sure that what you wear reflects this purpose. If you keep that in mind and follow the guidelines laid out above, your photos will turn out beautifully.

If you are looking for a quality photographer in the Holt, Michigan area, then give Studio M a call. There is always a pre-session consultation included with every booking. During this consultation, I will be able to answer all of your questions, including those on what to wear.

When you’re putting the time, effort, and money into doing a photoshoot, you’ll want everything to be perfect. From the lighting to the outfits, every choice that’s made needs to ensure that your photos come out flawless. One of the most important aspects of any shoot, no matter what they’re for, is the makeup.

Cameras don’t always capture photos with the same vibrancy as they appear in real life. Colors can appear duller, and your natural contours will seem almost invisible. Since the lighting in a studio can be almost blinding and comes from many different angles, it will bounce off your makeup in such a way that will make it seem much subtler than it originally was.

Because of all of this, you’ll need to make sure that your makeup is ready for the camera. It needs to be bold and dramatic, the kind of makeup that you would never dream of wearing outside.

Although many people choose to hire a professional makeup artist to help them, others find that this isn’t the option for them. So, for those of you who’d rather go the DIY route, we’re going to show you how to apply your makeup so that you can look your best in your photos.

1. Blending Your Makeup into Your Chest

Of course, you’ll want to start by priming your face with both a moisturizer and a primer before moving onto foundation, concealer, and contour. However, you shouldn’t just stop at the face. When prepping for a photoshoot, you should also take your makeup down to your chest as well.

The reason that you need to do this is, once again, because of the lighting. Although you’d probably look like a crazy person if you went about your everyday business with foundation down your neck and décolletage, the opposite is true for photoshoots. Without it, your face may look great, but the rest of you will look washed out, flat, and out of tune with your face.

To ensure that you look as good as possible in your photos, blend a small amount of your primer and foundation down your neck, to your chest, and even on your shoulders if you feel that it’s necessary. Along with that, you can also contour and highlight that natural curves of your body, such as the collarbones, so that they will still look defined in your photographs.

2. Darkening Light Eyebrows

Out in the real world, there’s nothing wrong with having fair eyebrows. In photos, however, they can cause a bit of trouble. Since the lights in a studio are so bright, they can cause blonde or light-colored eyebrows to appear non-existent in photos.

If you have light eyebrows, it’s advisable that you apply an eyebrow pencil or powder that’s about two to three shades darker than they are naturally. If you go any lighter than this, your brows won’t be clearly visible, and if you go any darker, you may look like you drew them on with a marker.

As for which product you use, it’s up to you. You can go for a pencil, a gel, a powder, or even a mix of products. Just make sure that they’re not too heavy, and that they’re lighter closer to the center and darker closer to the outer corners. This will give them a much more natural look.

3. Making Sure Your Eyes Pop

The eyes are key when doing a photoshoot. As people often say, they’re the window to the soul, and they’re usually the first thing that people notice in a photograph. As we mentioned previously, you’ll want to make them more vibrant and dramatic so that they’ll stand out in your photos. Just make sure not to put so much eyeshadow on that you start to look like a drag queen, unless that’s the look you’re aiming for.

It’s best that you use three different shades of eyeshadow, even if the colors that you’re using are neutrals or nudes. This will create depth and make the eyes seem bigger and more defined. Use the middle shade on the lids and on the upper brow bones. Apply the lighter color just under the eyebrows and at the inner corner of the eyes, and sweep the darkest color across the crease of your eye.

One of the most important steps with eye makeup is blending. Make sure to blend all of your eyeshadow together with a fluffy brush to make sure that it looks flawless. After that, you can then apply eyeliner and black mascara. If you’re feeling brave, you can even add some false lashes. But if you’ve never used them before, your photoshoot wouldn’t be the best time to try it out.

4. Contouring and Highlighting Your Skin

If you want to make sure that you look your absolute best in your photos, you need to contour and highlight your face. This will make you look more defined, angular, and altogether better. For this, you can use either cream or powder contour and highlight. If, however, you’re still not comfortable with this makeup technique, stick to powder since you can start light and build up pigment until you reach your desired look.

To start, find a contouring color that’s a few shades darker than your foundation. Sweep it across the natural contours of your face, as well as areas you’d like to appear small, such as under the cheekbones, the jawline, by the hairline, and at the sides of the nose.

Your highlight should be a few shades lighter than your foundation. You can apply that to areas such as the bridge of the nose, under the eyes, and on top of the cheekbones. Along with your face, you can also contour and highlight your chest to make your whole look appear more natural.

Getting Ready for Your Photoshoot

Since you’ll be putting a lot of time into making sure your makeup is perfect, you’ll want to make sure it stays that way too. To do that, use a setting powder and setting spray so that it stays on for as long as possible. Since the lights in the studio can sometimes be quite hot, it’s a good idea to bring some makeup with you. That way, you’ll be able to touch up anything that needs it without having to rush home first.

Now that you know how to get your makeup camera-ready, you’re all set to organize your photoshoot. To get you started, get in touch with Studio M with any questions that you may have. As one of the most renowned photography studies in Michigan with over three decades of experience, we can answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Once you’re ready to schedule your photoshoot with us, you can give us a call or send us a message through our contact form. And if you’ve decided that doing your own makeup for your shoot is a little bit too complicated, then don’t worry, because we work closely with some fantastic professional makeup artists that can help you out. Just let us know that you want makeup service, and we’ll arrange it!