What to Expect at Your Photo Session
Mike and Jan Black work together as a team in a private location on Lake Grapevine in Flower Mound, Texas. The indoor studio is equipped with state of the art studio lights and light modifiers. Outside are outdoor photo locations with the deep woods of Lake Grapevine as a backdrop. We also meet clients at locations of their choosing.
Your session; in good weather, may include outdoor natural light portraits as well as indoor/studio shots. For an individual portrait session, about 20-30 photos will usually be taken, resulting in about 5-10 nice photos suitable for framing.
In the event the session does not go as planned-such as a young client unhappy to be photographed-then we re-schedule and re-shoot at no extra charge.
Portrait sessions are scheduled at 10AM and 6PM each week day and 10AM, 2PM, and 6PM on Saturdays. Email us and request a date and time that is good for you. Please include a contact phone number, an email address and the names and ages of the subjects to be photographed. I will email you back to confirm your reservation and then send a reminder email a few days before the session.
Sorry....we do not do weddings.
Pricing
Our photo session fee is $100.00 for individual or family portraits. Please pay in cash or check when you arrive for your session. In the event our clients want to be photographed in more than one location, then an additional $50.00 session fee will be charged for each additional location. You will receive the digital images of your photos within a few days. These images will come with a release for printing and/or sharing. The session fee will be your only cost unless you choose to use our professional lab at mikeblackphotos.com for printing. Enlargement prints and other product prices vary by size and style and are listed on the site. The session fee includes professional retouching on every photo.
See before and after photos and more on retouching.
What to Wear...
- Ladies-take care with, or get assistance with your makeup. Think Hollywood. You might feel like it is a little overdone, but remember, the camera is not as discerning as the human eye. It can’t pick up very subtle makeup. Dark eyeliner outlines the eyes and makes them appear dramatic and nice in photos. Bring your makeup with you for touch ups.
- Ladies-sleeveless tops and gowns are usually not a good idea. Your upper arm is the body part closest to the camera in most poses. It can dominate the photo if it is even slightly overweight, or too muscled, or too pale from not enough sunlight.
- Men-your beautiful hairy legs should be covered with long pants. A freshly laundered button up dress shirt or a nice sport shirt with business casual slacks or non-faded blue jeans looks best in photos.
- Families should wear similar clothing (example; white long sleeve blouses and shirts and dark skirts or pants). This makes a family portrait so much more uniform and appealing. Use solid colors. Avoid prints, plaids, big stripes or other designs. The clothing should accent and compliment the faces and not draw attention away from them.
- Changing rooms are available. Feel free to bring several different clothing changes.
- Young children and babies should have a favorite small toy with them.
- As you Moms are well aware, babies and children don’t photograph very well if they stayed up late the night before or if they are sick or hungry.
- Everyone-bring props or let's meet for the session at locations that convey what your interests are. Conveying who you are (Environmental Portraits) makes photography enjoyable for me and adds value to the photos.
- Finally-many people now have nice cameras. Good photos are easy. The difference between "good" photos and professional portraits are usually not apparent until you see them side by side. Careful, well thought out light modification and professional retouching create an image that you will be proud of for the rest of your life. I don't do "good". "Good" disappoints me.