When visiting our grandparents' homes growing up, we always gravitated towards the photos on the wall or those on top of a desk or piano. Our nanas would usually explain to us who these were and how we were related to them. These people on those portraits were never presented in a tacky manner. In fact, most if not all them were classy, elegant and quite minimalist. We, the grandchildren, would be reminded of how great our ancestors looked in their youth. There was hardly any airbrushing (the retouching done back in the day) and people were presented well, even if they were in a group portrait.
These portraits can be any of the following:
- portraits with grandparents
- a personal achievement in school or a sport
- a significant birthday or anniversary
- a graduation
These images are meant to be keepers, portraits of significance. These images do not come easily as the organisation of such an image might have been a mission. These also have some level of urgency and uniqueness to it.
Hence, there is a heightened level of intentionality to our approach.
What will happen during the shoot?
Each person will be coached during the shoot to find the angle that best suits him or her.
Coming from our headshot experience, we believe each person has at least one good side. Hence, we will spend time positioning each person according to his or her angle that suits him/her best. There is no clicking away and hoping for the best to get the shot.
Hence, the shoot time will depend on the number of people involved. When children are involved, we will be asking you if your child can handle multiple instructions since each person will be coached individually and should be thinking about the instructions given to him or her and nothing else. The same principle applies when pets are involved.
Much thought and effort have gone into the shoot. We don't stop there and let the image be hidden in the computer.
The Final Product
The final product you will receive will be rendered in black and white for that classy and elegant look.
We strongly recommend that it be printed and framed then soonest time possible. Why? The essence of the portrait is to showcase the image in a manner that time will not diminish the quality of the image. Hence we recommend printing it in archival paper, framed by an archival mat board and classic wood, and protected with Museum Glass®.
Reason why we professionally frame and use Museum Glass®
A professionally framed artwork is less likely to become soiled, wrinkled, or bent because it prevents moisture from entering the frame. You can have peace of mind knowing your special artwork will be well preserved. The design of the frame allows the artwork to stand out. It helps in drawing the eye to the artwork, creating a sense of importance, and subsequently aimed at impressing its viewers.
Museum Glass®is one of the best quality glass to use for a framed image and achieves both 99% UV protection and very low levels of reflection. Its optimal light transmission brightens colours and the surface is enhanced for better durability and easy cleaning. Traditional, non-reflective glass used in normal frames has a diffusing quality while museum glass keeps the artwork looking crisp and sharp.
Reason for our choice of Printing Paper
Breathing Colour Optica One is a 300gsm bright white, matte fine art paper with a luxuriously smooth surface ideal for high resolution photographic imagery. It is able to produce extremely crisp and accurate detail as a result of its leadership in tonal range value, line quality, line contrast, and raggedness. This fine paper is rated Blue Wool 6 so expect your prints to be around for decades to come.