MELODY SMITH PORTRAIT
Editorial and Fine Art Portrait Photography Studio Servicing Richmond VA & Surrounding Areas
WHY ALL THE RULES?
- a personal note about preparing for your session -
While some of the requirements to be photographed by me may seem "over the top" I promise I have your best interest at heart. With over 30 years of photographing clients of all ages I have learned a thing or two about what images stand the test of time and which ones don't. I have also learned about how to better prepare clients so that your images are not overly retouched to the point of being unrecognizable or one dimensional. I hope by the end of this you will have a better understanding behind my process.
Let's address self/spray tans. I have had many women arrive to my studio with a glorious golden glow only to have their tan reflect deep shades of orange, appear patchy and blotchy, and often times tinting the hair line, eyebrows, and more. The key thing to take in mind with this is that what you might see reflecting back to you in the mirror might not reflect the same way when you are being lit well and more importantly, in the camera.
Photoshop is NEVER going to correct for this skin tone no matter HOW talented I am.
But MELODY! I will look so PALE!
I get it, I LOVE my summer tan. My legs love it too....can you say cellulite camo?
Listen, if you really do want to have a deep golden tone, let's talk. It may require a longer planning stage to ensure that your tanning process does not leave behind redness which often is not easily concealed with make up let alone retouching.
Ok, ok....so I spend a lot of time in the sun....TAN LINES?
One of the most difficult things to retouch for ANY photographer or professional retoucher is TAN LINES and SUNBURN. The truth is, sure...I can edit it...but it is GOING to look EDITED or I need to spend a considerable amount of time ensuring it's quality. I am a fan of INVISIBLE retouching. I would not feel confident giving you something that looked unnatural or unbalanced.
But....how can I help it?
A few things.
✔️ ONE: Obviously, sunblock. ESPECIALLY!!! On the NECK CHEST & SHOULDERS.
✔️ TWO: Wear a BIG HAT when in the sun for any length of time
✔️ Three: Wear a cover up! Don't expose your chest/neck/shoulders/face at all!
✔️ Four: Plan your session for a time when you know you can avoid sunburn & tan lines
Ok, I get it now. But what about this whole exfoliating/no moisturizer thing?
I promise you, you are going to LOVE this DIY sugar scrub. This scrub will remove dead skin, build up, and any residue left from make up or other products. Having all of this cleared from your face/neck/chest creates a VERY nice and SMOOTH canvas for make up application - particularly make up that we don't want to SEE on the skin in person. Who doesn't want smooth even skin?
As for the no moisturizer deal....
This has to do with a conflict of interest with my cosmetics and your cosmetics. Not all moisturizers go with all make up products. This is a way for me to ensure that all of the products used on you work together. It's not about WHAT you are using, but more about HOW it will MIX with my products.
If you have a skincare routine, and want to use your skin care for your session, let's chat and
see if it is compatible with my product line in the studio!
How in the WORLD does
SPRAY TAN/SELF TANNER SUNBURN or TAN LINES
affect my photos.
Can't you just retouch them?
My NAILS? You can't be
SERIOUS? Nothing? No gel, no acrylic no polish.
I am absolutely serious. Listen, I have nails. I never take them off.
It's a whole vibe. I get it.....
However....most people do NOT know what do do with their hands, how to relax them,
or how to pose them.
This is going to require a huge leap of faith....and I hope my explanation below helps ease your suffering in this INSANE requirement!
Hear me out.....
I am going to start with the obvious: COLOR MATCHING. Look, I don't care what nail salon it is, you ask for a nude polish and EVERY SINGLE TECH is going to pull a DIFFERENT shade. And, let me tell you...not all nude polishes photograph NUDE. Many photograph WHITE....yes, WHITE...With thousdands of colors to choose from, matching this to multiple colored outfits will prove impossible.
No doubt there will be looks that completely clash with whatever color you selected.
Secondly: STYLE MATCHING. Oh my gosh. Have you even SEEN how many different ways there is to create beautiful works of art on nails? But, I can promise you that there isn't ONE style that is going to match up perfectly with up to 7 wardrobe changes as diverse as what you will be photographed in.
"I don't care if my nails don't match every outfit Melody!"
I understand...but let me offer some other perspectives here.
The hands tell the eyes where to look in a portrait.
Hands tell so much about a person...
if they are relaxed, if they are confident, attentive, even if they are flirting.
You may be someone who has stiff hands & while the polish & tips on your nails may make your hands feel more elongated and feminine in person it will only draw attention to your hands & will also make them appear to be bigger than they really are. With natural, unpolished nails, we can camouflage any awkward fist, claw, or thunderbird hands while keeping the attention right where it should be.
Finally, nails DATE an image. While my session are definitely contemporary/fashion forward, a great deal of effort is made to keep the outfits timeless enough that when you and those who love you are viewing your portraits years they ONLY see you.
On a technical note: nail polish is reflective.
There is no way to avoid seeing my lights brightly reflected in your nails...
& because what is LIT comes forward in art, your fingers will in fact
look bigger than what they are.
True Story.
Why ALL THE FUSS over
how I WASH & DRY my HAIR?
I can give you the best set of curls/waves that you've ever had.
But in order to achieve that, and ensure it last the entire shoot and even for some, several days, I need a good canvas.
This starts with a good wash and condition. Take your time the night before and wash your hair TWICE with shampoo and once with conditioner.
After you have showered, you can allow your hair to air dry up to 75% of the way BUT:
You MUST blow dry it the rest of the way BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP!
Wet hair weighs the hair down and also draws moisture from your scalp.
This can often lead to a bit of oil residue on the scalp that will mix with your hair and you will lose so much volume. Blow drying it out also ensures that there are no kinks or matted down sections from your pillow that wont curl or stay curled.
Blow drying your hair takes quite a while so if you do arrive with damp or wet hair, your session will be forfeited with no refund. We don't want to waste time blow-drying hair!
As for adding in products and serums....
Don't. Again, this is about compatibility with my products and my technique.
I will use plenty of heat protectant and serums to style your hair in the studio.
If you have extensions, you need to let me know immediately. I will not be able install extensions for your shoot.
If you have a specific way you want your hair styled for your session please let me know!