Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true personality of a gorgeous mom and a doctorDream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true personality of a gorgeous mom and a doctor I absolutely cringe at over-retouched images.  Yet, how much is enough?

Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully. When I am bringing the finished images, I am often asked how they come out looking so beautiful.  “Photoshop”?  No, photoshop gets a bad rap today due to its potential, overuse and sheer mystery of its powers.  

Photoshop is an important part of the work, but a good image start in camera.  “You have a good camera, it must be taking great photos!”  Oh, yes, it is a very good camera, but the photos that it takes - are as good as the person holding them can make it.  If I give you just a few tips, your own shots will improve drastically as well, really!

It starts with the right lens choice, posing, lighting, backgrounds, even clothing and makeup.  With an extensive preconsult, often in person, we start with the clothing selections that are the most flattering and photograph best. Then I select the right backgrounds to help bring out all the attention to the face.

Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully. Lighting is huge!  Posing is even bigger - you often hear me say during the sessions “it feels awkward, but looks great”!  Weird moves with the chin, mouth, hips, ("lift up!", "lean!", “bottom back!”), feet, eyebrows,  - elongate necks, add shape to the body, hide imperfections, create visual flow: make a world of difference when added to camera angles and the right lens selection.    Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully. Add the most important ingredient - expression.  Expression topples everything: lgihting, posing, clothing.  I ask gazillion of questions, give surprising directions, blurt out total nonsense - all to get the confident, fun, mysterious, soulful or just plain happy look. 

Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully. And once it’s done - it is Photoshop’s time.  Your pores, your wrinkles - you get to keep them.  They are part of who you are, what you’ve been through, what made the unique and special blend that your loved ones want to see every day.  Slide over to see the details of the eyes - it is all there.  I can lighten them - to attract less attention, but they are all still there with you to stay.  You earned them.  Cherish them as a part of who you are.

Dream Come True Photo: eyes detail of the professional headshot capturing the true personality of a gorgeous mom and a doctorDream Come True Photo: eyes detail of the professional headshot capturing the true personality of a gorgeous mom and a doctor

I do remove a lot of insignificant things.  My merit?  If it doesn’t define who you are and how you look, it can go.  We don’t notice those things, yet everybody has them, from newborns to elderly: bags under the eyes, acne, leechy lines on the necks, fly away hairs, shiny spots on the skin.  When it comes to scars and birthmarks - that’s your call, depends on your self identity: some people are eager to remove them, some have memories attached and see those things to be part of their image.

Before sending an image to print I'll take a few more steps - remove the veins in the eyes, even more stray hairs, adjust colors based on lab profiles to ensure the skin tones print out correctly.

Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.

Another gigantic part of any retouch: adding toning, coloring, artistic touches that make my images look… mine.  

And, finally comes the last component: love.  I am blessed to meet those people who always have something fascinating about them.  Everybody has something fascinating about them, and I love to find it during the preconsult, photo-session, and make it come through in the retouch. 

Look at these eyes!!!  They glow with gentle warmth and deep understanding.  Yet, there is so much strength and determination!  She is a mom, she is a business woman, she is a professional like no other.  I am fascinated, inspired, captivated. I am truly in love. Can't you tell from these images, ha-ha?  "All you need is love"...

Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.

All of this takes time… and it takes a lot of practice… and I keep learning and hope to get better at it with every job, every class, every image.  Come back to me in a year, I'll be able to discover and bring out something new and even more amazing in you!
Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.Dream Come True Photo: professional headshot capturing the true authentic personality of a fun and gorgeous mom and a doctor. Age naturally and gracefully.