Senior Photography

Family Photography | Senior Photography | Children's Photography

"How To Avoid The 10 HUGE Mistakes That Ruin Most Senior Portraits..."

Dear 2011 Senior (or parent of 2011 senior),

It's a good thing you're checking this site out right now! That tells me it's important to you that your senior pictures (or your son's or daughter's) look really fantastic. And yes, class of 2011 seniors are already being photographed - IT'S NOT TOO SOON!

Okay - Admit it. You Really DO WANT These Photographs To Look Fantastic, Don't You?

From a graduating senior's point of view, nothing could be more disappointing than not liking the way he or she looks in that super-important portrait that all his or her friends and relatives will see!

"It was good to know beforehand some ideas of what to wear. It was easy to smile with Dave's sense of humor. The settings Dave picked out were perfect."

-Shane Huddleston- St. Charles West - Class of 2011

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On this web page, I'm going to reveal some powerful secrets to helping seniors look great in their portraits!

Think about this a moment... more people will see this portrait than ANY OTHER PHOTOGRAPH you ever have taken! Yes! Even more than will see your wedding photographs! So you want him to be really proud of it? Right?

"Dave was absolutely fantastic! He was so energetic and personable. I had a blast and he made me feel like a real model. I wouldn't go anywhere else and I am definitely going to recommend him to my friends."

-Emily Goldschmidt - Incarnate Word Academy-Class of 2011

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Well, research has proven that the two major things that are most important to seniors about their senior portraits are:

1. That they look really good in the portrait, and
2. They also want the portrait to have some kind of "artistic quality" to it. That is to say that the photographs themselves to look fantastic, as well as the senior looking fantastic in them. There's a three dimensional feeling to it, and there's quality to the light. And his or her personality comes through. The portrait has what I call "SPARKLE" to it.

"I liked the scenes a lot, they all went well with my outfits. Dave made me feel comfortable the whole time. I felt at ease the whole time and I really liked the pictures."

-Amanda Hubble-Duchesne - Class of 2011

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By "Sparkle" I mean that when the senior's friends and family look at this portrait, they say, "Wow, you look like a million bucks! It's like you're going to step right off the paper And speak to me! This photo of you is really great!" That's what I call "Sparkle."

And I'm going to do everything I can to help your senior portraits have that special "SPARKLE!"

Why? Because I love photographing seniors! It's what I do with a passion! You want to look fantastic in these photographs, and I'm going to help you achieve that!

Here's How To Avoid The 10 Huge Mistakes That 9 Out Of 10 Seniors Make With Their Senior Portrait!

Let's go through the 10 huge mistakes that 90% of all seniors and their parents make when it comes to their senior portraits.

Obviously, you should contact me right away about whether or not I have any openings left to create your senior portrait. I am extremely booked up already, but hopefully I still have some openings so I can do your senior portraits for you.

But that's not the point of this website. The point of this website is to give you these 10 major mistakes that most seniors make in reference to their senior portraits. If you don't decide to work with me, that's fine. I still want you to be aware of these major mistakes, so you don't make them yourself when planning your portrait!

"Dave made me feel very comfortable during the entire process. He kept it light and fun so I wouldn't be nervous. The settings were beautiful. It was fun!"

-Sarah Alexander- Incarnate Word Academy-Class of 2011

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Mistake #1 Ruins More Senior Portraits Than Anything!

Mistake #1 is wearing the wrong clothes! This is very normal. Even if the senior were a professional model, he or she still wouldn't know what to wear that would help him or her look the very best in a still photo. The "Art Director" would say what to wear! The "model" would just show up, and do what he's told! The hair person does the hair. The Art Director plans everything and tells the subject what to do next.

You see, people don't know what really photographs well. They just don't know. Well, we know. That's our job. And we love it. And we're really, really good at helping you select the best clothing for your photographs - clothing that will help you look your very best. We will help you with this. Don't worry.

For example, the wrong clothing can make up to a 44 pound difference in the way you look in your portrait! 44 pounds!!!

Now, most high school seniors want to look as good as possible in their portraits. Clothing makes a HUGE difference in this area, so let's make sure your clothing is really perfect!

"I had a great time throughout the day and the overall experience was just wonderful."

-Madeline Sowatsky-Visitation Academy-Class of 2011

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Mistake #2 Is A HUGE Destroyer Of Senior Portraits!

Mistake #2 is making mistakes with hair. Many seniors goof this up in several ways. But also, most photographers goof this up, too, because they don't know how to photograph hair properly.

This is such a big point! As you know, your hair is a huge part of your appearance. It can make or break how you look. We've all had "bad hair days" and if your photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing, your photographs will look like a permanent "bad hair" day.

One of the things that separates my photography from that of most of the other photographers in the area is that I pay as much attention to the light that is lighting your hair, as I do to the lighting that is illuminating your face. And they are completely different lights!

You see, if you study Hollywood Portraiture of the stars, you begin to see how careful the photographers are about lighting the hair. Well, I've studied the best professional Hollywood photo masters - such as George Hurrell, who is responsible for many of the finest portraits ever created of the Hollywood Stars. And I'm going to use these very same techniques to create your senior portraits to help you, and your hair look really, really perfect.

"The quality in A+ and Dave makes you feel comfortable. The way he explained the process was easy to understand."

-Brad Engel-St. Charles West - Class of 2011

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For example, many seniors who go to other photographers often complain that, if they have dark hair, that their hair seems to disappear into the background. Or, if they have light hair, that their hair has no "life" or detail in the photograph. Or if their hair is brown, that it doesn't look as great as they wanted it to. It's not just how they combed or prepared it, it's how it's lit in the photograph, too!

Well, that's not ever going to happen to a portrait created by me, because I'm going to take the time and the care in the lighting of your hair so it looks absolutely perfect. It's as if one of these Hollywood Master Photographers just finished photographing Taylor Swift or Robert Pattinson, and now is going to do your portrait, and I'm going to put as much care into lighting you as they would!

Mistake #3 - An Amazing Secret Revealed!

Okay, you and I have to talk about blemishes here. If you (or your son or daughter) has some, and who doesn't, you're probably worried about whether or not they will show in this portrait.

The HUGE mistake that almost EVERY SENIOR makes is that they don't ask the photographer about retouching before having the photos taken. I know, every senior is embarrassed about blemishes, and doesn't want to talk about it to ANYONE - especially a person they just met.

But this portrait is really important, and you want to look REALLY GREAT in it, so we need to talk about this blemish thing.

"It was a very pleasant experience. Dave, you are very nice and you made everything very comfortable. I really enjoyed the session."

-Maddie Simon-Francis Howell - Class of 2011

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The secret: Be absolutely positively sure that your photographer is going to carefully and painstakingly RETOUCH all your portraits - and do it to perfection! In my humble opinion, a portrait that is not professionally retouched is NOT A PORTRAIT! It's just a "picture" that no one cares enough about to properly finish and produce to the best quality that money can buy!

I guess that's another reason that so many seniors and their parents hire us to create their senior portraits. We honestly, sincerely care about how you or your son or daughter will look, and we aren't going to embarrass you in any way, but we are going to do everything in our power to help you look "like a million bucks" in these portraits, so all your friends are really impressed! (And "a million bucks" means THERE WILL BE NO BLEMISHES ON THE FINISHED PORTRAITS!)

You see, what this all "boils down to" is you want a photographer who is going to take good care of you. Someone whose only goal is to help seniors look absolutely perfect in their portraits! And that's what we are all about. Taking the time, and putting forth the effort to spare no expense in helping you look really attractive -better than you've ever looked - in your senior photographs!

Mistake #4 Is A "Silent Killer" Of Senior Portraits!

Most seniors don't understand (or don't want to admit) that they get nervous in front of a camera. And they don't know what to do about it.

You see, there are over 30 muscles in your face. And if you're tense, these muscles tense up, and therefore, you won't like the photographs. You won't know why you don't like 'em. You just won't.

One of the keys to our success in photography, is that we will not photograph any senior, without having met them in advance. And what's the purpose of this? Yes, we're going to talk about clothing, and all the other things. But the main purpose of this meeting is to give you the chance to meet us, get to know us, and see just how well we are going to take care of you through this. You will see the studio. We'll give you a tour. We'll spend time with you so you begin to feel comfortable and confident about how you can trust us and take our advice.

This is going to make an enormous difference in how natural and confident you look on the day of your photography! It's almost like magic! You will be impressed!

"Dave made me feel really good about myself and made me laugh non-stop!"

-Lauren Rhoads- St. Charles West - Class of 2011

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I can't stress this enough. You see, most photographers just are not willing to do this. Why? Because it takes time. All they want to do is crank people through their studio like a "factory." They want to do your photograph as if they were building a car. They want to put you on the assembly line, and run you through, click-click-click-turn this way - click, etc....Next person please.

We will not do that to you. We're going to meet you ahead of time, and we're going to treat this as if it were the most important photo of your life - because it is.

See what a huge difference this will make in how you feel on the day of your photography? You'll feel great. You'll have met us. You'll have seen the studio. You'll know that what you're wearing is perfect. You'll know that your hair is going to look perfect. You'll know that no blemishes will show! So You'll be confident, and excited - not nervous and apprehensive.

Mistake #5 Will Ruin Your Senior Portrait If You Aren't Aware Of It!

Most seniors don't realize that it takes longer than 10 minutes to create outstanding senior portraits.

One of the unique things that separates us from all the other photographers in the area, is that we take all the time that is necessary to create portraits that you will be proud of. Photographs that your friends and relatives will really like - yes like!

That's what we're all about. We're not going to rush you through like it's a factory. We're going to help you through this whole thing. We understand that this portrait is important to you, so we're not going to rush through this.

"Dave, I had so much fun today! I won't forget to make my hip 'boom.' You brought out my natural smile and I think these pictures will always be my favorites. Thanks for the great experience and amazing pictures!"

-Sarah Heitz- Francis Howell Central - Class of 2011

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Mistake #6 Is A Little Technical, But Extremely Important To You!

Seniors (and an awful lot of photographers) don't realize how important light is in photography. The wrong light, and the wrong direction of light can add up to 27 pounds to you on film, and also, bring out your worst features!

It's really a matter of life or death in portraiture. The light is the "paint brush" with which I "paint" your senior portrait. It's very important!Now, one of the things that separates my photography from all the other photographers in the area is that I have studied light from the true Masters of fine portraiture for over 18 years.

I understand that there is only ONE type and direction of light that will help you look your VERY BEST. Only one. And this is different for every person! Again, that's another reason we must meet you in advance, so we can determine the very BEST LIGHT for you and have it ready to use at your session day and time.

"Dave was friendly, accommodating, and always made me feel comfortable with my photos."

-Kelsey Michel- Lafayette - Class of 2011

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You see, there are five major highlight areas on your face. And they must be PERFECTLY lighted, or you won't look your best!

Also, I don't want to get too technical here, but if you're still reading this, you realize how important this portrait is, and you sincerely want to look your absolute best. So... the "Transition Zone" of light, between the highlights and the shadows is what "paints" the contours of your face, and brings out your personality and "SPARKLE." So we want to be darn sure that this "Transition Zone" is perfect, too! I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Also, light is equally important for outdoor senior portraits! It must be absolutely PERFECT if we are to create a portrait of you which truly "Sparkles". So, the type of outdoor portraits you like will then determine the perfect TIME OF DAY to create the portraits. It's so important.

"Our experience was great and we had a lot of fun. The settings were great and very appropriate for the outfits. Dave was wonderful to work with and does a fantastic job! We would highly recommend him to all our friends!"

-Amber Lyons-Fort Zumwalt South - Class of 2011

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Mistake #7 Determines A Great Portrait Or A Terrible One!

Nine out of ten seniors don't realize how important posing is. The most important word when it comes to posing is "NATURAL." You absolutely don't want to look stiff and fake! One of the most common comments we hear from our clients is how "natural" the portraits look. Our seniors love how good they look, but they alsolove how "natural" they appear in the images.

"He truly cares about what you look like and whether of not you love your pictures. The pictures were the best photos I've ever taken and I felt like an actual model. I recommend every senior come to Dave Seidel for senior pictures!"

-Kary Sullivan-Francis Howell North - Class of 2011

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You see, I understand that you want to look really great, but also you don't want to be put into some weird, stupid, pathetic pose that makes you look stiff and unnatural.

Yes, I will "guide" you so the composition and "look" of the portraits is really great. But I will NOT push you around and try to put you into unnatural positions that are just plain crazy looking. You and I will work together to help you look confident, comfortable, and just plain great.

This Is Extremely Important To You! Don't Miss This:

You want to make sure to select a photographer who cares about how you will look when you are posed. You want your poses to look natural and not whatever works for everyone or is fastest to do (the 'one size fits all' syndrome.) But that's what so many photographers do. Why? Because they're in a hurry. They have another 51 seniors to photograph before the day is over, and they can't take the time to "guide" you. They just stick their hand into your back, grab you by the shoulders, and get you to sit up straight. Not only does this make you really uncomfortable, but it also makes you look stiff!

"I loved the settings Dave chose to match with my outfits."

-Lindsey Burkemper- St. Charles West - Class of 2011

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That's why I call it "guiding". I will guide you by showing you the pose. Most seniors, especially the girls, laugh hysterically when I position myself in the poses I want them to take. But after they laugh, they know just what to do and how it will look. This is so important to helping you feel comfortable!

However, I am really picky. I'll be very careful, and very attentive to detail. You will be instructed to bring your mom, dad or a friend to pick a little at your hair if something is out of place or to straighten your collar or sleeves or to straighten your shirt if it has a funny wrinkle in it. Don't worry about a thing! We'll make sure you look "like a million bucks"! We're very picky, we want you to look perfect - and we won't drive you "nuts" with being overly picky either! You will feel totally comfortable too because the person doing the actual picking will be someone you trust completely!

Strange, But True...And You'll Be Very Glad...

In fact, I have a nickname here at the studio. They all call me "The World's Pickiest Mom." And they call me that because I'm so darn picky. I'll challenge any mom out there to see who is more concerned about your senior's appearance than I am. Everything will just be perfect before I expose the film. I'll work quickly, but carefully.

"I loved everything and I loved my experience. Dave did a really good job with making me look good. The settings were gorgeous. I am very happy with my pictures."

-Alexandra Porter- St. Charles West - Class of 2011

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The key thing with posing, is that you look honestly natural. The seniors I photograph tell me all the time how great their photographs look from a point of view of being natural. They say things like this: "It's like I just sat down naturally, by myself! That's exactly how I sit! I can't believe it! How'd you know that?" And you see, that's what "guiding" will do or your portraits, too!

We're talking about where your arm is in the portrait. And if your hand is in the portrait, does it look natural?And so many seniors and their parents don't realize this when they're calling around to different photographers. They have no idea how important this is. So look at the photographs done by any photographer you're considering selecting. Do they look natural, or do they look "posed" or stiff?

If you'll look at the photographs I've included throughout this website, you'll see how natural and comfortable they look. And read the comments the people have said about their senior portraits. Hopefully that will help you.

Mistake #8 Is Of Enormous Importance! Don't Miss This One!

This mistake has ruined so many senior portraits! It's the mistake of not choosing a photographer who GUARANTEES THAT YOU WILL BE REALLY HAPPY - and who will give you all your money back, if you aren't!

Here's our guarantee: "You will be THRILLED (not just 'satisfied') with your portraits, or we will do whatever is necessary for you to be thrilled, or we will return every penny of your money. No hassles and no hard feelings either. We want you to be THRILLED with your senior portraits, and will spare no effort or expense to see to it that you are! We absolutely guarantee it!"

You see, only a photographer who really believes in his product and service is going to be willing to have such a powerful guarantee. So his guarantee is your first indication of whether or not you even want to work with him. I just can't stress this enough. Ask about the guarantee. Listen to their reaction. That will tell you if you want to trust your senior portraits to that photographer.

"Dave was so fun and very entertaining while demonstrating poses.  He made the entire experience exciting and comfortable.  I love all the settings."

-Charissa Stone-Francis Howell Central -Class of 2011

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Mistake #9 Is So Obvious, And Yet Most Seniors Or Their Parents Don't Do It!

What's this mistake? Not asking lots of questions when you're talking with photographers. Now, if you're still reading this, you certainly have the questions to ask, right?

Remember, you are the customer - you have all the rights! You have the right to ask the

tough questions, before you make any decisions!

You ask them first about their guarantee, and see how they respond.

Then you ask them if they will meet with you in person, at no charge, to discuss the clothing, etc, and give you a tour.

Then you ask them if they will guarantee that they'll remove any and all blemishes you might have at the time of the photography.

Then ask them about how they light the hair perfectly? Ask them if they know who George Hurrell was, and if they understand his techniques.

Then ask them how much time they are going to spend with you. And do they do outdoor portraits, as well as indoor portraits.

Ask them if they understand the importance of the correct lighting of the "Five Major Highlight Areas." Ask them if they know what a "Transition Zone" is.

Ask them if their posing is natural, or more "posy and stiff."

See how much you have learned so far? Pretty amazing, when you think about it, isn't it?

Mistake #10 Can Ruin Everything!

What's this mistake? It's choosing the WRONG PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR SENIOR PORTRAIT. Everything depends on that one decision.

And hopefully, now that you know these 10 major mistakes that most seniors or parents make - you won't make those mistakes! You'll be able to chose the right photographer for yourself, based on all this new found information you now have!

Now, we may not be the right photographer for you. But the fact that you're still reading this means we probably are. Because we care about all the things I've talked about to you here. But the only way you'll really know for sure if we are right for you or not is to call us.

"I really liked how every outfit went so well with the background.  We felt so comfortable."

-Michelle Strayhorn -Fort Zumwalt West - Class of 2011

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So What Should You Do Right Now?

Now, while it's fresh in your mind, pick up the phone, and call me so we can chat on the phone. No charge. No obligation. No sales pitch. We're not that kind of studio. CLICK HERE to find the number to call. We'll just chat. You can ask us any questions you may have. We'll see if there are any session times still remaining for seniors. If there are, and if you'd like to, we can set up a time for you to come in and we can show you around the studio, and chat a bit. There's still no charge or obligation. You do not need to have made a decision to hire us, before you can come in and chat with us! No way!

Then, after we meet and chat, if you feel you'd like to have us create your senior portraits, fine. If not, fine also. We are here to help you in any way we can. But we're not here to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do. The decisions are completely up to you.

However, I do want to urge you to act immediately! My schedule is almost completely full at the time I'm updating this site. Very few senior session times remain! Why? Because I have such a great reputation from my past seniors I have worked with. They tell all their friends, and then they all call me, and my book just completely fills up. Plus, because we spend so much time with each one of the seniors we photograph, we can't photograph as many seniors as other photographers who have more of a "factory" arrangement.!

So if anything I have said here sounded the least bit interesting to you, CALL NOW! DO NOT WAIT EVEN ONE DAY ON THIS! CLICK HERE right now to get the number to call.

"Picking out the outfits before was a good idea.  The settings went well with all my outfits.  I had a lot of fun."

-Nicole Miller -Duchesne-Class of 2011

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I Have A Very Special Offer For You...
(But ONLY if you're one of the first 6 people to call me!)

As long as you are one of the first 6 people to call me - just to chat - I will make you a FANTASTIC OFFER! You can save 100% off the creation fee of your senior portraits (or those of your son or daughter)! That saves you a bunch of money! But you'll need to act quickly!

Call right away. I can't wait to talk to you about your senior portraits! CLICK HERE.

Sincerely,

Dave Seidel
Professional Senior Photographer

PS. Call us now. We have an excellent reputation in the community, and we'll take really good care of you. So call us today. We'll just chat. No charge, no obligation, no sales talk. But don't put it off. I know that at this moment, you aren't sure about your senior portraits. That's fine. But, please understand that because we spend so much time with each one of our seniors, we only have 6 session times remaining for this special offer. Once they are gone, you will not be able to get the 100% discount off the creation fee of your images. So call right now.

PPS. One last thing. Having your senior portrait taken is such a personal thing, that you want to be sure you select a photographer who is not only really driven to help you look fantastic, but who you (or your son or daughter) also like and trust. That's why I urge you to read the comments from some of the other seniors we've photographed, and then call us and chat on the phone. This will give you an immediate feeling as to the type of people we are, so you can decide now, while we hopefully still have some session times available, whether or not you'd like to at least come in and chat. CLICK HERE to call right now. We will enjoy hearing from you!