We spoke to the experts at gm photographics, one of Australia’s leading celebrity and portrait specialists, to get their top tips on getting the best out of a professional photographic session.
Expert Tips for Professional Photography:
We asked gm photographics for their top tips on getting the best family and event portraits.
RESCU: What should you wear for a classic family photo that won’t date and will make everyone look great?
gm photographics: 1. Choose classic clothing that will remain timeless. Plain clothing without logos works well.
2. Try to avoid heavily patterned clothing and stripes as this can date. Wear colours that compliment each other, for example all wear bright colours, or neutral colours and denim work well.
3. Natural make-up has a greater longevity in photographs.
RESCU: How do you choose a perfect location for the shoot?
gm photographics: 1. A home study is a portrait session created in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
2. A favourite beach or park provides beautiful natural backdrops and can often hold special meaning for you.
3. Great Sydney locations include Balmoral Beach, Chinamen’s Beach, Centennial Park, Bradley’s Head and Clifton Gardens
RESCU: What are your top tips for a great couple shot?
gm photographics: 1. Relax and be yourselves. A good photographer should be able to guide you on how to pose and then let you move naturally.
2. Great couple shots are the result of interaction and chemistry between the couple- laugh have fun.
3. You don’t always have to be looking at the camera. Some of the best shot are captured when you aren’t aware of the camera.
4. Stay close together – this will help build the connection in the images.
RESCU: What are your top tips for getting a great photo of children?
gm photographics: 1. We always love to take a director/stylist to our shoots to help entertain the children. From the moment we meet the children we come down to their level to communicate and start engaging them.
2. Bribes including lollies and stickers or any rewards help to encourage kids to participate.
3. Make the shoot fun! Run around, play games and ask them questions to get a variety of expressions. Children don’t always need to be smiling, sometimes it is the angelic or pensive look that can be most captivating.
4. Kids look great in bright coloured clothing. Some props can be used but it’s best to keep them simple so the child is still the main focus.
5. With small children / babies bring an extra set of clothes and warm clothes just in case. A favourite toy is always a good idea too.
Rescu: What do you always recommend your clients invest in?
gm photographics: With the digital age we find lots of people store images on their computers and aren’t displaying or printing their images like we used to with film. We are trying to encourage our clients to display their memories in their home.
For weddings, we always recommend that they invest in an album. Our albums are beautifully hand crafted and will last for generations to come.
For portraits we always suggest an album or framed wall prints/acrylics or canvas. There are so many options to choose from that we find our product range can suit any décor and client style.
Rescu: What’s a reasonable budget to set aside for wedding photography and album?
gm photographics: We have a variety of special photographic collections available which feature different coverage lengths, album styles and products. Most of our clients choose a 8- 12 hour coverage that includes an album. Many clients spend $7000 plus.
We suggest making an appointment to meet the photographer in their studio to discuss your wedding photography details and find out more about our packages that best suits your desires. We always offer this service to our clients to ensure they get what they want from the investment.
Rescu: What other personal and family occasions do people come have a professional photographer cover?
gm photographics: Christenings, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Re-Commitment Ceremonies and Extended Family Gatherings
Rescu: What’s the craziest event or assignment you have ever had?
gm photographics: In 1984 Graham had a travel commission to go to Mongolia and he remembers being in The Gobi Desert being chased by a yak at midnight!
Rescu. Recommends:
We are obsessed with gm photographics and the love affair started with our fabulous editor Bahar Etminan having professional portraits taken by gm photographic’s Simona Janek’s ‘portrait couture’ service. We had fun making a video of the session that you can check out here. Since then, Bahar has booked in her family for a private portrait session with gm photographics as the perfect Christmas gift and a memorable way to capture her baby.
