Mintz Portrait Studio
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What To Wear|Studio Guidelines

What to Wear for Your Legacy Portrait



To ensure your outfits look cohesive with our painterly style, it is recommended to follow our dress code.




Essentials for LadiesEssentials for Men
  • Dresses photograph exceptionally well and flatter most women.
  • We recommend solid, dark or jewel tones for outfits
  • Your natural makeup style is usually best.
  • Manicures and pedicures matter.
  • Jewelry enhances your look.
  • Little girls look adorable in party dresses.



  • Coats, jackets, or sweaters are recommended for men.
  • For more casual, wear a nice sweater over a dress shirt.
  • A dark dress shirt or t-shirt looks great under a jacket, especially with dark jeans.
  • Layering adds depth and dimension.
  • Boys also look good in jeans, cable knit sweaters, and canvas or denim shirts.




Children

We recommend the same concept as the parents. Dress little girls in dresses. Cream for little girls could work with dark, as it is bright and draws attention to them. Little boys look perfect in textured sweaters, little suits, bow ties, vests and such.

No need to have everyone wearing the same outfit, but simply coordinate as a family. Again, we recommend black, grey, navy, and rich jewel tones.

Clothing Should be Solid, Dark or Jewel Tone

At Mintz Portrait Studio, we consider family portraits a timeless piece of family history showcasing the ones you treasure the most. It is the centerpiece in your home and will be the most meaningful artwork you will ever own.

Our background and lighting are tailored to render your portrait as a timeless work of art and require very dark clothing to ensure that your family’s faces and features are the center of attention.

It is with this in mind, that we encourage families to plan their attire for the greatest impact and for longevity. For this reason, we recommend classic clothing in solid, black, dark gray or jewel tones. Jewel tone colors are richly saturated hues named for gems including sapphire blue, ruby red, amethyst purple, and emerald green. Clothing trends can change but a classic outfit can endure the test of time.

A Note About Casual Clothes

If you choose to dress in casual clothes, the following guidelines need to be followed for it to be a success:

  • You should still be in something dark, solid and fitted; not baggy and busy.
  • Wear clean shoes, not sneakers, especially with colors. Do not wear white sox or white sneakers with dark clothes.
  • Avoid Bold Patterns or Logos - Strong patterns and stripes can date a portrait quickly and take the attention away from your faces. For a timeless and more artistic look, stick with solids and subtly textured fabrics.
  • Don’t Mix Whites and Darks : Do not dress in white shirts unless everyone is wearing white or cream or the white shirt is under a sweater or jacket. Unify the group with a “dark-on-dark” mix of clothing, OR a mix of “light-on-light” tones. Don’t mix dark and light tops and bottoms. Especially in larger groups, your portrait can end up too “busy”. Ideally, we don’t want your outfits to compete for attention with your faces.

Black and White Fine Art

Black and white portraits are soulful and show emotion and the clothing should be simple and allow for flexibility. For black and white portraits, the clothing needs to be dark colors but varied such as navy and jewel toned colors, and non-restrictive (no tight or short dresses).

Our background and lighting are tailored to render your portrait as a timeless work of art and requires dark, muted clothing to ensure that your family’s faces and features are the center of attention.

Bring solid colors that are dark (navy, charcoal gray, forest green, burgundy), mid to long sleeves, easy to move in and minimal jewelry.

Your Wardrobe Should Fit and Flatter

Nothing flatters more than clothing that fits properly. Most children look best a size or two smaller than one would normally expect, so please try everything on in advance. If you aren’t sure, it isn’t the right size.

Be Stylish and Dress Up

This is your family’s “night on the town” where everybody looks and feel their best. Choose timeless clothing with character, personality, and style. For most clients, their natural makeup and hair styles work best, and it’s not necessary to see a makeup artist prior to your session.

Bring Multiple Options

Please bring 2-4 different wardrobe options for each family member. Because not everything that feels right photographs well, choice is essential to your successful session.

Essentials for Everybody

  • Arrive with well styled hair.
  • Eyeglasses should have a non-reflective coating.
  • Texture adds dimension and interest.
  • Barefoot is often best for kids under ten, but shoes count for everyone else.
  • We would love for you to bring that favorite stuffed animal, musical instrument, or other prop.

Don't Do This!

  • Clothing with white, light and mid-tone elements won’t make you look good, and is a distraction.
  • Avoid patterns and large logos.
  • Polo/golf style shirts, casual cotton pants and sweatpants should be left at home.
  • Don’t forget to apply common sense to your outfits.
  • Everybody should not wear the same thing.
  • You can’t fix clothing that doesn’t fit, even if you roll up the sleeves or pin it in the back

Pinterest Links for More Ideas

PINTEREST- CASUAL

PINTEREST- FORMAL CLOTHES

PINTEREST- VINTAGE AND TIMELESS



Let Your Family Shine (tips)!

  • Please make sure everyone has eaten before the session (including men and adult children). We have found that when families are hungry, the sparkle in their eyes for their portraits isn’t quite as bright.
  • Please don’t bribe children, even teenagers. This can change attitudes and make it difficult for little ones to get through the session because they are so focused on the bribe.
  • Ensure ever gets a haircut and trim to your liking. This is just a bug in your ear to make sure you have time to schedule appointments if your session is off-schedule with his haircuts.
  • Women should do their hair and makeup like they normally do, or a little bit more. Please arrive with hair and makeup complete. We do find many of our clients choose to have their makeup finished professionally to add to the portrait experience this is just a bug in your ear to make sure you have time to schedule an appointment if you would like to do this. If you are having professional hair and makeup do allow plenty of time so you are not running late. If needed, please ask us for salon recommendations.
  • No Bronzers or self tanners or glittery, sparkly makeup.
  • Make-up should be clean and natural and matte. Bring extra powder foundation to control shine.
  • Avoid frosts or overly-bright colors
  • We’d love to see what you are planning for clothing before the session. We enjoy helping with clothing choices. Feel free to email us or text us your clothing choices. It’s best to lay everything out on a bed and take a snapshot of all the clothes together. If you squint your eyes, everything should just look even. If something is popping out from the rest, chances are they are too bright or not in the same tones as the other items.


Photographic art in Living room

What to Expect-Studio Policies & Ordering Guidelines

We do our best to fulfill your needs and meet your expectations. We will stop at nothing to achieve the very best results for you. To achieve this, it’s important that you are aware of how our studio works. These guidelines are designed to have things written down so our business policies are transparent and you know what to expect. We intend to deliver excellent customer service, now and in the future.

CANCELLATION/RESCHEDULING:

Your session is confirmed and held with your refundable holding fee which will either be refunded to you at the portrait selection appointment or applied as a credit towards additional portrait purchases.

It is also refundable if you cancel your session with at least 10 days’ notice. If you cancel or postpone with less than 10 days’ notice or don't show up for a scheduled appointment, or don't return with your partner for your in-person order appointment within 60 days of your session, this fee will be retained by the studio.

If you have a sick pet/child on the day of the session please call to reschedule. If you try to keep the appointment, I will most likely request that you reschedule if we notice your child is sick. Ill or uncomfortable children do not like to be photographed and we know that you will not love your portraits nearly as much as if he or she were in good health.

PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME: We have appointments throughout the day and we try very hard not to get backed up. Please be on time, ready to go for the session. The time we lose to lateness or changing clothing is taken out of your session time. Makeup and hair should be complete prior to arriving. As everyone arrives dressed, no need to worry about wrinkles. Our amazing artist can make adjustments to remove wrinkles.

ORDERING: You will view your portraits at a personally attended or virtual slideshow after your portrait session. You will be asked to order at this time. Please make sure all decision makers are present since studio promotional offers are only available at this time.

STUDIO SPECIALS OR PROMOTIONS: Specials will only apply on the day of the appointment.You will have an opportunity to order your portraits immediately following your session. You can expect a short wait (approximately 10-15 minutes) after you session so we have time to prepare your files. Payment in full is due at the view and order session or first payment on a payment plan.

DIGITAL FILES: The Client may share social media files but do not have permission to apply filters, copy, download, screen shot, or capture the photographs in any other fashion.We do not sell a disk of high resolution digital images since we specialize in heirloom printed products.

PARTIAL FAMILY: We do not photograph ‘incomplete families’, where a family member is not been able to attend the portrait session. We are more than happy to reschedule a new appointment for you when you can be all together.

INVESTMENT: We do not implement a minimum spend however our clients typically invest around $1000 - $10,000 for custom wall portrait art collections. Once you see your beautiful images, you will be able to choose the size and finish of each piece of wall art. Each heirloom piece is finished to last for generations. All our artwork is hand finished and rendered with full artistry. What does the average family invest? Most families find that they can invest around $1500 and be happy with their selection of beautiful archival wall portraits and print collections. Our museum quality wall art is our top seller and what we are best known for creating. If you have a gift certificate there is never any purchase require, but you are certainly welcome to upgrade your certificate. We promise you’ll have every option presented to you as we offer our regular clients.

SAFETY: We are following Washington State guidelines regarding Covid-19. We are thoroughly disinfecting the studio for you and we do asks our guests to arrive wearing a facial covering as mandated by state law.

RESERVATION DEPOSIT: The reservation deposit will be fully refunded to you at your image viewing appointment.

GIFT CERTIFICATES: Gift certificates are for studio only and for the recipient and their family. "Family" include parents and/or grandparents with children of any age. The certificate is only valid if used by the named recipient, is non transferable, not redeemable for cash and may not be used to pay any outstanding order balances for the recipient or any client.

PAYMENT: Payments are due at the time of ordering and can be paid by cash, check or credit card and are due at the ordering session. Payment plans are available by arrangement.

STUDIO POLICIES: Please bring only the subjects to be photographed to the session including siblings and the person that might be helping you to the studio. This is especially important with milestone sessions, as I will need the full attention of the child to be photographed.

CUSTOM ORDERS: Due to the custom nature of our work, payment for your order must be placed in full before ordering. Once an order is sent out for production, it is deemed non- refundable. Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of your product since each piece is artistically handcrafted with one-of-a-kind work of art.

COPYRIGHT: The Studio is assigned the Copyright in all material produced by the Studio. That copyright belongs to the Studio. Violations against the copyright laws include, but are not limited to making illegal copies, scanning, printing from home or downloading from our website. It is illegal to copy or reproduce these photographs in any manner without our permission.

RETOUCHING AND CONVERSIONS: Standard retouching for albums and small prints includes light blemishes at no additional cost. Complex retouching includes such changes as the removal of scars, fine hairs and time consuming cloning are available at an hourly fee of $50/hour. Wall Portraits receive complex retouching at no additional charge and are considered our "Signature Retouching”.

MODEL RELEASE: Clients give permission to publish and use photographs on the studio's website and for social media sharing which might be for advertising, promotion, trade, exhibition, and distribution. Clients may apply restrictions to use.

Thank you!