What should we wear?

Start by asking yourself where your portrait will be displayed. If the room is more formal, such as a living or dining room, formal attire would be appropriate. Blue jeans, khaki’s, polos, etc., would compliment casual rooms such as a family room.

Choose your colors by the color scheme in the room you have decided to display your portrait.

When selecting your outfits, stay away from anything with patterns, stripes, or floral prints. This type of clothing is very distracting and can ruin a portrait. Solid colors photograph the best and keep the focus of the portrait on the faces not the outfit. Also, we recommend staying away from trendy clothing, keep it simple and classic to avoid “dating” your portrait.

To finalize your clothing selection, place your outfits near the future location of your portrait. If you’re pleased with your selection, stop! If there is something not quite right, now is the time to make changes. Don’t forget about shoes and socks, as they may appear in the photograph.

Give Us A Call

Call the studio and tell us what you have chosen. Together we will select a complimentary background or location to photograph your family. Also, we would like to know the number of family members in the portrait, their names, ages of children, any handicaps, or other concerns you may have.

Eye Glasses. Studio lights reflect and cause white spots, or distortion of the eye area. Artwork can minimize this, however, there is an additional retouching fee of $30. per person that is not included with standard artwork services.

Portrait Size Selection

Estimate the distance your portrait will most likely be viewed from. If the seating or walking area is further away, choose a larger portrait size. To fully enjoy your portrait, faces should be large enough to view without walking directly up to the wall. If you are unsure of what size would be best, ask for sample sizes to take home.

View and Choose

All portraits are available to view 1 – 2 weeks after your portrait session. Your images will be displayed on a 61-inch flat screen monitor. The large monitor aids in the selection process and allows you to see facial expressions, eyes, and backgrounds up close.

A Lifetime Decision

The portrait that you choose is an important decision and an investment that will last for generations. Therefore, we strongly suggest that small children do not attend the View and Choose session.

The View and Choose session has replaced paper proofs. Please note, images will not be going home with you at this time. Orders will be placed during the View and Choose session. If multiple sessions need to be scheduled please let our staff know of your situation.

Payment Terms

The portrait session fee is due one week prior to your session date. You may send a check or call with a credit card number. This fee reserves your time with the studio and confirms your appointment. One-half of your order balance is due at your View and Choose session. The balance is due upon completion of your order. (Approx. 4-6 weeks) If you need your finished portraits for an upcoming event, please let us know in advance. Payment may be made with cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards.

Framing – The Finishing Touch

Selecting a frame that compliments your portrait is very important. The wrong frame can distract from the portrait and draw too much attention to the frame. Our studio offers quality, handcrafted frames at discounted prices for our customers. Choose one of hundreds on display right here at our studio. Our staff will assist you in choosing a frame that will compliment your portrait and your home. When selecting a frame from our studio, your family will receive a 20% discount off the frames original price. Also your portrait will be professionally framed by our staff and ready to hang on your wall. Strukel Photography only guarantees portraits framed at our studio and is not responsible for damages that may occur at other framing stores.