Portraits Archives - Page 4 of 13 - Sarah Deane Photography Studio Newcastle

How to prepare for a portrait photoshoot: essential tips for men

18 January 2021/0 Comments/in Commercial, Portraits/by Sarah Deane

Whether you’re looking for a stunning personal portrait or factoring in the importance of a professional profile picture, there are a handful of things you should do to prepare for your shoot at my Newcastle Photography studio. You want great photos and I want you to walk away super happy. And we can do that together. So, men! What do I need you to think about before you head to the shoot? The following essential tips will help us get you a great portrait.

Look after your skin

The best portraits show you off in the most natural way possible. And that’s how I like to work. If you do want photos re-touched to cover blemishes, bags under the eyes etc. that can, of course, be done. But the less refinishing we do, the better your portrait is going to look. After all, the last thing you want is a photo that’s been so altered it doesn’t look like you.

So, how can you look after your skin before the shoot? Time for a little bit of male grooming… if you don’t already. That means cleansing and moisturising daily. Drinking plenty of water, and making sure you get enough sleep. Give your skin the support it needs and it’ll look great in the pictures.

Grooming

We’ve got the ball rolling with skin care, but there are a couple of other areas to consider. These include:

• Teeth. Consider having them professionally cleaned if you feel the need, but certainly try to avoid anything that could cause staining or damage to your teeth. Look after your teeth and they’ll look after you. I want you to feel confident when you smile for the camera!

• Facial hair. Gents, the last thing we want on your portrait is frizzy hair. Men with beards should keep them tamed and trim. If you’re unsure whether your facial hair looks untidy (and it’s not something that you’ve been carefully cultivating for months), consider trimming to tidy stubble or going clean shaved.

Go for a trim

If your hair is a little unruly, or it’s been a while since you last had a cut, unless this is your desired style it’s definitely a good idea to go for a trim before we start the shoot. But. It’s not a great idea to do it the day before – a week in advance is about right.

It might also not be the best time to go for something drastic or try out a completely new style. Instead, just have a tidy up or a quick trim to create a sharper fresher look. Men look a lot more polished in their portraits with a tidy haircut, so get it booked in.

Get your clothes ready

Do you need a professional portrait for business? Something for your modelling portfolio? Or an actor’s shot? Smart or casual? Whatever it is, you want options when it comes to your clothes. So, take some time to think about what those options could be, making sure that your outfits are laundered before the shoot. Bring several options with you so we can shoot different looks and choose the best.

If you have any questions, just ask

I take a tailored approach to all of my shoots and treat every client with care and consideration. If you have any questions about anything to do with the preparation or the shoot itself, just call or contact me through my website. You’ll also find galleries, reviews and pricing information if you click here

Put these preparation tips into play and I promise we’ll get the shot you want.

Newcastle Photography Charity Face Masks

13 August 2020/0 Comments/in Assorted, Commercial, Portraits/by Sarah Deane

One of the first photography commissions I was asked to do after lockdown eased was so perfectly fitting for current times! A face mask product shoot for local Newcastle based charity Clothe & Feed, no less! Rob Turnbull the charity’s founder got in touch and needed various portrait photos of their new handmade mask range on models ranging in age, cultural diversity, sex, size and height.

It was a particularly fun and interesting shoot as Rob handed over a good deal of creative direction of the portrait and product photos to me, so I made it all about the colour! The brief was to create eye-catching block colour backdrops ie boxes of colour with a masked model within and we agreed the shots should show a little character to add personality to the product. We wanted a ‘something for everybody’ vibe!

Having chosen a colour scheme for the Colorama backdrops, (pumpkin, leaf, forget-me-not, buttercup-all the plant colours!) when the models arrived dressed with a box of beautifully made masks, I paired mask fabrics to their clothing and a background colour. It was fab to get the creative juices flowing! A particular favourite colour combo of mine is orange and blue (opposites on the colour wheel therefore perfectly matched) and so this was to be the strongest theme for the photography throughout. Particularly as Charity Masks logo is blue and all the funds go to North East not for profit charity Clothe and Feed, which has an orange logo. Just perrrfick!

The models Rob organised were absolutely incredible for many reasons, 1- they weren’t professional but performed as such, 2- they were giving up their time for a Face Mask charity that helps underprivileged parents and vulnerable children in Newcastle, 3- they looked fantastic, posed well and presented themselves beautifully in their own well thought out clothing and accessories. There is even a FOUR! They were all SO up for it! Such fun to work with and everyone left with a smile on their face. Big shout to the amazing Joan who was 91 and this was her first trip out of home in 4 months!

I was thrilled with the results and so here some some faves from the photography taken in my studio that day! To find out more, to support the charity or simply to stock up on what I’ve found to be the most breathable and comfy masks out of all I have tried, use the links above! Oh and…watch out for vending machines in Intu shopping centres coming soon!

Children’s Portfolio Photography

15 May 2020/0 Comments/in Fashion, Portraits/by Sarah Deane

Meet Millie!

You can’t help but fall in love with Millie when you meet her. She is full of life, sweet natured and has a little twinkle in her eye which is always visible, never waning once throughout our recent shoot. Millie, 8 is a child model, dancer, singer, swimmer and all round ace performer.

She came to the studio in January this year with her Mum Jo, a colleague of mine from my Venture Portrait in Gosforth, Newcastle in the mid 2000’s and who owns the amazing Decote Dance group in Whitley Bay. Together as a team we created a really varied and colourful portfolio. We wanted photography that had a fashion angle but with personality and character combined. We went for lots of different looks, some edgy and sporty, some sweet and feminine and some fun and energetic. I wanted to capture highlights of Millie’s personality, paired with the outfits Jo brought along. These elements together with my suggestions on composition and lighting created a fantastic fresh new portfolio for Millie and her Mum. It was a really creative and fun shoot!

Many children start early with their model portfolios, attending shoots nationally for work and gaining experience with different photography studios and production companies. It can be a lot of fun if you enjoy it like Millie does and her brand new bank of images now means that she can enter competitions in all areas of her expertise, gain agency interest and refresh her social media online presence.

Below are a selection of Millie’s model photos below, so see what you think. If you know a child who’d like to try it out, my studio is a super friendly place to start out and I will always help you and your child feel comfortable and at ease. You can find more information, client reviews and portfolio pricing if you visit this page on my website

YMCA Portraits

11 May 2020/0 Comments/in Commercial, Portraits, PR and Editorial/by Sarah Deane

Just before lockdown I worked with the YMCA in Newcastle on their Urban Mushroom project, capturing photos of the grow-your-own kits they sell made from recycled local coffee grains. It’s a genius idea and more mushroom images will be shared when they go live. Part of the photography brief was to capture urban portraits in Newcastle city centre of the local youth that the scheme employs.

The YMCA are an exciting new client for me and one of the fist things I discussed when meeting Calvin, the Marketing Officer at YMCA Newcastle, was the infamous song! I was curious to know whether it felt relevant to the work they do now. I’d thought the memorable 1970’s Village People’s flamboyance was worlds apart from what the charity does today but did you know that the song was celebrating the YMCA help given to young gay men who were rejected by family and turfed out of home? The YMCA charity gave accommodation to those homeless young men and so Calvin explained the history of the organisation was well respected in this song. Now the YMCA supports both young men and women in all areas of life and Urban Mushrooms is an important employment scheme in Newcastle’s YMCA.

My main focus for the portrait shoot was the amazing Wilton who is employed by the Urban Mushroom scheme. He was a super star and surprisingly tolerant of me pointing a camera in his direction for several hours! I got some atmospheric shots of him and YMCA staff too by simply crossing the road from their premises and using the alleyway next to the Tyneside Cinema. So many brick textures, backdrop colours and lighting styles in that one street!

The brief was to capture a more relaxed expression, so not necessarily smiling as this can appear unappealing, staged and possibly unrealistic to the younger target market the YMCA want to attract. We also discussed the use of dimension and angles to fit with the YMCA style of photography and branding currently on their website. It was a clear and creative brief (the best of course) and the mood and expression needed to be just right. It was also a different type of shoot for me as I usually encourage people to smile although I did get a few smilers at the end though. Obviously!

For more information on the YMCA Newcastle and it’s work click here

Newcastle Model Photography

13 December 2019/0 Comments/in Portraits/by Sarah Deane

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