How to Prepare for a Portrait Photo Shoot

People often ask us, is there anything I need to do to prepare for our portrait photo shoot?  Here are our top tips of advice to help you to prep for the day:

1.  Research Pinterest!

One of the first things we ask our clients is what would you like to see out of our portrait photography session?  Often times, our clients already have a vision or an idea of what type of photographs they would like captured and we will ask them to share their ideas or Pinterest boards with us.  It is often one of the first things we do to prepare for our shoot.  We will create a "story board" of images and share the board with you to ensure we reflect what you are looking for in your photo shoot.  Sunset vs sunrise, rural vs. urban settings or a specific theme in mind...we do our homework!  We often bring the story board along with us on the day of the shoot as it helps our clients relax and get into a pose easily.  Check out our photo shoots and story boards on our Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/vintagephotoyeg/

2.  What to Wear:

What to wear can be a daunting task to get everyone ready for the day.  We love when our clients send us ideas of their outfits ahead of time.  That way we can assist in making any recommendations given the location and/or theme we are shooting.  A few helpful hints are:

• Our first priority has always been to suggest being comfortable. When you love what you are wearing and it fits you well, you will be more comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera.  
• For couples/families, coordinating and complementary colors look great on-camera, and is a little more modern than everyone wearing the exact same color. It also allows room for individual personalities to shine through and showcases everyone’s personal style and personality. We suggest avoid wearing logos and large, distracting patterns.  Bold colors always pop off the screen and look great in images. We usually suggest avoiding wearing all white if we are shooting in full sun as it tends to wash a person’s complexion out. Colors can set the tone and can reflect the setting and/or season. If you are up for it, coordinate with the season - warm colors for summer and fall; cool colors for winter and spring.  
• Layers are a fantastic way to add visual interest to your photos. Accessories are also great to change up looks and make your photos uniquely you. Think scarves, hats, sunglasses, shoes, jewelry, etc. 
• Feel free to bring outfit changes! Any way to express your personal style is welcome! 

3. What to Bring:
Bring yourselves and be ready to have some fun and share a few laughs!  The only thing we really need for great photos is your family and your personalities. However if you’re up for it, simple props can really enhance a session. Nothing elaborate, bring anything meaningful to you such as a beloved toy, a special chair or maybe you would like some shots of you with your motorcycle or car.  To add some fun factor, bring bubbles, balloons, sunglasses or hats. You are welcome to bring anything that creates opportunity to tell your story.  We also have a variety of props that we are known to bring for our shoots including a vintage-style couch, blankets, hats and luggage.  The sky is the limit in this department.

Oh, and for families with little ones…it’s a good idea to have snacks and beverages on hand to ensure tummies are filled and happy. We also found that noise makers or toys that grab younger children’s attention for a shot is very handy in getting everyone to look in the same direction. And, don’t forget treats for your pets!

4.  Where to Go:
Edmonton offers an endless variety of areas to shoot indoors or outdoors.  We typically like to suggest a variety between urban buildings, brick or graffiti walls to natural settings with lush trees, park benches and interesting fence lines.  If mother nature is not cooperating, we also have access to The Photographer's Studio.  The studio offers a variety of different scenes to create wonderful images.  We will offer some suggestions of places we’ve been, but we have always found that where you feel there is a connection that is the best place to have your photos taken! We will tailor the location that suits you best!

5.  Shoot Day Prep:

On the day of your shoot, depending on the type of portrait session here are a few helpful hints:

• Come clean shaven.
• Pack your outfits changes the night before.
• Ladies, paint your nails.
• Get a good night's rest.
• Avoid any foods that may make you feel bloated on the day of the shoot.
• Wear loose clothing on the day of the shoot to avoid markings on your skin.
• Style your hair and makeup that makes you feel like you.  

If you are interested in getting pampered, we work with an extremely talented hair and makeup artist, Sondra.  Sondra owns and operates Blonde Ambition Beauty which is a freelance mobile hair and make-up studio. She can travel on location or to your home to help you get ready for the photo shoot.

Please note that if you are looking to book an in-studio photography session or Sondra from Blonde Ambition Beauty, we require a minimum of one week notice to do so!

6.  Lastly, we are here to help!

Ensuring your shoot goes off without a hitch is our number one priority and we are here to assist our clients in any way.  Please ask us as many questions as you like, the goal is for you to have fun, relax and laugh...in our minds that is what makes a beautiful portrait.

What is Film Noir Photography?

It is no surprise that we love all things Vintage, but when we were looking to expand our photography portfolio and started researching the 1940s and 1950s, we fell in love with Film Noir Photography!

Film Noir, meaning “dark” or “black” was a term used to describe the style of filmmaking for Hollywood crime dramas in the 1940s and 50s. It uses a low-key black and white visual style that exudes a mood of mystery, intrigue and the dramatic. In photography, film noir is used to produce sultry black and white images using minimal lighting and interesting shadowing.

For us, we wanted to provide our clients with a portrait photography experience that mixes classic Old Hollywood Glamour with the intrigue of Film Noir. We use inspiration from the Hollywood actors and actresses such as Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Hedy Lamarr and Rita Hayworth.







Our portraits are breath-taking in both color and black and white. The focal point is the typically a head shot of the individual(s). We typically guide our clients through some dynamic editorial head shot poses using mostly props or hands within the image. The look is often more serious, sultry or dramatic. To be honest, it is perfect for anyone who typically does not like to smile in a picture.

We encourage our female clients to wear something with an interesting neckline and dramatic vintage-style accessories such as hats, fascinators, jewelry, stoles and gloves. A cocktail dress, plunging neckline top or even a prom or grad dress make a great outfit selections! We also have a small selection of dresses for our clients to choose from our vintage-inspired closet. For men, we like the simplicity of a collared dress shirt, suit and fedora.

The great thing about Film Noir photography is that it can be taken virtually anywhere a dark or moody setting can be recreated. We can shoot with our blinds closed tight in a living room, in studio or a late night in the streets of downtown Edmonton. This makes us very flexible to bring this photography style to you! Our HMUA, Sondra from Blonde Ambition Beauty loves to makeover our clients into Hollywood movie stars.



Whether you are looking for some dynamic and unique photographs of yourself or are wanting to create a couple or family shot that is timeless, join Vintage Photography as they recreate the classics with their Film Noir and Old Hollywood Glamour photography. For more information, please visit our website at www.vintage-photography.ca or keep up to date with our most recent work on Instagram at @vintagephotographyab.

The essence of Pin-Up

Many people ask us, what made us get into Pin-Up?  We really wanted to introduce a new kind of photography to Edmontonians.  We want to empower women to step back in time and experience a "new" type of sensual and sultry photography.

Pin-up first became popular in the early 1900's.  "Pin-up" refers to photos of women that are meant to be pinned up on walls for admiration.  It was burlesque performers who first started the trend of pin-up in order to advertise themselves.  Girls were mostly clothed and were usually in a playful pose or giving their audience a "peak".  The underlying meaning of the photo still said sex appeal and props were used in a more innocent capacity to tease the viewer.

We wanted to stay true to the pin-up photos, maintaining a mostly clothed style, incorporating looks and poses that are playful with a little bit of sex appeal.  When we thought of honoring the style and era of pin-up, we too thought of women who may be more comfortable doing a pin-up shoot vs a bourdoir shoot.  We want to empower women to embrace the femininity, be confident in expressing themselves in a playful, sensual and sexy way without having to "show it all".  In our minds, "the tease" is a perfect gift to get your loved one dreaming of more...

For many of our clients, they ask us "how do we pose for a pin-up shoot"?  For the playful facial expressions, one of my favorite tips is the exaggerating "A-E-I-O-U" of facial expressions.  I usually suggest practicing what they look like in the mirror to find out what suits your face the best.

As for posing, Pinterest offers a wealth of different posing tips for pin-up.  My favorites would be rocking out a hip, sticking the booty out or perking up the breasts all the while giving the viewer a little tease of your cleavage, legs or booty.  You always want to play and embrace every curve you got!  Here are a few poses pinned from Pinterest to inspire the pin-up goddess in you:

We'd love for you to join us for a pin-up shoot to practice this gorgeous style of photography and honor an era gone by.  For more information on our style of photography, please visit our website at www.vintage-photography.ca

Wedding Season is Upon Us!

This will be our third year in business for our Vintage Photo Booth and one things for sure, we LOVE wedding season.  This year we have some very exciting news to share with our clients!  We have two new packages to offer!

The first is a 3 hour photo booth package coupled with Chad & Dre as your wedding photographer's for full day coverage plus a FREE engagement session!  As we embark booking more of our wedding photography, we are offering this special package for $2000 + gst.  The couple will receive a USB of all of the guest photo booth pictures and all professionally edited photographs from the engagement session and wedding day.  We love photography and we love sharing all aspects of our business with our couples at an affordable price.

The second package is a 3 hour photo booth package coupled with DJ services from SOUNDfonix for $1500 + gst (basic dance package) or $1600 + gst (lights dance package).  We have partnered with SOUNDfonix in order to continue to assist couples in making their

wedding planning simple and stress-free.  We have become your one-stop-shop for entertainment at your wedding!


When Aaron from SOUNDfonix reached us on partnering our services together, we were thrilled! Our shared philosophy of providing personalized customer service that exceeds those of bigger companies, made our two companies a match made in heaven!  No hidden fees, no extra costs, we offer a full entertainment package that takes care of every detail for your special night! 

For more information on Aaron from SOUNDfonix, please see his webiste at http://www.soundfonixent.com/

We also continue to offer our enclosed photo booth and #hashtag photo booth to Edmonton and surrounding area for 2 hours, 3 hours or 4 hours of rental time.  What makes us different than other photo booth companies out there is that we always work as a couple at every event.  We ensure your guests are getting the most of their photo booth experience and we deliver a high level of service. Chad typically ensures the guests get the best possible photos when inside the booth as he coaches them through the booth and I usually assist the guests with their prop and character selections and ensure that they get their prints in a timely fashion.  We also have sourced our props from all over the world.  We pay particular attention to how they are displayed on the table as opposed to being thrown into a tupperware container on the floor.  We also have a vintage mirror so guests can prep and style prior to entering the booth.  Time and time again, our guests tell us that we are the best booth they have ever experienced.  For more information on our booth packages, please visit our website at www.vintagephotobooth.ca