Are Yearbook Pictures "Good Enough" ?
For over 60 years high school senior pictures haven't changed from the traditional head and shoulders pose of tuxedo-clad and black-draped students. This continues to be the required format for most school yearbooks, even today. These pictures are fine as a record of the students final year of high school, but they do little to show who they really are.
Times have changed! Todays seniors are sophisticated and more media savvy. They strive to stand out from their peers. Unique photos help them express their individuality.
It's all about capturing their personality something that can't be done in the 10-minute, assembly line style of typical yearbook pictures. Even if they have to go to the school photographer for their yearbook picture, todays seniors are finding that they can also have more creative and exciting portraits made that come closer to capturing the look that they enjoy and will appreciate for a lifetime. These are the senior portraits that they will share with friends and family. 
What separates us from all of the other photographers in the area is that we personalize the portrait session and take all the time necessary to create outstanding senior portraits. They won't look just like every other seniors pictures. Typically, we spend an hour with each client, photographing them in our studio and outdoors, and help them to express their personality. Our sessions are very much like modeling sessions and include many outfit changes.
We work with our clients before the session to provide guidance on clothing choices and how best to prepare for the session. When they come in for their session, they already know us and they are confident and relaxed knowing that they are going to be photographed by someone who is truly interested in making them look fantastic in their portraits. That means taking care of dozens of minor details that are often overlooked by other photographers but make the difference between a good snapshot and an awesome portrait. We don't just spend 10 minutes and crank out the same old yearbook picture that looks just like the one your mother had taken when she was in school.
Visit our Web site ( http://www.whiteoconnellphoto.com) and look at our portraits. Then look at your school photographer's pictures. The difference is very clear...and worth it.
How much is a Senior Portrait?
How much is a Senior Portrait?
Sometimes a Senior will call our studio and ask, "How much is a Senior Portrait?" or even... "How much is an 8x10?"
We can give you a ballpark figure of what our seniors spend on average... (about $500 - $800 for boys, about $500 - $1000 for girls) but we can't really tell you an exact figure until we've talked with you a little, and got to know what you're looking for. Of course, you may not know exactly what you want until you see the amazing variety of poses you'll be getting.
The important thing to realize is that a portrait isn't a commodity. A commodity is something that is the same wherever you get it, like sugar or gasoline or notebook paper. You can buy the cheapest notebook paper in the store and you would never know the difference. The price of a portrait depends on where you get it and, quite frankly, how good it is. Portraits are not all the same!
Here's something to think about: How much is a CD? Well, a blank one is about a nickel. You can get a CD of Seals & Crofts Greatest Hits at the Dollar Store for... uh... a dollar, or you can get top hits at Sam Goody for $18.98. Or, you can get a CD with Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition for $36,000.
It's not the round plastic thing you're paying for, it only costs a nickel - you pay for what's on the disk.
(Just for the record, we've never had a portrait order for $36,000.)
(But, if you'd like to be the first, we're game!)
Susan wins 4 blue ribbons at recent Professional Photographers of Massachusetts convention
The prints that were awarded were of Aurora Doughty, one of my favorite subjects ( little girl on swing) which was titled "The Reluctant Princess" The one of the dogs titled "The Odd couple" was from an absolutely hilarious photo shoot I did this past spring for realtor Melanie Anderson. The dogs would do anything she asked them to do, including the little dog sitting in a baby carriage and the larger one standing on his hind legs behind it, with front paws up on the handlebars, pushing it! We made awesome Christmas cards of both images for her ! The photo on the right was taken in Florence , Italy and was recently displayed at the Duxbury Juried art show. And last but not least is the folio on the table of recent Silver Lake High School student Patrice O'Sullivan, titled "Blonde and Beautiful". All prints received top, blue ribbon awards in a competition of photographers from all over the state of Massachusetts.
Few gifts are more appreciated than portraits, and Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell Gift Certificates are a beautiful and easy way to give our fine art portraiture as a gift to your friends and loved ones.
Our gift certificates make an elegant statement to the gift recipient. The rich watercolor paper certificate is wrapped in an equally stylish folded studio brochure card so your gift recipient can immediately see the exceptional quality of our photography and the value of your thoughtful gift.
Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell Gift certificates can be activated for any amount, applied towards creation fees or any studio merchandise, and can be combined with other gift certificates and special offers.
Purchase and activate your White-O'Connell Gift Certificate by calling our studio at 781.826.8189 or by clicking here or the link above to order online. Checks, Amex, Visa, Discover, and MasterCard are accepted as payment. Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell Gift Certificates make great last minute gifts. All Gift Certificate orders are available for pickup or shipped within one business day and most are available or shipped the same day.
What's it Worth?
"My Mom is taking my senior pictures..."
"My Friend is taking my senior pictures."
"My Friend's Mom is taking my senior pictures."
With digital cameras getting better and better, some seniors wonder about spending money for Senior Portaits from a studio like Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell.
What's wrong with that? Nothing really--if you're happy with your senior portraits, that's all that matters. But substitute the words "senior pictures" for...
"My Mom is making my prom dress."
"My Friend is doing my hair for my wedding."
"My Friend's Mom is removing my appendix..."
You know that Senior Portraits aren't just wallet-sized pieces of paper. Sure, maybe your friend can put a sheet around your neck and give you a haircut, but does that compare to a visit to a nice salon -- maybe even a day-spa -- with the extra attention and special treatment you get? (Not to mention the quality of the haircut!)
Your session with Susan or Mark will surprise you, because it's fun! (And guys, we're talking to you too -- no matter how "bad" you are!)
And what about the Portraits themselves?
Sure, digital cameras solve many of the technical problems that used to keep pictures from "turning out". But do you want portraits that "turned out", or do you want more?
We just don't take your picture and hope it'll "turn out". We guarantee your portraits -- in fact we don't just say you'll be satisfied -- our guarantee states that you must be love your portraits.
We can make this guarantee, because (even though you can't tell it by looking at Mark) we know what we're doing. The difference between an "okay" portrait and a great one has a lot to do with how you feel while it's being made. We know how to make you look your very best by making you feel your very best.
Yes, it's more expensive to go to Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell, but think about this: if you only spend $100, but it's torture getting them taken, and in the end you don't really like them, you just threw away a hundred bucks!
With Susan and Mark, you'll invest a little more, but you'll never regret it. You'll have fun at your session, and you'll love your portraits!
When you add the experience of a lifetime to the portraits of a lifetime, you can see why Senior Portraits from Photography by Susan White & Mark O'Connell are such a great value, and one that will remain with you and your family for years to come! We guarantee you'll love your portraits, and we guarantee you'll have fun getting them.
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