PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A PRO

from July/August 2023

CITY GEMS ALBERTA ARTS DISTRICT

FOR THIS ISSUE WE SPOKE TO PERENNIAL BEST OF THE VALLEY (PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY) WINNER HOLLY PETERSON FROM THE BALL PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A GREAT PORTRAIT.

WL: Hi Holly, it seems like now that everyone has a smart phone, everybody is a photographer. What do you do that makes your portraits so much better?

HP: Yes, I think I read somewhere that the average user has around 2,100 photos on their phone. So, I often wonder too why our little studio keeps being busy. But, you know Just yesterday one of my clients was viewing her family images from a recent session and she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said " this is why we came here. You captured who we are as a family, and they look so beautiful. My husband has a very expensive Canon camera, and he doesn’t make us look like this.” I absolutely love the digital age and smart phones. But they don’t make someone a portrait photographer.

WL: What’s your specialty? Families? Grads? Pets? All the above?

HP: I’ve personally photographed over 5,000 families and I’m still fascinated and excited to create more. I think parents realize that they only really have 18 summers to spend with their kids in the home and that the opportunity to capture and preserve the memories is limited. Within a family sitting I also love to surround the grandchildren with just grandma and grandpa. Or do individual studies of the children and including the family dogs can make the portrait even more meaningful. So I would say families with all their uniqueness. And creating art for their home and the subject matter is someone they love.

WL: How does a photo session with you go? Do you have sample of your past work to show clients? Do you help pose people, and make them comfortable?

HP: The design process for portrait art begins when someone books with us. I meet with a client for a short consultation in the studio and I listen to what matters most to them. And why is the family gathering? Graduation, a new baby, an anniversary or a realization that they may never be together in the same way ever again. And yes, we discuss the walls in their homes and especially what they want to be wearing and some suggestions.

WL: What’s the turnaround time for a portrait? What is involved?

HP: Clients should allow about 8 weeks. Capture is important but is only half of what we do to prepare an image for printing. We create a curated presentation to show the different images for pose selection. Then we create workprints to analyze color and add details for artwork that will be incorporated.

WL: What does a portrait cost? Are there different printing options like canvas?

HP: Most of our clients begin spending at a $1,500 level. They can have a variety of portraits to hang and perhaps an album. Every selected pose includes a digital file for posting and printing small items like holiday cards.

WL: Do you do post-shoot touch ups to remove wrinkles, red eyes, spots on clothes, etc.?

HP: Yes, artwork beyond the “photoshop” look I think is what we specialize in. We help our subjects look their best and not look tired or older than they feel in a very natural interpretation. Now we have perfected a 5 lbs slimmer process that is so natural.

WL: What’s the best thing to wear for a portrait? Are certain colors better than others?

HP: It’s nice when people choose colors that they use in their homes. Probably avoid having a matching look but using the same color family with different tones. The book I wrote goes into quite a bit of detail on what to wear and our website has information.

WL: How do you deal with people who wear glasses? Like in terms of glare and reflections?

HP: We remove glare and reflections.

WL: How long have you been doing this? Wasn’t this a family business started quite a while back?

HP: The studio is over a 100 years old now and it has been very sad to lose Mom two years ago. I was so fortunate to be in the business with my parents for over 25 years. We had so much fun together. I’m the 4th gen- eration portrait photographer in my family. The Ball Studio was started in 1912 by our great-grandparents and is the oldest continually family-owned portrait studio in the country. We have been in the same location on SW 6th street for 56 years. It’s an honor to be one of the three oldest family businesses in Corvallis with Blackledge Furniture and Robnetts Hardware.

WL: Do you have plans for retirement yourself?

HP: I really don’t. I’m still fascinated and thrilled to bring an image up to its full potential for display. Knowing also that if someone is in front of my camera they are loved. Whether its a dog, a graduating senior, a child or a family, it’s love being represented and that’s timeless and priceless. And I have a wonderful team of artists and printers and photographers that help me make that happen over and over again.

About Holly

Holly Peterson is the author of The Art of The Family Portrait, which is available to order from Amazon. She has photographed over 4,000 family groups, and is the owner of The Ball Studio Photography. The oldest continually family-owned portrait studio in the country; est.1912.