Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9412080006
SECTION: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PAGE: HGG-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Sarah Hazlegrove, a Roanoke photographer, said she began taking portraits professionally almost three years ago. Prior to that, she took pictures of family friends at special events. While she lived in Paris, she started charging for her talents. There, she took pictures of families that were sent home as Christmas cards.
Now back in Roanoke, she said the market for holiday portraits has been amazing. She has done family portraits, for instance, several years in a row for family albums. She does a lot of reorders this time of year, too - for instance, portraits taken last spring may be resurrected for Christmas presents or put on a photo card.
Although photo studios often use backdrops, and some prefer that, Hazlegrove said she is "tired of fake backdrops and little wicker chairs. I offer a variety of different things.''
She prefers photographing outdoors in natural light because she believes it gives a warmer feeling with a sense of closeness. And late afternoon or early evening light is best, in her opinion, because it makes people look healthier. If the outdoors doesn't work for some reason, she'll use people's homes or other settings.
Her routine is fairly basic, she said. When a client calls her on the phone, (her studio phone number is 343-5933) she said they'll discuss the project- how many different people will be photographed, and how many different combinations of people? Will individual portraits be involved? And something she feels very strongly about - wardrobing - will be discussed.
Hazlegrove, who works in sales at the women's clothing store Frances Kahn, said her modeling and sales background have given her a good feeling about both clothes and makeup.
"I try to get them to wear colors that work well together - no neons and loud patterns. And I don't care for three-piece suits for outdoors,'' she said. She also advises her clients to check their makeup outdoors because the natural light accentuates it, making it seem false and heavy. Hazlegrove said that sometimes she even does the makeup.
Apparently snapping the camera is only one of her duties. Hazelgrove said helping people relax in front of the camera is important, and that women are more uncomfortable than men while being photographed.
One trick, she said, is to instill confidence by making encouraging remarks. And with kids, it's important to try to keep the sittings under one hour. She often makes a deal with the children: She said she tells them that if they do what she wants, she'll let them make crazy faces for the camera, too.
Just recently, Hazlegrove said she's started carrying some unique picture frames that suit her square negative format. In addition, she offers albums with engraved names.
"Pictures are a wonderful, inexpensive gift for people. They're nice to have, and to get, especially for people who live out of town.''
Glenn Comeau, who owns Photography by Glenn in Blacksburg, said the holiday season is his busiest time of year, especially for portraits for parents and grandparents. He suggested that in choosing a portrait photographer, one of the very first things to do is to look at their work.
"Don't go by dollars and cents. Take a look at the photos on the wall, or ask if the photographers even took them,'' he said, pointing out that sometimes the photography displayed in a professional studio may not have been taken by the resident photographer.
Next, see if you like the style. Comeau said he has clients that have come to his studio from as far away as North Carolina, and that his being in business for 17 years says something about his quality.
He also advises that you should find out how long the studio been in business. Another item to ask about is the negative size. He uses a professional, 6-inch-by-7 inch negative, he said, from which he gets a better quality print. He advised avoiding photographers using 35-millimeter.
He, like Hazlegrove, doesn't go in for emphasis on backdrops too much. Comeau said there is too much emphasis put on them, and it distracts from the main subject.
Before taking a photograph, he said he always makes clothing suggestions, such as avoiding extremely light or dark colors or wild prints.
"This is not a fashion shoot. Too many people get involved in the fashion thing,'' he said.
As for hair, he suggests that haircuts not be fresh. With women, if a drastic cut has just occurred, give it a little time before coming in for a photo.
Photos, he said, are an excellent idea as a holiday present. "First of all, it's only something that you can give. And it's perfect for someone you don't see often,'' he said.
Ann Masters, executive director of the Clean Valley Council and also an art consultant, said that having a portrait done is scary and tough. She said that more important than looking at the cost of a portrait is evaluating the artists and coming up with one who is in line with your style.
"You have to find out who they are, visit the studio, and look at samples of their work,'' she said. Ask them, she advised, what they charge for head and shoulders versus full body. Ask about pencil, pastel, and oil costs
"You're going to look first for style, and next for pocketbook, because you're going to have to live with it,'' she said, also pointing out that clients have to decide whether they want photo-realism or more abstract style.
"There's room for compromise,'' said Masters. If you can't afford an oil portrait from an artist that you've decided is the absolute one for you, maybe go for a less- expensive pastel or settle for head and shoulders instead of full body. She suggested calling the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, who keeps an artist registry, for starters.
Vera Dickerson, an area artist, said that although she charges the same for her pastel and oil portraits, size can determine a variation in cost. Her low-end prices are about $600 for a head and shoulders, and can go up to $1500 for three-quarters length.
This is unframed, although she said that occasionally she will stretch a canvas around to the back so that it can be hung unframed. Dickerson, who said she's been doing this for 20 years, often uses a combination of photos and sittings to complete a portrait, and she likes to take her own photographs. She also spends time trying to get to know the personality of her client. After that, she draws small studies to pick from. Backgrounds can vary from very simple to fairly complex outdoor scenes.
She said it helps to know where the portrait is going to hang, and although she won't try to match the color of a sofa, she also is aware of any conflicting colors. Next, she does a one-to-one scale drawing for the client, and even if the portrait is small, she likes to include hands.
"I like hands - the way that hands develop tells a lot about a person,'' she said.
Dickerson said she likes about three months lead time, but with oil paintings she goes back after six months to varnish them after they are completely dry. She advises finding out who the local artists are and what their styles are, which can be done by visiting local art galleries, or calling them on the phone and looking at slides of their work.
"It shouldn't be a pressured situation. You need to like their style,'' she said.
by CNB