I photograph high school seniors, families, boudoir, contemporary glamour portraits, but have you ever thought about pushing the limit with your photoshoot? I also photograph another genre, creative portrait.

How is a creative portrait different from a portrait?

Creative portraits generally involve more wardrobe. When I say wardrobe that could be anything from a fox costume to a vintage flapper outfit. It could mean renting a designer gown. It could mean purchasing a Marie Antionette wig. There are no limits to where you imagination can take you.

Also, creative portraits can involve more makeup. You may need someone who can specialize in giving you lizard skin. You may want regular makeup but tuned up a notch.

Your posing is more in keeping with your look and feel of the photoshoot. Who is this person we are trying to capture? How would they fold their hands or cross their legs? We will work through all kinds of posing to find that right moment.

The set will most definitely be more complex. We will talk in depth about props and colors.

Editing on your creative portrait is much more detailed. Bringing together the final image for a creative portrait is much more labor intensive.

The photoshoot will take twice as long as a regular session. The makeup will take longer to put on, it will take you longer to get into your outfit, and it will take longer to light. Count on a creative photoshoot lasting 4 hours.

How do you begin to find who you are in a creative portrait?

If this idea lights you up, I suspect you already know where to start. To nail down what you really want, start looking on Pinterest to see what fires you up. Let yourself go down rabbit holes and find those images that speak to you. Create a board of those images and you will start to see a common denominator.

It is so much fun to take a concept that is in your head and turn it into something real. To will a vision into the physical world is the most rewarding aspect of photography.

I love photographing these types of creative portraits. That is one reason I called my portrait business, Dreamspeed. What is the speed of your dreams? Who are you in your dreams? I would love to hear your ideas! There is something special about having a creative portrait. Not only do you have moment captured of who you are at a certain time, you have captured your dream life. Remembering who you where in your dreams is extremely personal.