portrait couture

W E L C O M E“Looking beautiful starts by feeling beautiful.”

-Tresor De Luxe

WWelcome to Celestina Elvira’s Modern Women’s Portraiture Guide. I’m incredibly excited to offer you this amazing experience and hope that you find this guide helpful. This guide is designed to help you visualize your experience, with information on what to expect from beginning to end, planning your wardrobe, hair and makeup, accessorizing, and even requesting a custom made tulle dress.

IfIf you have any questions, please feel free to email me at info@celestinaelviraphotography.com This will not only allow me to answer your question, but to incorporate it into this guide to help others going forward.

I’mI’m going to take the best photographs you’ve ever seen of yourself and if I don’t, I will keep trying until I do. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your day of pampering. Be sure to plan a night out because you’re going to look hot!

CUSTOM PIECES

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.”

-Émile Zola

Fine art portraits are captivating. I love taking everydaFine art portraits are captivating. I love taking everyday, real women, and creating portraits that women feel beautiful in. Exploring the fine art side of these shoots is my specialty. I love combining fashion and art to create beautiful images that can be passed down through their family’s generations to come.

IfIf you’re interested in exploring the fine art side of Modern Women’s Portraiture and you would like me to create a custom dress, skirt, and/or headpiece for you to wear, please feel free to ask. Most times, I am able to do this free of charge.

ForFor a custom dress, please email me and we can schedule a time to talk about your individual needs, color selection, size, etc. You are welcome to select from my wardobe of dresses and wraps that I’ve made for previous shoots. If you would like to keep the piece, we can discuss the purchase price.

IfIf a particular color you are looking for is not available, I may be able to create a custom dye to achieve the right color. There are endless possibilities. Just ask!

The day of the shoot, you’ll want to allot approximately 3-4 hours of your day towards your session. You will arrive at the studio at your scheduled time, a “before” photo will be taken and then a hair and makeup artist will talk to you about your hair and makeup vision for your shoot. The hair and makeup artist will take a look at your wardrobe and discuss with you what they recommend and then begin your transformation.

During this time, I may be shooting a video reel. I donDuring this time, I may be shooting a video reel. I don’t always shoot video reels, so if I happen to not be shooting a video reel for your transformation, then during this time, I will determine what background would go great with which outfits, put outfits and accessories together, and continue working until your hair and makeup are completed.

If there is anything you do not like about your hair and makeup, please feel free to If there is anything you do not like about your hair and makeup, please feel free to speak up! My team and I are not at all offended by anything and want you to feel

free to speak up! My team and I are not at all offended by anything and want you to feel comfortable and happy with your look!

The hair and makeup artist may or may not stay for the shoot, depending on their schedule for the day. If you would like them to remain at the shoot for the duration of the shoot to change out your look (different lip color, modifying the hair style, etc) please request this in advance so I can schedule it with the artist.

The shoot will last approximately 1 houThe shoot will last approximately 1 hour. During this time, we will change your outfits about every 15 minutes or so, change backgrounds, and props, such as flowers, the couch for sitting, etc. If there are any areas of your body that you are self concious about, please let me know so I can pose you in a way that flatters

these areas the most. If there are any special requests, please feel free to let me know. Communication is key!

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PHOTO SHOOT

“You are imperfect, permanantly and inevitably awed. And you are beautiful.” - Amy Bloom

•Please•Please be on time. We recognize things don’t always go as scheduled or planned. If you are running behind, please call to let us know. Be sure to have my phone number and address (with gate code) readily available should you need to call or reference my address.

•Sometimes, you may need to cancel or reschedule. Please advise us of cancellations or reschedules at least 48 hours in advance.

•Have•Have your wardrobe ready to go! We are women, so we know that if we wait until the last minute to pick out what we are going to wear, we get frustrated, feel fat in everything, and decide to either throw something together or show up in all black. The best thing to do is to figure out what you want to wear about a week before your session. Go shopping with a girlfriend! Learn what colors and cuts work best for your body shape. If there is a part of your body that you are self concious about, find a garment that flatters that area. For example, if you don’t like your arms, it may be a good idea to avoid clothes that are sleeveless.good idea to avoid clothes that are sleeveless.

•Your hair and makeup are a large part of your wardrobe. Your hair and makeup artist can make recommendations that flow well with your wardrobe and give you anything from a professional headshot to a glammed up evening look. Be sure to discuss your desires with your hair and makeup artist. They are never offended by your comments and suggestions for changes, so please feel free to speak up!

•I have a limited wardrobe that you are welcome to help yourself to for your shoot. If there are any items that you are interested in purchasing, please let me know as I may be able to refer you to a boutique that offers that item. I also have a variety of flowers for head pieces. Feel free to pick from these or bring your own!

•I•I am always happy to make a custom dress for you. Tulle skirts and dresses are “in” right now, so if you’re interested in doing a fine art segment, complete with a Celestina Elvira original piece, be sure to ask me in advance! I’m happy to make up a dress for you!

What happens next? I’m glad you asked! We will schedule your reveal and ordering appointment at your session. Both sessions are held at my studio at 326 W. Kalamazoo in Kalamazoo, MI. Within a few days, the photographs will be culled and edited.. This is where you get to see all of your beautiful photographs. Depending on previous conversation, they may be already printed and matted and ready to be taken home.

During this appointment, you will have the opportunity to purchase the prints, the folio box and/or enlargements and copies of the matted prints for your family and friends.

IfIf you’ve already purchased a folio box, you will get to take all of the matted prints with you in the beautiful folio box. If you haven’t yet purchased a folio box, you will have the opportunity to purchase the folio box with as many prints as you’d like. Whatever you purchase is entirely up to you. For every photograph you purchase, you will receive the digital file Anything purchased during this session that is not readily available (such as custom enlargements) will be ordered and you will be called once it is availble for pickup.

FOLIOS FINE ART PRINTS ALBUMS 950 210 750

PORTRAITS STARTING AT:

$150 SESSION FEEINCLUDES HAIR AND MAKEUP

DIGITALAll portraits purchased from price list are provided in digital negative form as a gift, at no cost. Excluding fine art albums.

USB WITH IMAGES 1700

THANK YOU

“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, “It might have been.” -Kurt Vonnegut

ThankThank you for booking your session with me! Please feel free to reach out to me at any time before or after your shoot with any questions or concerns. I’m truly blessed to photograph women and show them they really are as beautiful on the outside as they are within. Sometimes, a makeover and photo shoot is just what we need to be reminded of it.

JustJust a few suggestions on what to do with your photographs when all is said and done; these photographs can be changed out within frames around your house, they make great gifts for parents and grandparents, they can be used as headshots in your place of business, or even used in a loved one’s cubicle at work.

II hope you are very much looking forward to your session. I can’t wait to blow you away. Stay fabulous.