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Creative Mayhem

Have you ever had your picture taken and wished you were sitting in a dentist's chair instead?  Yeah, me too.  I’m Patrick Luke, and I own Luke Photography.  The dentist reference is why I like to bring a little "personal creative mayhem" to each session, whenever it calls for it.

If the session is fun for you, it’s going to be for me, too.  I try to make every session fun and a great experience for you.  If senior portraits are important to you, and you want to take the time to do them right, you deserve the best experience possible.  I want you walking out with a smile on your face every time you leave the studio.

Although I have over 35 years in business, I’m constantly learning new techniques from some of the best photographers in the country, and I’m always making stuff up on the spot during every session..  I’ve developed a dynamic approach to senior portraits, and hope that you can share your portraits with others and have them say, “I’ve never seen anything like that before”.

I am glad that you’ve taken the first step in contacting the studio for your senior portraits, and excited for the opportunity to work with you.  No, really, I am.  Everyone that comes into the studio is a clean canvas, and deserves our best each and every day.  Great photography.  A sense of humor.  Always professional.  And a lot of gratitude that this is what I get to do each and every day…..for you.

A walk-through behind-the-scenes tour of our 2,000 square foot commercial studio.
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Let Luke Photography Tell ”Your” Story

No matter what it is..

NYS law says that you can go anywhere you want to go for your senior portraits. Your school can only suggest photographers to go to….they cannot make you pick one over the other. So it is your choice.

If you make the mistake of shopping for senior portraits based on price only, or your only criteria is that they have “a nice camera”, do you think you’ll get anything more than poorly lit, inexpensive snapshots that will say absolutely nothing about you?  If you can take better photos with your cell phone, why go to them in the first place?

At Luke Photography, we photograph 70-90 high school seniors every year.  We don’t conduct more than 3 to 4 sessions per day, which allows us the time to make each and every session unique to you.  That can mean going on-location to somewhere important to you, or instantly creating a new set in the studio to highlight one of your hobbies or a certain clothing choice.

The limited number of sessions also allows our creativity to flow freely, and lets us create images that we’ve never done before, instead of getting the same photos as everyone else.

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You want to do “what”?

“Ohhh yeah, that sounds like fun”

Imagine this girl’s face when I told her I wanted to bury her in M&Ms, simply because her initials are MM?  Did she think we were crazy?  Yes she did.  But she also thought it was a great idea and bought into it, and we had great fun executing this one.  There were M&Ms all over the studio afterwards, because yes, we did it with real M&Ms, it wasn’t done in Photoshop.

What makes you special?  What is your favorite thing to do?  Sports? Music? Books?  Video games?  Being goofy?

If we don’t create a portrait of you doing those things now, when are you going to do it?  You can do it on your own with a cell phone, but why not let Luke Photography create something for you that’s never been done before….something you can’t do yourself?  This is the time to do it.  Let’s make it epic.

Let Luke Photography tell your story...the way you want it to be told.  There is no reason that high school seniors shouldn’t walk out of their portrait session being thrilled with the results. We’ll show you how you can do that.

click here to See a Gallery of Senior Portraits

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What to Expect Before the Session

“I’m new to the senior portrait thing”

 The most successfully sessions start with a short 45-minute portrait consultation, so we can get a good understanding of who you are, and what you are like. While I prefer to conduct this consultation in person at the studio, it can be completed by video conferencing or on a phone call.

During this initial consultation, we’ll discuss your vision for the session and we’ll make clothing, location, and prop suggestions that will make your session unique to you and only you.  We’ll also show you the prints and products that are available, and discuss price ranges and your budget.

The consultation is not mandatory and, best of all, there is no additional cost to you.  But it is invaluable.


CLick here to Book a consultation

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Clothing and Accessories

“I have nothing to wear…”

Nothing strikes a feeling of paralysis more than planning a portrait session.

What should I wear?  Should I buy new clothes?  What color looks best on me?  Should I smile?  What about my glasses?  Relax and take a deep breath.  It really doesn’t have to be that bad.  Here are a few tips to think about that I hope will ease your mind and make you less stressful…at least for the time being.
   

Clothing

Ideally, your clothes should describe your personality, and be flattering for your body shape and size.  We always suggest that you choose solid colors...busy designs and patterns will distract from your face.  Cool colors (blue, green, grey, and black) tend to recede, letting your face dominate the frame.  Warm colors (red, orange) jump forward from the photograph and compete with faces for attention. 

 

Eyeglasses

If you wear eyeglasses, you should have your portrait taken with them.  There are several things to do to avoid glare of the lenses, so we'll minimize reflections through the correct placement of studio lights.  If glare cannot be avoided, then the latest digital retouching techniques can be used to remove glare (extra fees do apply for retouching).


Hair and Makeup

Wear your hair the way you like it best on the day or your portrait session.  Don’t try a new hair style, and don’t get your hair cut the week before your sitting, or afterwards, until you’ve seen the images.  Loose ends will pick up light and show prominently; a light spray will help reduce loose ends.  Don’t wash your hair just before your session; just-washed hair may appear frizzy, and can be a nightmare to retouch.

We do work with a local hair and makeup artist, Nikki Mitrakos (Love and Style On Salon) if you want the full fashion shoot experience. She offers special deals to Luke Photography customers, and you can choose to do hair, makeup, or both.  Her photo-ready techniques are perfect for our photography, and we highly recommend her for those looking for a complete experience for your session.

 

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Sessions

“What can we do?”

Sessions are usually scheduled in the summer before their senior year starts. This is because most HS yearbook staffs design the senior section first, and the senior picture yearbook deadlines for most schools are in October, although they range from late September to early December for most local schools.

We do include yearbook photos in every session (especially if there are requirements for the photos) and, once you’ve selected your favorite photo for the yearbook, we retouch and submit the photo directly to the school. We have the senior yearbook photo requirements for most local schools, but if you have them, please share them with us.

Click Here to Book a session now

The Extreme             $345            

For those of you that want the ultimate of experiences, imagine yourself the subject of your very own fashion shoot.  Bring your whole wardrobe, and we’ll spend up to two hours photographing you in various outfits and ensembles inside the studio and on location. This is the best session and the best value if you have a lot of different looks that you want to express in your senior portrait session, and want a ginormous variety of images to choose from.


The Standard $245

If you want to experience both studio and on-location sessions, then this is the session for you.  During this 60-minute session, you’ll be able to get up to 4 changes of clothes.  Any more than that, and you’ll be too rushed to get the best images that come from this creative session that will show you in all your personalities.  Well...at least the good ones.


The Basic $165

Spend 30 mins. with the photographer and explore the opportunities that 2 changes of clothes can give you. You’ll get to spend time in the studio and also either on the sports set or the outdoor location at our studio, which is right on the canal in the Village of Fairport.

 
The Yearbook $80

I know, I know.  You don’t really want your senior portrait taken.  I can relate.  But let’s take the time to take 10-12 photos and get a really great shot for the yearbook, so you can look back on it in 20 years (when you’ll appreciate it more), and see how great you’ve aged.

Optional Add-on Sessions:

Best Friend Session $65

You know that best friend that you just cannot live without?  That person you share your secrets with, and have experienced those craziest of times with?  We’ll add 15 minutes to your session so you can include them, and you'll have more creative photos than any of your selfies with them can show.

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By phone call, text, or e-mail..

Due to the personal and customized services provided by the studio, all consultations, appointments, and sessions are by appointment only. 

Please contact the studio for more information regarding your HS Senior Portrait session, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions or schedule a portrait consultation, so we can discuss how to make this the best experience you and your parents ever had.

We have terrible difficulty with spam and phishing calls all day long (which also fill up our voice mail) so e-mails (info@LukePhotography.com) and text messages are the better ways to go. The phone number shown everywhere on our website is the studio cell phone number.

CLick Here to see Our Senior Portrait Galleries

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Our Guarantee

We take it seriously…

If you are not completely satisfied with the images from your portrait session or the final product, please let us know within 24 hours. If there is nothing that we can do to correct the problem, we will refund your session fee or refund the entire cost of your order….no questions asked.