ABC's of Portrait Selection

Mark Jordan's
ABC's of PORTRAIT SELECTION

A. Face Width
B. Finish
C. Artwork

A. FACE WIDTH
A portrait derives its emotional impact, or connection with the heart, depending on the prominence of the face - not the dimension of the portrait. Face width is the most crucial element in selecting a portrait dimension - not the overall size of your portrait, and certainly not the most impressive finish.
- Temple to temple, an appropriate face will measure somewhere between 4 and 6 inches.
- For full length, family portraits, a narrower face width should be expected.

B. FINISH
Finish denotes the quality of color and surface texture. Mark Jordan provides a wide array of portrait finishes from smooth and glossy, to soft, warm textures and Artist's Canvas (with and without oils). Mark Jordan also offers his exclusive Signature finishes as well as Custom and Standard.

Every one of Mark Jordan's finishes are compelling, thereby making the selection largely a factor of personal preference and/or budget.

C. ARTWORK (retouching)
To accommodate every taste, budget and need, we offer three levels of artwork:
1. Masterpiece: full-scale, including "expression exchanges"
2. Classic: light-scale
3. Express: minimal
During your Complimentary Consultation, Mark will discuss and provide you with a complete description of what each level of Artwork encompasses.

- Conversational Artwork
Did you know that the phrase "Conversational Artwork" was coined by Mark Jordan? Conversational Artwork is just as it implies: completing retouching on your portrait so naturally that the faces on your finished portrait look as though you are having a pleasant conversation with them.

When talking with others, we do not scrutinize their every facial feature. This cannot be avoided, however, when viewing a portrait. Suddenly we notice every blemish, line and imperfection. However, faces are best depicted as we remember them - not how they actually appear if carefully examined in a magnified vanity mirror. Our objective, therefore, is to render every face in a natural, more "conversational" feel.

Mark Jordan will be happy to share his expertise in assisting you with selecting the level of artwork that is most appropriate for you.

- Expression Exchanges
With the advent of digital photography also comes an exciting new option of selecting your favorite expressions for each person in your portrait and having their expression exchanged onto a single, base image. Mark will assist you every step of the way, and has developed the industry standard for making the process not only easy and effective, but enjoyable as well. Excellence attained!

Should you opt to exchange expressions, we suggest that after making your selections to go home, then return to the studio shortly after we have made all the requested exchanges. This way you can view your portrait with the all the enhancements completed. Mark Jordan will then project your portrait onto a screen to assist you in choosing the most appropriate dimension and finish.

- Preview Artwork
Because of the highly subjective nature of Artwork, once your portrait order has been placed and your artwork is either completed or nearly finished, at your request, Mark Jordan will email you a low-resolution file for you to approve. If need be, we can then make the necessary changes to match your personal tastes. Don't be shy to request a bit of tweaking...

- A Word About Approval Preview Files
All Preview Files are Low-resolution. Mark Jordan provides these files for the evaluation of the segments of artwork completed ONLY, and are NOT meant for color quality and detail. Should you desire to see your image in all of it's glory before going to print, the best and only way to view it is on our monitor, where Mark Jordan can enlarge each face to the size of your portrait. We are more than happy to help.

Lastly, once size/finish/artwork is selected, the order process in completed by placing a 50% deposit on the balance. By law, Mark Jordan is required to request your signature before he can print any image. A model release may also be signed but is NOT required. All deposits are nonrefundable, and once Mark Jordan begins the creation of your portrait, understandably, there cannot be changes of any kind.

It may seem much to decide for a family portrait, but don't fret, Mark Jordan will be there every step of the way.

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The following text is a list of search engine words used to coordinate the descriptive words in portraits descriptions with similar words used elsewhere in the body of our website. For the most part, it is gobbledygook, and will have no bearing on the services we provide.

For whatever reason, Mark Jordan photography decided against going to Laguna Niguel, but since Laguna Hills was so close (as well as Nellie Gail Ranch) to Laguna Hills, our dauntless Orange County Photographer began a quest to visit every Orange County portrait studio in Laguna Hills and ask another Orange County Portrait Studio if moving to Laguna Hills would be a good place to open an Orange County portrait studio. Conspicuously, were Orange County Photographer, Mark Joran, then set on relocating to Laguna Hills (or even his favorite, Nellie Gail Ranch), Mark Jordan could then ostensibly be known as the Laguna Hills Photographer, a master photographer of Laguna Hills Photography, and as an Orange County Photographer, which presumably denotes a family portrait photographer as well. To wit, making family portraits as a Laguna Hills studio portraits, Mark Jordan Photography should assuredly think of giving Laguna Hills people the chance to book studio portraits, park portraits, home portraits and possibly the most frequently requested, beach portraits. Orange County Photographer, Mark Jordan Photography, and Laguna Hills Portrait Photographer (lovingly referred to as Laguna Hills family portraits), would be obligated to schedule daily headshots (or head-shots). Headshots are almost always need for any sort of business (as well as corporate portraits), but creative artists and even musicians might consider the services of Orange County photographer | Mark Jordan's head shots. In closing, as the main Laguna Hills family Photographer, Mark Jordan Photography would have suggested it proper to proffer senior photography (or senior portraits), or as some say, senior portrait photography. Only an great Orange County portrait studio, such as Mark Jordan Photography, would schedule County Children's portraits (aka, kids portraits | child photography | children portraits)? In closing, a fabulous Laguna Hills photography studio or the best Orange County portrait studio, as well as Mark Jordan photography, could have presented the best maternity portraits, (aka, pregnancy portraits.