1.  We can digitally alter the picture to try and reduce glare.  Though this cannot be done perfectly, you assume the risk of having glare on an altered picture if you do not either remove the lenses or wear contacts.  There is a fee for having pictures altered because it requires very detailed and time consuming work.

 2.  Go to your optometrist and ask them to loan you a pair of empty frames like the ones you normally wear.  They are used to this request for pictures and will often loan them for free or a small 5-10 dollar deposit that is refunded when the frames are returned.

Some frames use a nylon line to hold the lense in place.  These look strange with the lenses removed so it's best to borrow a solid frame that is the same basic shape and style, but doesn't use the nylon line to hold the lense in place.  If you stay with the same basic frame, no one will notice the difference in the  picture.

Why Do I Need To Do This?

Because we want everything to be perfect.  Mandie's custom lighting and techniques were designed to flatter our subjects.  The placement of each light and reflector is done in such a way that you will love the way you look.  However, if you have lenses in your frames we will see amounts of glare (reflections of light in the glass) and your eyes may be hidden.  If your lense area is small we can sometimes reposition the lights to minimize the reflections however this is a trade-off between minimizing glare and flattering the subject.  We prefer not to make compromises when it comes to the quality of our work or your portrait.  Glare can be reduced with digital artwork however it may not look as good as if there were no glare to begin with.

Contact Lenses?

These are less of a  problem because they don't cause glare like glasses do however we highly recommend leaving them out for your session if you can get by without them.  The subject's eyes in our work are very important.  It's been said that the eyes are the window to the soul and we must agree in that the connection with the eyes is a very important part of portraiture.  The speculars, or reflection of light in the eyes, are very important to creating a quality portrait.  The brighter and clearer these speculars are, the more impressive the eyes will be.  Soft contacts made of plastic have less reflective properties than the human eye and as a result, they lessen the natural reflections of the eyes and reduce their impact on the portrait.  We can do your session with your contacts in but you need to be aware that the finished portrait will be that much nicer without them.  Glass contacts have very good specular reflective qualities and can remain in.  Both types of contacts tend to irritate the eyes making them slightly red.  This effect can be even worse if you suffer from allergies.  A little visine before the session can help "get the red out".  Some people have a tendency to look cross-eyed or have wandering eye problems without their contacts in place.  We recommend keeping your contacts in if this is the case for you.  We want your portrait to be INCREDIBLE and want to do everything possible to see that happens.