People Portraits Choose Resembling One's Parents Family Children's

Many Americans like to go to professional photography "studios" (rooms or buildings where art is created) to have family portraits or children's portraits taken. Often this is done at the end of the year so the photos can be "enclosed in" (put into) holiday cards that are mailed to friends and relatives. Children's portraits are also taken at important "milestones" (important moments or accomplishments), such as when a child turns two months, six months, or one year old, or when a child starts going to school or graduates from high school.

Usually people choose a "standard" (normal; regular) "background" (what is seen behind the people in the photograph) like a grey or blue cloth. But sometimes people choose "themed" (with a certain idea) backgrounds, like a photograph of a living room decorated for Christmas.

Portrait studios usually advise people to wear "solid-colored" (all one color) clothing that "contrasts with" (is different from) the background. They advise avoiding "busy prints and patterns" (fabric with a lot of designs) or "stripes" (horizontal or vertical lines) because they can be a distraction from the person's face. Sometimes people choose to have everyone in the portrait dress the same way. For example, they might all wear white shirts.

Portrait studios normally have several "props" (objects to interact with) to select from. These might include flower "petals" (the small, colored pieces of a flower), chairs, and sofas. People can also bring their own props, such as a child's favorite toy or stuffed animal. These objects can "personalize" (make something unique) the photographs, reflecting the person's personality.