jordan matter photography - 212.592.3682

NUTS AND BOLTS

As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think BIG.

Subway Directions to the Studio
My studio is right next to the Cloisters Museum in northern Manhattan, and most of my work is done in the area. If you haven't seen it before, you're in for a treat. I think it's the most beautiful area in Manhattan. Take the A train uptown. Sit in the front of the train. Get off at 181st street (5 stops and 20 minutes from Columbus Circle). Exit through the turnstiles, then TAKE THE ELEVATOR ON THE RIGHT! You'll get off at Ft. Washington. Take a right, then a quick left on 185th. Take your first right on Pinehurst Avenue. Walk 1 1/2 blocks to 200 Pinehurst (Tryon Towers), on your left. Buzzer 3. My studio is on the third floor, #3A.

Driving Directions
For the most specific driving directions, go to www.mapquest.com.

Clothing and Preparation for Headshots
Texture is great. Avoid baggy clothes. Avoid bright patterns. Your clothes should fit well so you don't appear boxy. Dark colors (deep red, blue, green and black) usually work the best. Choose colors that bring out your eyes. Keep the shirts darker than your skin tone. Bring eight to ten tops, though we won't use that many. Also, bring a variety of necklines. For men, layering is wonderful- a T-shirt, collar shirt and a light fall jacket, for example. Also, crew neck, v-neck and button down shirts are nice. For women, sheer material is very good, and spaghetti strap tank tops, scoop necks and v-necks are wonderful. Keep your neckline open. Basically, if you feel attractive in it, bring it along. And a comfortable pair of shoes for walking, and one pair of pants (jeans usually work). If it's cold, bring a warm jacket and gloves. Also, I have an IPOD Dock Station, so bring your IPOD along if you have one and you can listen to your own music. Otherwise, I have a nice selection of everything your parents would love. Finally, arrive with your hair as close to audition ready as possible, and the makeup designer will help you with the grooming and maintenance.

**Please print some headshots from my website that you like, and bring them with you on the day of our shoot. Find a few you don't like (an almost impossible task), and print those as well.

Skin Care (compliments of my makeup designer)
Digital photography is a sharp medium, so skin care is important. Without the added moisture boost from a good moisturizer, your skin can have a red, cracked surface. Exfoliation helps aid the process, allowing the moisturizer to penetrate to its full extent. I cannot express to you enough how important good skin care is- it can make all the difference to your image.

If you don’t currently have one, please begin a skin care routine at least a week before your appointment. Use twice daily, morning and night: a creamy cleanser (foaming agents are drying and harsh in winter), and a hydrating moisturizer. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, exfoliate two to four times a week. Furthermore, please be aware of dry, chapped lips (especially in winter). Lip balm (not gloss!) goes a long way.

A few suggestions (all can be found at Sephora and Duane Reade):

MOISTURIZERS:
Cetaphil Moisture Cream ($6); an inexpensive moisturizer for dry/ sensitive skin.
Aveeno Daily Moisture Lotion ($3); an inexpensive daily moisturizer for all skin types (a great value!).
DDF Daily Moisturizer ($35); a great daily moisturizer with SPF for all skin types (also comes in an organic moisturizer for sensitive skin).
Fresh Rice Face Cream ($75); an amazingly potent face cream loaded with rich ingredients, anti- oxidants and vitamins (a good investment!).

CREAMY CLEANSERS:
Olay Moisture Rich Cream Cleanser ($5); an inexpensive daily cream cleanser.
Philosophy Real Purity ($10); a gentle all in one cleanser (ladies, your make-up will melt right off!).
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser ($35); an incredibly rich, yet gentle cleanser (great for mixing with grainy exfoliaters).

EXFOLIATERS:
St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($4); a good inexpensive, non abrasive exfoliater for all skin types.
Fresh Sugar Face Polish ($55); an amazing exfoliater that will polish the skin, leaving it glowing and radiant.
Dr. Brant Microdermabrasion in a Jar ($75); a spectacular granular microdermabrasion, will buff away skin impurities (not good for sensitive skin).

LIPS:
Vaseline Lip Therapy ($2); basic lip balm (great value!).
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm ($3); a popular soothing lip balm, leaves your lips tingling (from the peppermint oil), and comes in a tube or a pot.
Smith’s Roses Salve ($6); this product can be used for a number of things, and even comes in two flavors (plain and strawberry).

FYI: On the day of the shoot, if you wake up with puffiness under the eyes, place cold soda cans over them for 5- 10 minutes. The cold will help the swelling go down. A second option is to refrigerate boiled green tea bags. The cool will de-puff, while the antioxidants in the tea will help with any discoloration (dark circles).

After Your Shoot

About three business days after your shoot you will receive an email from Reproductions. They will be hosting your images online. You will be able to create a favorites folder, see them in color and black and white, email them to friends and agents, and order contact sheets of those favorites. If you've chosen to have me edit your session, my personal favorites will be named FAVORITE (they will not be numbered in order of preference, so don't assume FAVORITE 1 is better than FAVORITE 10). Please include all of these selections in your favorites folder, even if you completely disagree with me. And it’s a great idea to order contacts of your favorites. They are large and beautiful, with 12 images per sheet. Each sheet costs $10. In addition, you can have Maurice at Reproductions (646 502-3721) burn you a high resolution DVD of all the images for $15.

*If you haven't received your headshots after a few days, check your SPAM folder. If you have a gmail account, you should add uploads@reproductions.com to your Contacts list, otherwise it will be blocked as SPAM.

You should make an appointment with Joe Barna for retouching before ordering reproductions. He can be found at Colorworks, 55 West 39th Street, Suite 706 (between 5th and 6th Avenues), (212) 382-2825. He will make suggestions for retouching if necessary. He’s very thorough, and he won’t retouch unnecessarily, but it’s a great idea to have him look it over. He can help fix hair concerns, distracting elements in background, etc. He can do everything via email if necessary. He will give you a CD with your retouched image in black and white and in color.

Once you have the retouched image, take the CD to Reproductions, 70 west 40th street, and they will guide you through the reproduction process. They’re open M-F, 9am-6pm. Their phone number is 212 967-2568, ext. 0. Their rates can be found online at reproductions.com. I suggest ordering the MasterPhoto for 8x10’s, and the MasterPrints for postcards and business cards. If you live out of NYC, Joe Barna and Reproductions can easily work with you online. Just give them a call and they’ll take you through the process.

A brief word about image quality when reviewing images on the web: every monitor has a different color and contrast balance, and web colors are different from print colors. So the images might look slightly too dark, too light, too yellow or blue, etc. Don’t worry about that. Only consider your facial expression and the composition of the photograph (background, cropping, angle and clothing) when making a decision. Reproductions will color correct the image you choose for the best balance of color and contrast. Just use your computer to review the images, but don’t worry about the quality of the color and contrast.

Enjoy your photographs. Please send copies of your reproductions to 200 Pinehurst Ave, #3A, NYC, 10033.

Thank you.