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Obviously, you're doing yourself and your patient a huge disservice if you show the patient a photo that doesn't show them the best that you can do for them. So we want a photo that assures and convinces the patient that the dental work will look GREAT. |
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We work with your photo/s and that's the photo that we'll be returning to you. We can spend a few minutes trying to enhance your photos, but generally, you dictate the level of quality. If your picture is too dark, over-exposed, or blurry, there's a limit to what we can do to "fix" it. Check your camera literature for suggestions on close-up portraits. |
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Below are a few suggestions to help you get the best results for this service. |
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1. |
REQUIRED: Use a GOOD camera AND set the camera for the highest pixel setting on the camera. We need to work with a high-resolution image. Keep in mind that you MUST select the 'high-pixel setting'. Just because your camera is is capable of high-quality photos doesn't mean that it's automatically set on that highest level. |
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What is the requirement for mega-pixels? The minimum for an acceptable picture is 3.5 mega-pixels. The further above that you go the better the picture will be. |
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Important: Hold the camera “vertically” in the “portrait” position so the picture will be taller than it is wide. That allows you to include the the top of the head and some of the shoulders/neck rather than cutting off the top of the head and the neck and having too much background on the sides. |
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Allow just a minimal amount of background to show above and to the sides of the face. |
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Shoot the photo 'straight-on' - not with the face turned slightly. Just make sure you see the same amount of ears on both side. |
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3. |
Important: Instruct the patient to smile as if the dental work was already done. Patients that are unhappy with their teeth have often developed poor smiles in an effort to hide the teeth they don't like. |
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If we get a photo that barely shows any teeth, then you're going to get a photo back that barely shows the new teeth. |
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Also, don't allow unnatural smiles in an attempt to expose more teeth than a normal smile would show. This will produce a goofy looking grin with beautiful teeth. Remember to use the “red eye” feature that most cameras now have. |
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It's okay to take several photos and send them all to us – we can select the best one. |
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Important: Practice BEFORE your first patient wants to see their before-and-after pictures. When a patient agrees to have the images done is not the time to start trying to figure out how and where to take the picture. |
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Have someone substitute for the patient and practice with different distances, lighting and backgrounds. You can email your 'practice' pictures to us and we'll see if there's anything we can tell you to help you improve them. |
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5. |
Helpful: Use a non-reflective background. Preferably use a solid color or a subdued pattern. |
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Almost all shades of blue, gray or black work better. Avoid yellow, red and bright green backgrounds as well as things like busy patterns - these are unpredictable with different hair colors and skin tones. |
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b. |
Consider having the patients sit for the photos. This helps them relax, it will minimize the height variations with regard to the back-ground material, and it helps prevent a shorter photographer from struggling when trying to photograph a very tall patient 'straight-on'. |
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Remember: We all want a photograph that the patient will want to show to family and friends – not put in the glove box when they get in their car. |
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Back to Smile Design main page |
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