Senior Portraits Update + Self Submission -- Class of 2021

Update on 1/22/2021

Senior Portraits Update: Personal Photographer and Self-Submitted Portraits

The Indicator would like to announce that we will no longer be providing the option of a personal photographer to take senior portraits for those that selected that option (as the price would be over $500 per student). We apologize if this causes any inconvenience; however, we will be opening a self-submission option! For portraits, you will have one of the following two options:

1. Studio Portraits: You may continue to sign up for portrait dates at the studio through the following link: https://seniorportraitsscheduling.as.me/STUY. PLEASE SIGN UP ASAP if you are opting to take your portraits in the studio. We strongly encourage you to sign up for weekday appointments if possible, as there are not enough weekend appointments between now and June to accommodate all students. As of January 20, there are dates available up to January 25th.
2. Self-Submitted Portraits: If you cannot take your portrait at the studio, you may send a self-submitted portrait in its place, though we encourage this to be your last resort. We will be releasing information on self-submissions shortly following the end of first semester!

HEALTH & SAFETY INFO ON PORTRAIT STUDIO AND LINKS TO Q&A

Thank you for being patient with us as we manage the logistics of senior portraits! We understand your concerns regarding the studio safety procedures, so we have compiled a file with procedure notes, as well as a Q&A document (which we will continue to update):

Procedure Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OPZ-YUIGcu8hMF9qMwdChvvAU7y0BQZTxI2u5lQA7Aw/edit?usp=sharing

Senior Portraits: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-HKZ4MZJzKE0mlcqX2Rbal2ZaepcSbDx-9eVeLGq7U0/edit?usp=sharing

Quick Notes:

1. The maximum occupancy is 8 people, including studio staff and photographers. Parents are not allowed inside because we want to minimize density. 
2. Temperature will be checked; all students are required to remain 6 feet apart at all times (as denoted by tape placements on the floor). 
3. Photographers and staff will be masked at all times.
4. Students must be masked when moving between stations. 
5. Students will only be unmasked when taking the portrait. They will be separated from other students with a sheet of plastic. 
6. All shared clothing is sanitized with UV exposure and disinfectant immediately following use.

Updates: Approximately 300 students have already been photographed or have registered.

Regarding Self-Submissions: We will be allowing self-submissions, but at the moment, we are focusing solely on those taking portraits in-person. After we receive all official portraits, we will be cross-referencing the company's list with our senior masterlist to identify students who have not taken their portrait. Then, we will be reaching out to those students with a procedure for how to self-submit. 

Please check this link if you intend on taking official portraits. The company will be opening more time slots in late January, but since they will only be able to update one week in advance, we suggest registering now to ensure that you are guaranteed a spot. We have guaranteed that there will be enough time after-school time slots for all students who have indicated in our survey that they will be taking January portraits, but if all students wait until the last week to register, there will not be enough spaces left. Combined with during-school times, there are more than enough spaces to accommodate all students! Please let us know if this poses any difficulties, and we will do our best to work around your situation. Availability for January 18 is currently open (it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so there will be no school that Monday); sign up for morning/afternoon sessions if you can!

Again, we thank you for your patience as we maneuver these difficult circumstances. We will continue to update Ms. Ingram throughout this process, especially when we get to self-submissions. Please feel free to email us at indicator2021@gmail.com if you have further questions or concerns!

UPDATE ON SENIOR PORTRAITS: 1/10/2021

The senior portrait company has updated its availability for the following two weeks. If you haven't taken your portrait already and intend to take it at the studio, please access the registration page through the following link: https://seniorportraitsscheduling.as.me/STUY

For those of you who have already taken your portraits, remember to select your preferred photo! For yearbook purposes, we HIGHLY PREFER portraits with the BLUE or RED background (with the drape or suit/tuxedo). This ensures that the senior section is formal and standardized. You may submit a cap and gown photo if you would like, but, again, blue/red backgrounds would be best. 

There is a red button at the bottom left that will allow you to choose your photo for the yearbook. If no photo is chosen

DECEMBER 10, 2020

Regarding the senior portraits sign-up that was sent out earlier this week, you may sign up for an appointment if you feel comfortable doing so. However, if you feel uncomfortable leaving the house at this time or are unavailable in December, Mr. Lonardo has emailed the portraits company about appointments in January. We will share new time slots as soon as we receive updates. If you are unable to leave the house at all, we will be working on a plan for a photographer to take your senior portrait at your house.

To summarize, there will be 4 options available to you:

1. Round 1 (December): Take portraits with PortraitsUSA via this link: https://SeniorPortraitsScheduling.as.me/STUY
2. Round 2 (Late January): Take portraits with PortraitsUSA at a later date. If possible, please avoid pushing off your portraits to Round 2, as we will not be able to guarantee an appointment if all appointments in Round 2 are filled. 
3. At-Home Photographer (Tentative): If you are unable to leave your house, we may send a photographer to you to take a professional photo. (Please note that this option will be more expensive than getting photographed at the studio.) 
4. If the aforementioned options are not viable for you, you will not be photographed. Your name will appear in the yearbook, but no portrait will appear in the formal senior section. We will not be accepting self submissions. 

Some important notes: 

• You will not be excused from class to take your portrait, but if you have a free period and can travel to the studio site, feel free to sign up for the morning or afternoon. Otherwise, there are times available after school.
• The 2nd and 3rd options are still tentative, but we will keep you updated as soon as we hear back from the administration and the portrait company. We will work with the company to try to offer time slots during weekends and over break.
• The sitting fee ($10.00) does not include physical copies of your portrait. Those must be purchased separately (and will be available 2-3 weeks after you take your portrait). If you opt to have a photographer come to your house, the fee will be greater.
• If this is a financial burden, please indicate so in the form below. We will do our best to help alleviate any stress.
• If you have questions about refunds or concerns regarding safety protocols, please also indicate in the form below.

Please submit this MANDATORY Google Form to indicate your plans for senior portraits: https://forms.gle/D3biranT964nNrHW6. This will help us guarantee that every senior is accounted for.

(There is a section in the form for any questions/concerns, as well as a section to indicate if you have financial difficulties. We will contact you for further instructions.)

The Editors-in-Chief (Katie and Margaret) will be visiting the PortraitsUSA studio in-person to report on their safety protocols. We will be writing a procedure to let you know what to expect, so please be on the lookout for that sometime next week!

Feel free to PM Katie Ng or Margaret Woo (Woolong Tea) if you have any specific questions regarding senior portraits!

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL AD TO BOOK YOUR SESSION:

Get ready for your Stuyvesant High School Senior Yearbook Portraits!

Dates:  Throughout December!  Check Scheduling Link for availability!

Portraits USA, Inc. is the official yearbook photographer for Stuyvesant High School.

Sitting Fee: $10

Location: 1254 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn, 11218 Appointment Required

To make an appointment, click the school scheduling link below to select a date and time! There is a $10 sitting fee due when getting photographed that can be paid in advance online, in EXACT cash, or by check or money order when getting photographed.  If you are unable to reserve or pay with a credit card, please contact us at info@portraitsusainc.com for information on how to schedule.  

APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED.  WALK-INS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.  YOU MUST ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, READY TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED.   TIMES ARE LIMITED! 

Instructions on how to prepare for your portraits will be on the scheduling page! 

SCHEDULE YOUR PORTRAITS BELOW! 

https://SeniorPortraitsScheduling.as.me/STUY

Portraits USA, Inc. is committed to the safety of students, staff and parents.  All attire, props and stations are regularly sanitized with Isopropyl alcohol, bleach, Lysol and other CDC approved cleaners, in addition to UV Light sanitation.  We have also obtained a large studio space in order to maintain social distance guidelines and have limited the number of students allowed in at once (only those being photographed are allowed in), in addition to obtaining multiple HEPA air filtration systems. Temperature checks and symptom screenings are done and masks must be worn at all times except when the student is getting photographed.  We photograph one school a day.