European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fine Art a family portraits 0y Liz Lufkin san Francisco chronicle the Young woman is wearing jeans and boots and she a perched of All places on a bedroom Dresser the Man a soon to be her husband a also is casually dressed and he leans in close just in front of them a Young girl reaches up. Her Back is to the camera and her tiny nails painted red cling to the Edge of the wooden drawers. This is Robert and Katherine Renfield s family portrait As taken by Oakland calif., photographer Leon Borensztein. The photographs Borensztein exhibits in galleries often have a sarcastic brutal Edge but that did no to Stop Katherine Renfield from inviting him to shoot her family. Quot i wanted something More interesting than the general run of the Mill  she says. �?�1 thought he could capture something  White the 70s and Early 80s were the Quot do it yourself decade Quot for portraits a thanks to increasingly sophisticated cameras that allowed amateurs to take better pictures a the past few years have seen a return to professionally done photographs whether they re snapped at inexpensive department store studios or taken by Well known names. Borenz Stein a family portrait business has doubled during the past decade. Ditto for photographer Margretta Mitchell in nearby Berkeley. At the Sears portrait studio in Mountain View calif., family portraits Are up 30 percent. Quot in be been doing More and More family sittings Quot says manager Donna Massa. A a there s a real baby Boom going on out  family portraits Are not Only Back in style they be also become More creative. Nowadays sitting stiff backed on the living room sofa or posing in front of a Basic Blue seamless backdrop has Given Way to More personalized photos. Some people hire Fine Art photographers with distinctive styles. Others head to a favorite outdoor spot Wear special outfits or simply insist on a More relaxed natural approach a the kind of staged Quot casual Quot shots that once appeared Only in magazines and ads. They pose on piggyback or piled on top of one another. Some even Wear Matching workout clothes. But the goal is always the same making an individual statement. _ _ Quot people Are More interested in being sophisticated now Quot says Mitchell who has been taking portraits for 20 years. Photographer Reggie Henkart setting up a pose offers customers 300 backgrounds to choose from not Quot they be travelled More experienced More and they re More exposed to photography especially in museums and  at be photographer in Marin county North of san Francisco Reggie Henkart offers 300 backgrounds to choose from including Geometric Black and White patterns european landmarks tropical Beach scenes air plane cockpits and football stadiums. Customers can get a regular print or they can indulge in the latest fad 3-d photo sculptures which Range in size from earrings to life size stand up portraits. Quot people Are tired of blues Grays and Browns Quot says Henkart dismissing the traditional backdrops. Quot they want something exciting. They want to look Good and have  prices for a family portrait Range from $24.95 at Sears to $700 for a session with Mitchell to $3,000 and up for one of san Francisco photographer Roger Ressmeyer so environmental portraits Quot shot on location. Like that of Many High priced photographers a Ressmeyer session includes consultations on clothes and makeup a location scout plus a Large print. The shoot itself often takes All Day and can become an intensely personal experience Quot Don t want to do people against the seamless backdrop. I want to know what people Are about. With a family you want to reflect dreams visions and  consider Mitchells naturalistic Black and White portrait of Arthur Shartsis and his two Young sons copying up on the family Couch. The image is warm and relaxed with Thal casually Chic look normally found in upscale magazines. Then there s the portrait taken by Ressmeyer o novelist Danielle steel and husband John Traina they dressed their Large family in custom designed Matching baseball uniforms and lined them up three deep like a team photo. Contemporary Art collector Mark Anker and wife Hazel Jacobs Anker were planning to have their family portrait painted. But when new York photographer William Wegman temporarily set up a studio in Berkeley As part of a Benefit for the Camerawork gallery they a jumped at the Chance Quot to do a session with him even though he s famed for taking pictures of his dogs. There Are no animals in Wegman s portrait of the Anker family. However it does feature a Couch. Tipped on its Side. Starting tomorrow plus hamburger history sunday Magazine brings you 12 pages of Coluni a from Back Home . And european consumer trends a Horoscope facts on genealogy Man on the St refit interviews books reviews humorous commentaries science facts and figures and More. To plus provides you with 12 pages stuffed Witti weekly an to German to satellite and Cable listing. Highlights and reviews. Plus you la find movie Anthe St san ripes saturday. April 28, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 17