CONSUMERS : Picture Perfect Families : Professional portraits show increased attention to rites of passage.

Derek and Cynthia Dobarian decided even before Paige Ashley Dobarian was born to keep an extensive photographic record of her life. They planned to shoot some pictures themselves but they also wanted periodic professional photos taken of their daughter.

So when Paige was 3 months old, the Long Beach couple, both doctors, and their baby--all attired in their favorite Boston Celtic warm-up suits--posed for their first family portrait with photographer Nomi Wagner of Westwood.

Last week Paige, now 8 months, again was in front of Wagner’s camera, this time by herself, smiling and giggling in a photo session featuring five outfit changes, the last an adorable lavender and white organdy dress. Another family portrait is planned when Paige is a year old.

“We felt we should have professional family portraits,” said Derek Dobarian, 35, a gastroenterologist whose wife is a pulmonary specialist. “We’ve seen them in houses of friends who have them. They’re important, because they’re something you have forever.”

Indeed, with the increased attention that more Americans seem to be placing on their families and the attendant rites and rituals of their passages, professional portraits have undergone a resurgence in popularity.

Nationwide, experts estimated, professional studio and salon photographers shot several hundred thousand individual and family portraits last year.

On a mass-market basis, CPI Corp., the St. Louis firm that runs the photo studios at Sears stores--796 in the United States, 103 in Canada and six in Puerto Rico--photographed 4 1/2 million people last year, 60% of them mothers with children 5 or younger.

Why are portrait photographs now so hot?

“Life seems to be more precious to people nowadays,” theorized photographer Wagner, a former dental hygienist who turned her hobby into a profession 10 years ago. “We’ve seen this trend (toward portraiture) in the last four or five years. Traditional families, younger ones, older ones who wish they had done it earlier, a lot of split families--the mother and children, the father, his new wife and baby. . . . And 80% to 90% of our clients want the wall portraits, not just those for a book on the table.”

Harry Langdon, who has shot Hollywood celebrities, politicians and royalty for 20 years at his Los Angeles studio, observed: “A lot of people know me for doing these intimidating, cutthroat portraits of stars. But I’ve done a lot of families, more and more. I think it’s very, very healthy. We’re regrouping, retrenching ourselves. It’s sad that it took a lot of tragedies, all these disasters and diseases, to drive people back to the family unit.”

Phillip Stewart Charis, a world-renowned Pasadena portrait photographer for 35 years, concurred.

“Everybody seems more concerned with family, education, heritage and legacy,” said Charis, who specializes in “near life-size” portraits that resemble canvas artworks of the Old Masters. “The newest trend is what we call jet-set grandparents, who come with their grandchildren.”

But if you’ve decided to get the family together for, say, an upcoming Easter shoot, be aware: It can be an expensive treat.

Professional portraits can cost from $35 (for a sitting, plus finished photo) to $6,000 or so (total).

Obviously, the larger the portrait, the greater the cost.

Prices tend to depend, too, on the reputation of the photographer.

Those on the high end of the scale, such as Langdon and Charis, deal with affluent clients and command several thousand dollars for one of their portraits.

Langdon, son of the late silent film comedian Harry Langdon Sr., receives $5,500 and up. His clients have included: former President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy; Diana Ross; Ann-Margret; Frank Sinatra; Sammy Davis Jr.; Jane Fonda; John Candy; Priscilla Presley, and royal families from Europe and the Middle East.

Charis’ average price per portrait is about $2,000; $6,000 for a 40-by-60-inch portrait.

“We really play to the upper 5%, the clientele in Rolls-Royces,” explained Charis’ wife, Marianne, who handles the business affairs of the studio.

Wagner, on the other hand, typifies the more medium-priced portrait photographer. She charges $125 for a 1 1/2-hour photo session and from $150 to $1,400 (for a 40-by-50-inch) for the finished portrait.

In 1989, the Professional Photographers of America completed a nationwide survey of its 17,000 members by geographic regions and found the average price per individual sitting was $35 in the Western region, which includes California. But an association spokeswoman conceded that average prices probably were steeper in the larger cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you’re simply looking for inexpensive rates, CPI photographers at Sears offer consumers photo packages ranging from $12.95 (for an 8-by-10, three 5-by-7s and 15 wallet size) to $26.95 (for more photographs of larger and varying sizes). Photo sessions usually take about 15 minutes and include up to seven poses.

“We use a traditional dark background, or a nursery one for a baby, or what we call an environmental one, a fall or spring scene,” said Terry Singleton, vice president of CPI.

“Salon photographers,” he said, “might call us the McDonald’s of portraiture, and we do deal in volume, but it’s a good value. We don’t do any retouching or changing. . . . We will fix a spot or imperfection in the photo, but we leave retouching to the salon photographers.”

Langdon said it’s “almost imperative” for family members to get some kind of picture taken because “it’s almost like making out a will. And it’s a very, very unselfish and thoughtful gift. Not everyone (can come here) at Harry Langdon’s expensive rates, but even if they have a photo session at Sears or May Co., they’ll have a family photograph.”

In an article for the Professional Photographer, Charis observed: “In the typical department store studio, many sittings are done on speculation, or an 8-by-10 is offered for a small sum--often $15 or less. (But) the inexpensive portrait has fulfilled a need and quenched a desire. I like to think of myself as a stalwart leader of portrait artists at the other end of the spectrum.”

Whatever price you elect to pay, experts say, be sure to comparison shop. Do it in person, not only for price but to ensure you feel comfortable about the studio.

Clients must view photographers’ work before hiring them, Wagner said, adding: “What’s really important is that the photographer is interested in what the client wants. We want to know what they want and try to do it. We have a 6 1/2-minute video (of her work) for them to see, a questionnaire to fill out and a free half-hour clothing consultation. . . . A photograph is a very personal thing. Your ego is on the line.”

Said Langdon: “You should make sure that the photographer really wants to do this photo session. Is he doing it for a few dollars, or does he really want to do it? I really do care about these people and want them to be comfortable. . . . Just to lighten up. The importance of the photos (to them) sometimes brings a solemn, serious mood.”

Charis, who specializes in using a cloud-like background, said he always asks where clients plan to hang his photos, so he can recommend the best size for display. He also urges his subjects to wear dark clothes for a formal portrait, saying, “White, only on small people.” He said women subjects can wear formal makeup only if they want to be photographed as if they were “going out for the evening.”

Babies and young children, Langdon said, have short attention spans, so don’t expect them to last through a long shoot. He also believes a child is more at ease sitting on a parent’s lap or close to the floor.

Photo experts also recommend that clients decide what kind of portrait they want, formal or informal, so they can choose their clothing accordingly. Can’t decide? Ask the photographer for recommendations.

For family members, however, experts generally recommend sticking to solid colors, pastels or earth tones. “Bright colors are OK in a studio with a white background,” Wagner said.

But said Langdon: “Be careful not to wear something too trendy, like black nail polish or blue lipstick. You want to be careful of dating your photograph.”

If you want to bring props--sports equipment, musical instruments, a child’s favorite toy--pack everything, as well as changes of wardrobe, beforehand so you won’t forget something important.

And don’t overlook one other sore spot: If you must sign a contract or give a deposit, be sure to read the requirements thoroughly. Know exactly what you’re getting for you money.

If you don’t understand completely, ask questions sooner, not later.