Frequently Asked Questions
More often than not, I am contacted regarding a session and how it all works, what is all included and what the process is to book a session all the way through receiving their final order. While I try to include as much info as possible under the investment section for all the pricing needs, sometimes there are questions that are still unanswered. So I have complied my most frequently asked questions and am here to answer them.
I know I want to book you, so now what?
Contact me. We'll figure out all the details from package selection, location, and date/time of the appointment. For new clients, I will ask that the 35% retainer be paid to hold your appointment time. This is due within 48 hours of selecting your date/time. Please make sure you read the Terms & Conditions page before paying the retainer or the remaining fee. I will send you a link to a confirmation page where you must check that you have read the terms and conditions, this is super important! After everything is booked, we will meet for the photo session and have some fun!
How does picking a location work?
Picking a location is a vital part of your session. It can dictate how the flow of our time will be used, and what you might wear. This is a particular part of the process that can go a few different ways. First, I am an on location photographer - that means I come to you, where ever that may be. I have a lot of places up my sleeve that I love to shoot at, as well as suggest to you. I will usually follow your question up with what do you like? This is something you should give some thought - do you find yourself drawn to images with lots of greenery, trees, maybe some images with water in the background? Or do you prefer the more manicured look of gardens and fresh cut grass? This all plays a part in deciding which location will be best for your session type. Give me a few descriptive words of images you like and I can suggest possible locations I feel would best fit your needs.
Have a place already in mind? Tell me! I am always down to find new places and go exploring with you. I love new locations and am always willing to go on an adventure!
What should I wear to my session?
This is a GREAT question. And due to the enormous amount of possibilities, I will just give you a few tips to keep in mind when picking out an outfit. Here is a short description of what to wear (for a longer description, I wrote a blog post, it can be found here).
Try to keep your color scheme simple, coordinate 2-4 colors for your family to wear, and you don't need to all wear the same thing to be coordinated.
Dress comfortably - this is the most important, for if you feel you're uncomfortable: it will show in your photographs!
Keep location in mind. You don't want to match your backdrop so much that you blend in, contrast is good!
And dress for the season, this plays into being comfortable. I would rather you bundle up in the winter than freeze and catch a cold!
How can I prepare my younger children for a session?
When scheduling a family session, or a monthly milestone, or just a regular child's session - there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, make sure they have had a nap for the day, time the session so it is at the best time of day for THEM. If they are happier in the morning, schedule it to take place when they are nice and awake. If they are like my kids, and happier after nap time - then afternoon it is! Second, make sure they are well fed. If they didn't eat lunch before our session, bring snacks to help get their energy up. If you're kids are older and understand that good smiles means ice cream afterward - by all means, reward them for being an awesome kid!
Also, the best thing for a parent to do during the session: NOT STRESS. As hard as this is (trust me, I'm guilty of it), kids know when you are stressed out and if you get frustrated with them for not smiling, they will just be extra stubborn. Remember that no matter what, we'll still capture who they are, even if it means they have a bag of crackers in their hands the whole time - it will make for good laughs later in life. Those photo's will still be cherished. So don't worry, breathe, and let me make it fun for every one, that's why you hire me :)
How can I prepare for my newborn session?
For In-Hospital: shower, brush your teeth, put some make up on, and make dad shower too. Really there is not much prep for these, which is why I love them so much. The flexibility is there to just do what baby is feeling up for, but still capturing some great moments.
For Lifestyle: ^^ read the above. The beauty of offering these types of newborn sessions is that prep for baby is the same. Make sure baby is fed (which both types of sessions allow time for feedings, because we all know that baby's are on their own schedule). Make sure the nursery area is clean and free to move around in. One thing you can do is make sure your house is nice and warm so baby stays cozy.
I don't bring many props to either of these sessions since it is about the bond of baby with the family and the environment, not about posing baby. If you want more posed shots with props and don't wish to be in the photographs, I can suggest a couple great photographers that have all that is needed for that type of session.
When is the best time for photographs from newborn up through baby's first birthday?
For newborn, the best time to photograph is either in the hospital (these are my favorite so I'll push them as much as I can!) or within the first four weeks of bringing baby home. That is most precious time you'll have with that baby, so I like to get right in and photograph it. I know you'll be exhausted, but I am awesome with babies and the most you'll have to do is hold that little one nice and tight and shower them with love.
For monthly milestone photographs, the timing is totally up to you: I do prefer ages of 4, 8, and 12 months only because there are huge momentous things that have usually happened by those months and baby's personality really shines through.
If you are wondering when you want to do the 12 month photo's, it is totally dependent on what you want to use those photographs for. Are you using them for invites for a birthday party? If so, we need to get them taken at least one month (if not 6 weeks) prior to the party, this ensures time for post processing, getting the gallery to you, ordering your invites, and mailing them out. If you want thank you cards, or just portraits of them turning a year, we can do the session much closer to their actual birthday.
Should I bring anything to our session?
The answer is a yes, and a no. This can depend greatly on the type of session you are looking for. If you have anything that is super important in your life, something you want incorporated - then yes, please do. If you have any kind of props you want used or even if you're not sure, just bring it to be safe - then if we use it, great, if not - no big deal. If you're super unsure, shoot me an e-mail with a photograph and I'll give suggestions on what we could and couldn't do. I'm here to make this process as easy and as rewarding as possible. I'm an open book! Don't be afraid to ask, no question is silly. Basically, bring whatever you want, but do not feel obligated to bring anything either.
You've taken my photo's, now what?
First I will go home and process the images, then once processing is complete, I'll usually upload a few previews to social media and a blog post (with your permission of course). After previews are uploaded, I will wait patiently for your gallery to upload, and as soon as it is done, I will e-mail you a link with a password to view your finished images. There will be a print release image included within your gallery. From the gallery, you can download your high resolution images as many times as you’d like and print as much as you’d like. No further steps are required!
How long does it take to get my photographs?
My turn around time is right around 2 weeks for a normal session. I will always try to let you know if there will be any kind of delay. If you are getting married, I have a 2 month turn around time, only because normal wedding season can be very hectic.