Portrait Information


Usually you can book your portrait session 2-4 weeks in advance.  However peak season (spring and fall) tend to book up relatively overnight so I would suggest booking your session for those seasons 4-8 weeks ahead so that you can choose a time that would be best for you.

When you are ready to book your session give me a call or email me to let me know the details of your session.  I will let you know the days/times that I have available as close to your requested day as possible.

You do not need to send me a deposit to hold your day.  It is officially booked as soon as you we have both confirmed either through email or phone that we have an agreed on day, time and location.  Please remember that I book the sessions on a first-confirmed basis so if you wait too long to respond/confirm the session day/time that I’d given you may no longer be available.  This is normally only a problem in the fall, but I like to make sure everyone knows this upfront.  🙂

 


Want to have a colorful shoot at the Botanical Gardens?  Get that awesome shot of your little one stretching to see the butterflies at the Butterfly house?  Love it!  But it’s important to know that some locations do have fee associated with them and possibly a variety of special rules.  I’ll let you know of any fees that I know of before our session so that you are not caught off guard when we arrive for your photo shoot.  Location fees are not included in the cost of your session so plan accordingly.

 


The oh-so-classic question.  What am I going to wear?  Answer – wear anything that is you!!  I’m all about being yourself for your session rather than trying to conform to any standard you feel is “right” for a portrait.  That being said, solid colors tend to photograph the best.  Keep it simple.

If you’re doing a family session try to stick to one theme – same color, style, etc.  Everyone does not have to match!  I know.  I said it.  Matching is always an extremely classic look but it’s not necessarily for every group.  For example for my kids fall pictures last year I wanted them to be themselves but still have a cohessive look.  So they each work a different, colorful (solid-ish) t-shirt which had a bold emblem that was just soooo them.  Not matchy-matchy, but still worked together.  If you look at my Katie Who? page you’ll see that I broke my own rule and wore stripes.  Why?  Because I was at the beach and that top was super comfortable.  Do I regret my wardrobe choice?  Nope – I look at those smiles and laughs and love those shots all the same.  🙂

For child and infant sessions a change of clothes is always welcome.  Be sure to bring a special “lovey” for your little one as they can make for such sweet photographs not to mention be yet another way to make you child more comfortable.  Snacks (something dry like crackers or pretzels are usually best) are also a good item to have on hand.

Finally – bring yourselves!  We are going to just relax and enjoy some time together.  This is not meant to be stressful!!  I know, I’m a mom too and typically portraits are anything but relaxing, but I promise it will be fun!

 

Newborn portraits are soo incredibly special and extremely unpredictable to book in advance.  That being said, they should be taken as close to the first week or two as possible after your new little bundle of joy arrives.  As amazing as it seems, by 2 weeks they are already losing some of that oh-so-adorable squishy newborn look (they grow soooo fast!!  sigh…)  Send me an email before your due date so that we can have some advanced notice and once your little one has arrived give me a shout to plan the actual session. If time permits I could even meet you before you’ve left the hospital for your newborn session. The actual session itself can run anywhere from the usual 30-45 minutes session time to a couple of hours. There’s no predicting newborns – sometimes they’re just tired, cranky, hungry.  I do not want anyone to feel rushed – we take plenty of breaks to keep your little one as comfortable as possible!

Also a good thing to keep in mind is that any family member present at the newborn session will likely end up in the shots.  I’m a lifestyle photographer which means that I aim to get your interactions with your new little one as well as the new baby shots.  This means a lot of snuggling with your baby, some oooohing and ahhhhing, and generally just being incredibly happy.  You know, the stuff you’re already helpful from stopping at the moment anyway.  😉

Also to consider – if you know you want to do multiple sessions during your babies first year the Baby’s First Year Package will save you some money and get you some fun extras – newborn announcements and a baby’s first year album.  Check it out here – Baby’s First Year Informational Page

 


Within a few of days of your session I will post a sneak peek on my blog (the sneak peek requires a model release which you will be offered the chance to sign at your session) so that you can get a look at some of your shots as soon as possible! I know how hard it is to wait to see your pictures! About a week after your session you will receive an email with a link to your private online gallery.  There will be 40-60 images available for you to pick from in both color and black/white.  All the images will be fully edited and ready for order in your online gallery.  If you have chosen to also purchase the flashdrive at your session rather than waiting for your gallery to be ready it will be mailed out to you about 2 weeks after your session.

 


Good question.  If you or one of your children are sick don’t feel bad!  I’m a mom of 4 kiddos and I’ve been there waaaaay more times than I’d care to relate to you.  Really. I do not want anyone to feel pressure that they must keep their appointment and end up with a teary-eyed little one in all the shots.  Much better to call/email and reschedule.

If the weather is bad…. that’s more tricky.  If you are going for a bright sunny look then an overcast day isn’t going to do that for you so you can completely reschedule.  However you may be missing an opportunity for a different type of shoot.  Some of my favorite shots were taken on overcast days.  Even a little rain can actually add to a shoot.  🙂  As long as it’s not actively pouring down (which you don’t know until sooo close to the session anyway) I typically do not recommend rescheduling.

In the event that you do need to reschedule your session for whatever reason I will give you a couple of options of my very next appointments available.  Typically they are within the next two weeks, but I cannot guarantee that will be the case.  I promise to do my best to find a day/time that work for us.  🙂

 

 

For more information about senior portraits or newborn photography click on the images below to learn more or fill out the form below to ask me, well whatever questions come to mind!