THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON THE SESSION TYPE…

Generally speaking, it’s best to allow 4 weeks before your desired session time. More, if you want to make sure you get a spot on my calendar.

Newborn sessions require even more careful scheduling. Please schedule newborn sessions 8 weeks prior to your due date.

Professional headshots are a completely different situation. Two or three days is acceptable if you are scheduling a quick and simple session like this.

GREAT!  I’m glad you like what you see so far!  

Whatever type of session you’re getting ready to book, have a look at that type’s gallery, and its info/pricing page.   Every photographer’s style, taste, finishing techniques, policies, and pricing can vary widely.  Let me know if you have any questions before you book, no question is too silly. It’s best not to assume you alrady know!

Whether you have a quick question, or are ready to book, you can reach me through the connect page here on this website.  Contacting me via email like this is the best option.  

Obvioulsy I cannot guarantee that I’ll have a spot for you on my calendar, but that’s why you’re reaching out to me early, so the odds are better!!

When you’re ready to book, we’ll look for a date together, and I’ll send you a link to where you can pay your depososit.  

NO!

Go away!

ok  NOT  SERIOUSLY ….. but kinda….. 

I have thoughts.  Have a listen before you ask me for real to shoot for you….

 

Obviously I’m writing this wayyyyy before YOU asked me to do your session.  So I am not thinking personally here.  I am thinking broadly about all my past friends and family sessions. 

In my industry, wisdom says “DON’T SHOOT FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!”

(Actually, this might be wisdom in all small business circles, but its too darn awkward, that no one actually says much of anything.)

We (business owners/merchants/vendors, whatever) love our friends and family, but y’all can be tough.   You know US personally. But rarely do you know our no-nonsense, direct, hard-line-in-the-sand, “businessey” side.  We usually leave that at the office.  

But that “businessey” side is precicely what has kept us afloat for so many years.  We keep deadlines, and require our customers to do the same.  We pay our bills, and require our customers to do the same.  We keep business dealings to business hours and customers do the same.   Humans don’t always keep friends at arms length like that. 

Friends call or text later into the evening.  We don’t really care if a friend shows up to a barbeque 30 minutes late.  We reimburse the $5 we owe when we think of it.  We ask a favor of a pal at church.  No big deal!

You see where I’m going with this, don’t you…

When the boundary lines get blurred, or confused, or completely not communicated at all, the relationship suffers.  In many cases it’s proabably one-sided.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing could be more exciting …. AND more annoying and complicated that serving friends and family!!

Read on…

 

In my industry (and mine probably isn’t the only one) wisdom says “DON’T SHOOT FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!”

It’s only a positive experience if the friend would actually be willing to have zero special treatment, zero special price, and zero extra accommodations.  If you think you would trust me enough to hire me if I were a stranger, then we can definitely talk.

So here are the steps you need to take:

1

Peruse my galleries. Do you even like my work?  Does MY style match YOUR style?  And most importantly, do I currently offer the kind of session you are wanting? (E.g…. I DON’T offer photography for weddings, birthday parties, engagement sessions, senior portraits, or boudior.  And I rarely do in-home studio work anymore.)

If you said YES, then go to step 2.  If you said no, then I’d be honored to walk with you in finding a professional who you’ll love and will fit you!

2

Peruse my info pages where the pricing is.  I offer a premium product.  That’ll happen when you’ve been at this for nearly two decades. If you were a stranger would you want to afford the menu items? (regardless of if you CAN afford it, would you WANT to?)   If you answer NO, I’ll tell you why this is a problem.  The customer should always agree on the VALUE of the merchant’s product. (Whether or not they can fund it)  If the customer doesn’t value it, he will almost certainly inhibit the creative process. It is very difficult to create well when the customer is sort of telling the merchant what to do, how to do it, choices to make, and ultimately doesn’t trust the merchant.  A photographer in this position just ends up being a glorified camera-holder/button-pusher. They’re not actually free to create.

No one ever MEANS to be insulting by when they are “trying to help.”  Of course not.  But the familiarity of the relationship can, in a way, blind the customer to the fact that their friend may actually be actually a professional.

If you said YES, you’d definitely hire me, then go to step 3.  If you said no, then I’d be honored to walk with you in finding a professional who you’ll love and will fit you!

3

OK, so to this point we agree on the first important pieces so far.  Yay!

You can shoot me a message through my website to inquire about my availability.

***I can only offer a “friends and family” reduced session rate during the months of January, February, May, June, and July.*** All other months are full-price sessions.

So friends, I humbly ask that if you actually want to hire me, that you also trust me to handle your session with utmost professionalism and creativity.

 

At booking hopefully we we’re able to discuss YOUR particular goals for the session, and your maternity images. So this is a general list for the majority of my maternity clients…

TAKE CARE OF THIS BEFORE THE SESSION AT SOME POINT:

• Give attention to your nails.  Your hands (also hubby’s and big sister’s/brother’s) will be prominent enough in the images, that you’ll be glad you paid attention to this detail.
• Clean your jewelry.
• Pick your wardrobe out and iron whatever needs it.

YOU’LL NEED TO BRING:

• Flattering dresses/tops…. this is a *maternity* session, so it’s a good idea to pick clothes that show off the belly in some way (empire waist, a tie or gather beneath the bust line, very snug fabric, or even a button-up shirt that closes at your bust, but can’t close over your belly.)
• Whatever great outfits you pick for yourself, have a coordinating option for dad and big sibs to wear.  Solids, dark colors, and midtone colors are most flattering. Avoid white.
• Yes, black is slimming, but don’t ONLY bring black. It tends to hide the belly.
• Stripes show off curves! Usually that’s not so flattering on us grown women, but in this case it’s okay. We actually wnat to show off shape for this session.

IF YOU’RE DOIGN WRAPS YOU’LL NEED TO BRING:

• strapless bra
• black pants for both you and hubby
• hubby can go shirtless (which is a more intimate look of course) or wear a dark, plain tee

THINK ABOUT:

• Your hair… want to pull it up for a few? leave it down?
• Your makeup… Generally, photographers like a model to go heavier on the makeup, but these precious images still need to look like YOU. Don’t feel pressure to run to the salon for this session.  Personally, I would do hair and makeup as if I were going on a date; not prom.
• Think about what you want to do with these images and let’s shoot for THAT.  Wall art? Start a little library documenting baby’s little life?  Let me know your thoughts so I can serve you well. 

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Pack.

Any packing you need to do for the session… (props, your wardrobe, makeup, hair stuff, hats, bows, big sibling’s clothes, hubby’s clothes)  get as much of that packed ahead of time as possible.  

THE MORNING OF THE SESSION

For about 2 hours before the session KEEP YOUR BABY AWAKE. 

During the session we’re shooting for a SLEEPING newborn, so the idea here is you get Baby extra tired for the session…   You might be thinking, “My baby sleeps allll dayyy long.  We’ll have no trouble with having a sleepy baby for the session.”   That’s true!  But I assume your baby isn’t being moved around and posed in 10 different cute positions while he or she sleeps naked.  When these tiny kids aren’t completely OUT, they tend to wake up during the session. As a result, we get fewer images to show for our work.
TIPS for this wake time:  diaper only, lay baby on his or her back, do not use a blanket to keep baby cozy warm

RIGHT BEFORE THE SESSION

FEED HIM OR HER A GOOD FULLLLLL FEEDING.

If you have significant travel time to get to the studio, consider feeding your baby once you get here. (If you know you want to do this, let me know. I will want you to come early.)  The 2 hours after a full belly are PRECIOUS hours for making photographs. I’d rather not too much of that time be spent in the car.  

While you are nursing or bottle feeding, it may be difficult for your days-old baby to stay awake for the FULL  feeding.  *Work* to keep Baby awake enough to finish eating until you are confident he or she has a full belly.  While you are more than welcome to feed your baby throughout as needed, snack-feeders typically don’t sleep as deeply, and they wake up frequently; resulting in fewer photographs.

ON YOUR WAY TO THE STUDIO

DRESS BABY IN JUST ONE LAYER OF CLOTHING

When we’re ready to start shooting, and I undress your baby, it helps me not disturb him or her if I’m not peeling of sixteen layers of clothing.  You can always layer blankets all on top of your baby while in the car seat if it’s cold out.

KEEP BABY AWAY EXCEPT FOR THE LAST 20 MINUTES

All this might seem exessive, but it’s worth it. Otherwise we will spend a lot of time coaxing Baby to sleep during the session. 

HOT.

I set the studio to a pretty warm temp. It’s essential. Naked babies loovvve the heat.  However it can be uncomfortable for the rest of us, so dress for the tropics.

If we’re doing relational images (with mom, dad, or siblings) we usually start with those, and afterwards you’ll change clothes, and your makeup inevitably melts off.

I’ve got water on hand, so feel free to drink your weight.

LENGTH OF TIME:

2-4 hours. …  Some babies sleep like a dream for us and we roll through posing, quickly, one right after the other, boom, we’re done.  Others are up with th sun and are not about to close an eye.  In these cases where we have an alert baby, we have a tricky situation.  I do not pack up my camera and wait stubbornly until the kiddo falls asleep; I do shoot a bit while he or she is calm and nice. However, difficult posing, is a lost cause if Baby is awake.  So we do work to bring on the zzzzzs as best we can.  This usually means we take the time to allow Baby to get a full belly.

***PLEASE*** take a look at the “what to do before my session” section. It keeps us closer to the 2 hour mark, and away from the 4 hour mark.

I do shoot in the order of YOUR priority, so if you simply run out of steam, I will not hold you and your baby hostage.

BIG SIBLINGS CAN PLAY…

I have four kids myself, so we have lots to play on around our back yard. I certainly don’t mind if    *a parent takes them out*   and plays on the swings etc.

 

All sessions types (excluding quick headshots) will havce a private online gallery posted.

Posting will be 5-10 business days after the session.  You’ll be notified via text or email or both.

The gallery will be live for 5 days.  Please make all buying decisions within your gallery window.  Depending on your session type, high resolution digital images may be included in your session.