Step by Step Guide to Portrait Sessions
After many years of experience working with families who would ask for digital files and then never get around to doing anything with them, I am embracing a new approach to working with you to provide greater value to you and photos to display and share.
This page outlines the steps that will get you great photos and great ways to share them in your home and with your family and not just have them sit in another folder on a hard drive to gather virtual dust.
- Scheduling your session is the first step, where we will talk about your hopes and hesitations for our working together, and get a feel for the style of presentation you might prefer so I can curate a range of options for you to invest your print credit in. Trust me, there are so many options these days it can easily keep you from making choices.
- Then comes the fun of making the photos. The first of many occasions I hope to work together with you because time flies and there are many milestones in life that a selfie won't cut it for.
- About two weeks later I'll share with you a slideshow of the images which will start a 30-day clock on your making decisions about picking your favorites and putting your print credit to work ordering from a focused array of items (details below).
- The last step, ideally, is to start this all over again in the months ahead.
Step 1: Scheduling your session
The approach to portraits and family photography I'm following now involves a session fee, and one of three levels of investment in creating items for you to display around your home along with digital copies of your favorite images.
Synchronizing calendars can be tricky, especially during peak times of the year, so it helps to plan ahead. I can be very flexible now that our kids are more self-sufficient.
- Weekday session $XXX
- Weekend or long weekend session $YYY
With a date selected payment of the session fee will be due and a contract will be signed.
Some considerations:
- Especially in this new age of remote work an early morning or afterschool/evening weekday session might actually work nicely for many families. Kids under five are usually better in the morning, but if you have teens an afternoon is probably better. The extra bonus is the light outside is better at these times.
- Spring and fall are ideal seasons to make photos outside so those periods may book up early.
- In the event that a session needs to be rescheduled, I will do everything possible to work within your schedule. Cancellation will forfeit your session fee, and any additional costs for location permits if needed, so lets see what we can do to make photos.
- There are limits to what can be done in Central Park or other public parks. The Conservatory Garden can be used with a $100 permit, but it might limit our session dates. I will confirm locations near you if you have a spot in mind.
- In the event of inclement weather, an outdoor shoot can be moved indoors. I have lighting equipment that can transform an arena or a living room into a photo studio.
- If you are hoping to make a gift of the photos or a print allow up to a month before the important day so there are no delivery surprises.
- We will talk a bit about the style of wall hangings or albums or other items you have an interest in using your print credit on so your ordering process will be more focused on getting across the finish line.
STEP 2: The Photo Session
After we lock in the day for your session I will share with you a guide to help prepare. It will have information on a variety of topics, like tips on clothing choices and rallying kids reluctant to spend any time away from a screen, if it doesn't answer your question(s) I'm happy to talk on the phone. A few days before the shoot we will talk to confirm the session, about any looming weather issues, sniffles or fevers, and any new ideas or questions you might have had. If we need to reschedule this is the time to do it.
The photo session will generally run up to four hours long. Younger kids might only have a shorter window of comfort for more organized photos, but we can make photos more candidly when they have had enough of being a model. If anyone needs to take a break for a meeting or other commitment let me know so we can focus on images with them while we have them.
The main goal is to have fun so if it ever feels like too much we can take a break for a bit.
Step 3: The Photos!
About two weeks after our session you will receive an email invitation to view a slideshow of about 50 fully edited images. for you to watch over a 24-hour window.
To encourage you to make images to display around your house or office each of the three collections below includes downloads and print credit. To keep things moving forward you will have 30 days to pick your favorites and decide how to spend the print credits that came with your selected collection level.
Chose a Collection
Collection A
$ZZZZ
10
High Resolution
Digital Downloads
(with print release)
$XXX
in print credit to use with our professional lab
Collection B
$GGGG
20
High Resolution
Digital Downloads
(with print release)
$XXX
in print credit to use with our professional lab
Collection C
$JJJJ
Entire Gallery as
High Resolution
Digital Downloads
(with print release)
$XXX
in print credit to use with our professional lab
Products
Photo Prints
Produced by a professional lab
Professionally printed on papers from Kodak and Fuji suitable for custom framing.
Fine Art Prints
Archival printing on art papers
Printing on high-quality archival papers with the natural look of fine art.
Framed/Mounted Prints
Museum grade framing
Metal or wood frames, and printing on contemporary materials like bamboo, wood, acrylic, and metal to match your style preferences.
Books & Albums
Photo and traditional bindings
Lay flat photo or printed page with quality bindings to showcase your favorite images from the session.