Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much does a session cost and how do I schedule it?
A. It is NEVER too early to book a session. I only take a limited number of newborns each month, so the sooner I get you on the calendar, the better. Fall is another busy season for me between family session and seniors, so please don’t wait too long. Weekends book first; if you have availability during the week, you are more likely to be able to schedule on short notice. Session pricing can be found here.
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Q. Why should I choose your studio instead of a traditional studio?
A. You can go to any of the studios in the mall and get professional pictures taken. You will feel rushed and stressed and more than likely, the end product won’t really reflect the true personality of your child. Choosing a photographer that will take the time to get to know you and your family is completely different. I promise to treat each of your images exactly the same as if they were my own. All of my sessions are shot at a location of your choice, whether it be at home, a local park or a favorite coffee shop, bookstore or other location that is important to you.
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Q. What should I do to prepare for my session?
A. If we are holding the session in your home, please just do a basic “pick-up” of loose items and open all of your curtains. Once I arrive, we can decide what, if anything, needs to be moved. Your house does NOT have to be immaculate…most shots are close up and the background will not be the focus. For family shots, I may also want to use some of the architectural features of your home. We can also use the outside of your home for images. You’d be surprised how nice even the simplest yard can look in a family portrait! Please have any props, outfits or poses you would like to incorporate out and ready.
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Q. What should I do to prepare for my NEWBORN session?
A. Newborn sessions can be 2-3 hours long, depending on your newborns individual personality and need for food and comforting. It is important to try and relax throughout the session because your baby will pick up your feeling of frustration if the session is not going as smoothly as you would like. In order for baby to be as clam and relaxed as possible, please try to keep your baby awake for as long as possible (several hours if you are able) before the session is scheduled to begin. Try to feed and burp your baby as I am arriving, so that they are getting very sleepy just as I am ready to start. Consider adjusting the temperature in the house to slightly warmer. Babiest are coziest when they are warm. Do not worry about what your house looks like…you just got home from the hospital with a new baby!! Once I arrive, we can move any items that will distract from the session. All you need to do to get ready is open the blinds and/or curtains to let in as much light as possible. We can pause at any time to feed or comfort. I LOVE including Mom, Dad and siblings in the newborn session. This is your opportunity to capture their teeny, tiny size! Please have any blankets, props, or outfits you would like to incorporate out and ready. More info on Newborn Sessions
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Q. What about props?
A. I have a small selection of hats, wraps, headbands and diaper covers for our youngest clients. If you are interested in a particular prop/theme please discuss this with me prior to your session. I am always welcome to incorporate any of your own items into your session.
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Q. What do I wear for my session?
A. Newborns & Babies: should be dressed in a simple onesie to allow for easy swaddling in a variety of blankets/wraps. Parents of newborns should wear a solid, neutral colored shirt (ex: white, black, navy). Also be prepared to do some skin on skin shots if you are up for it!
Older babies, ages 3-9 months: I also like to do some photographs of them in the buff or with a diaper cover on. For outfits, I love bright colors and simple patterns.
Children: For children, anything goes! Feel free to have a few different outfit changes. It always also nice to let the kids have fun; bring out the tu-tu’s, pettiskirts, fun hats and cowboy boots!
Adults: Coordinate your outfits to your children but don’t be too “matchy”. Feel free to use colors and patterns, but most of all, dress comfortably; I want to capture your natural style. And, accessorize! Scarves, jewelry, shoes, etc… all make for fun photos!
For more information please view my blog post: What to Wear On My Photo Session
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Q. What locations are available for my session?
A. All of my sessions take place either in your home (inside or outside) or a location of your choice. For an outdoor session, I prefer to do the sessions in the morning or late afternoon when natural light is the best. All of my photo sessions are laid back and it is my hope that everyone will have fun while being photographed!
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Q. How soon after my session will I get to see my images?
A. After each session, your images will reviewed for quality and placed into a password protected proof gallery for you to select your package images from. This proof gallery is typically available 10-14 days after your session. Images for the proof gallery are hand-selected based on the photos that best represent the client, the atmosphere, and the quality of work SSP wishes to provide. SSP will not provide “unedited” images at any time.
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Q. How long before I can expect to have my selected images available for download?
A. Once you have emailed your images choices to the studio, the final editing will take place. All images will be delivered within 2-3 weeks of receipt of selection. You will receive a link to download your session via Dropbox. If, for any reason, you need your images sooner than stated above, please feel free to discuss this at your session and every effort will be made to accommodate you.
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Q. Why don’t I get to see all of the images from my session?
A. There are technical things I need to take care of during the session. I sometimes need to make adjustments which require test shots, changing up composition, and solving any lighting challenges to ensure that I capture the perfect image. These excess images (ex: eye-blinks, people not looking at the camera or in mid-motion, improper settings) help create the final product, but they are not the final product, and won’t be treated as such.
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Q. Why can’t I have all of the images from my session?
A. I don’t release any images not included with the set of final images, because they were neither created nor intended as final products – they simply enabled me to work out issues that arose to ensure you’d get the high quality images you received. I take each image and spend time working with it by hand to tone the color, smooth any imperfections, and produce final pieces of art that are up to my standards – the same quality of work you saw in my portfolio. If you would like to purchase additional images from your session, you are always welcome to do so.
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Q. Can I have prints made of my images?
A. We offer a full range of services including prints, canvas wraps, photo albums, holiday cards and birth announcements. Pro labs charge more for their images because the quality of ink and paper is better. I have a minimal mark-up on all prints because I believe that everyone deserves their walls to be decorated with beautiful art!! Believe me the slight additional expense is well worth it. Please contact me for more information. If you do choose to print on your own, we recommend www.mpix.com for your personal printing. Their quality is as close to pro as you will find. You get what you pay for!