frequently asked questions : portrait and other sessions

: What type of camera and equipment do you use?

I currently shoot with a Canon 5D digital camera. My favorite and most-used lenses are the Canon 50mm 1.2L, 24-70 2.8L and the Canon 70-200 2.8L. I also have backup equipment including an extra camera body, lenses, flashes, batteries, memory cards, etc., that I bring with me to every shoot JUST IN CASE. I haven't had anything fail on me yet...but if it DOES happen, I'm prepared!


: When is the best time to schedule....

....a maternity session?

Between 32 and 35 weeks. You'll look pregnant - very! - but hopefully won't be too uncomfortable. If it's twins or you're expecting to not make it full-term, adjust accordingly.

...a newborn session?

During the first week if possible! Babies quickly lose that telltale newborn look and the ability to sleep through anything, including posing and being moved around. We'll take lots of breaks (not counted against your two hours) as needed for feeding and diaper changes. And don't worry - all babies pee or poop during the session at least once, usually (of course) during the naked baby pictures. I haven't had one where it hasn't happened! :) For more on the newborn session, click here.

...a child or family session?

As with other sessions, if it's taking place outdoors, we'll want to schedule it to begin about two hours before sunset. With any session involving children, it's key to make sure they are well-rested and fed before the session. Cranky, hungry kids do not want to sit still for pictures! Although two hours before sunset is ideal, we will always take the child's schedule into consideration when scheduling. Bring small candy pieces like M&Ms to work as bribes, have small snacks available in case your child becomes hungry, and a few favorite books or toys to act as distractions if needed. Be forewarned: even the best behaved, most photographed child on the planet can have a breakdown. It happens! If it does, don't worry. We'll take a few moments to let the child calm down and do something else before trying again. If they just aren't having it, we can re-schedule the session. The cost for re-scheduling would range from free to pro-rated depending on the amount of time we were able to shoot before the session was ended.

...an engagement session?

It depends on what you want the pictures for! If you're using them to create a Save the Date card to send out, you'll need to do them six or more months in advance. If you're using them for a guestbook or other decorations at the wedding, then two or three months in advance is plenty of time. If you're just doing them for fun...well, my husband and I did ours two weeks before our wedding, so anything goes! :) Just keep in mind the weather whenever possible - you want to be comfortable and we usually do them outside!

...senior pictures?

These are so hard to schedule! Since they are generally done outdoors, you want it to be warm with great scenery around you, and early spring is still usually chilly and brown. If you push it back to late spring, you run into....graduation! And if your child wants the pictures in order to hand them out to all his or her friends or to use on graduation announcements, you'll definitely want them before graduation. I usually recommend doing them right at the beginning of your child's senior year - August or September or even later into the fall. The colors are beautiful around then, it's still warm outside, and you have plenty of time until graduation.
: What day of the week and time of day is best for scheduling a session?

I love, love, love using natural light in my photography. The best light occurs in the window of time about two hours before sunset. Because of that, the time of day that I'll recommend for your session will vary depending on the date - in the winter, those two hours are going to occur in late afternoon from about 3pm to 5pm. However, in the summer those two hours are from about 7pm to 9pm. As far as the day of the week, as long as I'm available, it works for me! Saturdays in wedding season are often already booked for a wedding, so Sundays are quite popular for portrait sessions.

: What is a boudoir session?

A boudoir session is a throwback to the pin-up girls of the 50s and is a way for a bride-to-be to get some sexy (yet tasteful!) pictures of herself. These pictures are usually presented to the groom as the wedding day gift. However, as boudoir sessions become more common, we're seeing that it's not just brides-to-be who are booking it - women who have been married for twenty years are taking part as well! A boudoir session usually takes place in a hotel room (not included in the session price) or, if you have an exceptionally pretty bedroom, at your home. The people who opt for the hotel room often make a romantic evening out of it - we do the session in the afternoon or early evening, then you surprise your significant other with a nice dinner and a stay in a nice hotel room that night....then two weeks later surprise him again with pictures taken in that very same room!

: What should I wear?

Lucky you - I wrote an entire post about that! You can read it here.

: How should I do my hair and makeup?

You can check out a post about that subject here.

: How do I book a portrait session?

As of now, I don't require a deposit for a portrait session. You can call or email me to set up the session time and make your payment at the time of the shoot.

: How many pictures will I receive from the session? Ho long will it take to get them back?

You will, on average, get between 30 and 50 edited pictures from your session in your gallery approximately two weeks after the shoot. The number of pictures varies depending on the location and outfit changes.

: Do I get the high-res files from my session?

If you purchase them! All sessions include up to two hours of shooting and your choice of either an 8x10 print or one high-res file from the session (of your choice). However, you can add on the disc of all the edited, high-res files from your session for just $200...which will let you make as many prints as you want for the rest of your life...or until no one prints things anymore and we just have the images implanted directly to our brain. ;)

: What about making prints?

If you purchase the full disc of images or opt to receive the high-res file, you also receive print rights with your pictures. This lets you make as many prints as you want! While you can, of course, make prints from your local Walgreens, I recommend using a quality service like Mpix. If you have a CostCo membership - surprise! They do good prints too!

If you purchase a print from me, I will guarantee it for color and quality. I will also check it for any extra editing that it may need prior to printing - for instance, editing out blemishes or other small things that I don't do for the high-res files on the disc.

Regardless of whether you're printing it yourself or buying it from me, check out this post by Stacy Reeves on cropping. Remember, images straight out of the camera are sized at a 2:3 ratio, meaning that with 4x6 or 8x12 (or 16x24, 32x48, etc.) prints you don't have to do any cropping. However, if you order a 5x7 or 8x10 or other size, you will have to crop the image. Consider this before ordering prints - if important parts of the pictures are near the edge, they may be cropped out if you order those sizes.

: Where do you get those darling newborn hats and accessories?

ETSY!! I could spend my entire savings on stuff from Etsy. It's an online marketplace - a virtual craft show/garage sale/boutique. You can buy vegan soap, wedding invitations, homemade dresses, vintage wall hangings, aaaaaaaaand just about anything else you can ever think of. Seriously. I got a ton of stuff for my wedding from Etsy (most notably my awesome guest book), and pretty much every newborn prop I own from there. I own t-shirts, skirts, lotion, vases, frames, posters, jewelry, candles......anyway, I love it. I got most of my newborn hats from here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6410691.