Hi! So, I thought since I tend to get a lot of the same questions from clients before our session, I’d just take the time to answer a lot of the biggies right here. Genius, right? (Not that I don’t welcome an email or phone call with questions, I LOVE chatting about my work) So here goes:
I’m pregnant, when should I call to book you for my maternity session? Great question! Before I had my daughter, I had absolutely NO idea when you do this. I probably would have tried to wait until I was 38 weeks! HA! Thankfully, I did not. I would have been a house not so attractive. Seriously. I like to shoot maternity sessions around 32 weeks. With that said, you know what you look and feel like as that time approaches. If you are still tiny and feeling good about yourself, we can push that date. Maybe you feel good, with a nice round belly at 28 weeks-great! I book well in advance, though, so make sure you contact me 6-8 weeks prior.
I’m pregnant (YAY) and really want you to shoot my newborn pics. When do I call you? How do we plan it? Another great one! Okay, this one usually throws people for a loop…Here’s my answer,”I’d like to meet you home from the hospital!” Ha! I’m really not kidding. I like to shoot on day three or four and not past 2 weeks of life. New babies sleep all the time, they curl up nice and tend to not have newborn acne just yet. Reese’s colic set in at 3 weeks, so I am thankful we had all of our newborn shots done prior to this! Once you book your session, you will be invited to a password protected page full of all the information needed to make the session perfect!
What is custom photography and what can I expect to spend on my prints? This is perhaps the most important question when hiring a photographer. First of all, check out my site. Go through my work. I am a lifestyle photographer. I capture childhood with a modern, whimsical, non-traditional style. I want you to LOVE my work. My clients believe in me and my style and that’s how we work together beautifully. I spend LOTS of time on my work. A typical client from hire, session, artistic editing, then placing order and delivery is over 20 hours of my time. I work to offer my clients not only high end photography but custom coffee table books, invitations, canvases, storyboards, etc to display their images. Honestly, whatever they can dream up! My clients, on average spend upwards of $800 on art for their home. Please consider this when you are deciding on an appropriate time to do your session.
Do you ever sell the digital images from a session? I just recently changed my opinion on this. So, good news? YES, I do! With my digital collection you will receive a full cd of all edited images from your session. You may use the cds to print images, holiday cards anything you wish for personal use (you may not sell the images). I encourage this package. While I still have clients order canvases and other special order products through me, this allows them to savor the images. They’re yours! Make 20 copies, back them up to a hard drive, print images as gifts for grandma…anything your heart desires! Included in this package are my brand new photo box displays ($700 value) which are UNREAL!
What about location/clothing for our session? This plays a huge part in making your images a perfect reflection of who you are. Upon booking, we will discuss all of your questions (and hopefully ideas too!). Also, you will receive my information packet that will help guide you through the process.
Is there an order minimum for a session? Also, what does your session fee include? I really went back and forth on this first question for a while. I decided to not have a minimum order total, however, I invest hours in my clients images knowing they are committed to high end photography before hiring me. My session fee is just my time, travel and talent for the shooting session. I keep my session fee low, in order for my clients to receive actual prints for their money. If I was hiring a photographer, I would rather spend a large amount on my actual order. Since most clients invest large amounts in their orders, I am able to keep my session fee minimal. *Since I only offer a small number of holiday sessions, I do have a minimum order on sessions from September-November. Also, sessions outside of Henry County have a minimum order total.
Can I order birthday invitations/birth announcements & holiday cards from you? Of course! I offer lots of modern, fresh invitations…or if you have something specific in mind, we can custom design something perfect just for you! A reminder, if you purchase the digital package, which includes rights to the photos, you may order your own cards from anywhere you fancy!
If I want to schedule a birth shoot, how do we plan for that? Oh, I get excited just thinking about this! The most emotional, wonderful gift I was given was photographing the birth of a child. This is the best investment you can make. You can bet, (if we have another) I will be hiring a pro. Capturing the emotions, laboring, love, first breath, tears…there truly is nothing like it. Okay, I know, back to the question! Contact me as soon as you make the decision to have a professional photographer in the delivery room with you. First off, I will make sure that I am available the weeks before and after your due date. From there, I will be on call, waiting for the big moment! Yay! Oh….I love it!
Do you shoot weddings? The #1 question I get! Ugh, I wish I could wholeheartedly say YES! Unfortunately, I have no desire at this point in my career to shoot weddings. I know some photographers take on everything. It’s not that I couldn’t, even creatively, I think I would love it. I just feel like my strengths are in capturing childhood moments. Right now, I’m as happy as I can be dealing with kiddos! I’ll let you know if I ever get ready for brides!
For now, these are the top questions I’m receiving! Hope this helps with your decision! I truly, with all my heart, LOVE what I do. I love meeting my clients (then becoming friends with them by the time we are done) I love the challenge of capturing what they see as parents in their child. Photography is such a gift. I take pride in every image I shoot, edit and present. It would be my honor to work with you and your family!
