Thanks for booking with me!
I’m super excited for our session, these are always really fun. I have some common questions that I get from folks when they’re preparing for sessions, and then also just some tips and things I’d like you to know to make this whole thing go smoothly. I know how hard it is to get everybody prepped and out the door for these things.
What are we supposed to wear for this?
There are some tips that I give to everyone, for any kind of photo session, so they totally apply here.
Keep it comfortable
Wear (or dress your kids in) things that are comfortable. Don’t put them in that shirt they hate because it’s itchy, or the one with the weird collar that flips up that you’ll be mad about in every photo. People who feel good take better photos, that’s just science (citation needed).
Make it interesting
Texture is great for visual interest, layers can also be great for that if you’re not the type to overheat. Timeless and simple is great, but if your kid is in their Spider-Man costume era and you want to celebrate that, I’m into it.
Let’s coordinate
If you’re dressing more than one person, pick a palette. They don’t have to absolutely match each other, you just want everyone to look nice standing next to each other. I find it easiest to dress your hardest one first (it’s me, I’m the problem) and then plan the other outfits around that one. Lay the clothes out on your bed and see if everything complements each other.
Show us who you are
Show your personality! If your kid has a favorite pair of boots, let her wear ‘em. If your son hates shoes, barefoot is fine. If they have a favorite toy, or they’re obsessed with sunglasses, whatever it is that makes them an adorable individual, let’s incorporate it.
Where’s it going?
Consider what you’re going to do with these photos. It’s a themed sort of thing, yes, but who doesn’t love love? You can leave that up all year if you want to. Where you’re hanging photos can inform how you dress for a session, both the color choices and the style.
Seasonal fun
Which brings us to this specific session. You can totally lean into the theme and go hard for Valentine’s day, or not! You can dress more neutral, and let the confetti pop, or you can go all in with red and pink. The only thing I really don’t recommend is going with all or mostly white, because they’ll kind of blend in with the studio walls. Confetti will be red, pink, and white hearts.
The ordering session
This is a new thing for me! I’ve been doing it for about a year, but if it’s been longer than that since we’ve worked together, it might be a new thing for you, too.
After your session, you can go home and shake the confetti out of your pockets. A week or two later, I’ll have your photos narrowed down to the really great ones, and do a quick edit on them. You’ll come back to the studio, view those beautiful photos, and I’ll help you pick the ones you want to print.
First things first, we’ll pick the four images you want to use in your giant photo strip, that’s included with your session.
If that’s the only thing you want to print, then we’re done! I’m really not in this to do a hard sell, because I absolutely hate that myself. I really, truly just want to make it as easy as possible for you to get the prints that you want from your session, and this has proved to be the best way. Even if you only want what you’ve already paid for, I’ll help you pick the four portraits that you absolutely can’t live without on your wall.
If you’re considering other print products, then we’ll go through some other photos and narrow down your favorites, or look for images that fit the kind of print you want. Once we have everything nailed down, I’ll retouch all of the images that you want to print, and you’ll receive the retouched digital versions of those as soon as they’re finished. When the physical prints come in, we’ll get ‘em to you. Easy peasy.
I offer all of the usual things, like loose 8x10 prints or framed prints, canvases, and albums. But we also have some fun stuff just for this session, like small photo strips, magnets, Valentine’s cards, mini albums, even stickers.
Some extra tips, to make this whole thing run smoothly
• If you’re chill and relaxed, your kids will be chill and relaxed. Have fun!
• Don’t worry about whether your kid is looking at the camera, or smiling, or whatever. I’ll be directing them a lot, and too many cooks in the kitchen can confuse them.
• On that note, I use a lot of movement in posing people. I’ll be asking them to throw confetti in the air, do a twirl, tell me a joke, just roll with it.
• Consider the messiness of food bribes. I like fruit snacks, because they aren’t crumbly and they don’t stain clothes or teeth.
• Sessions are blocked out for 30 minutes, so if you’re late and someone else is scheduled after you, we’ll only be able to use whatever’s left of your time slot.
• I am extremely not going to tell you how to parent your child, BUT just know that I’m totally not judging you if you let things slide to keep them in a cooperative mood for their session. Balancing “happy kids take happy portraits” with “we are not going to raise a jerk” can be a tricky balance, I know. But it’s only one day of their little lives, and photo days can be stressful for them, so we really try to keep it light and fun.
• Really, I’m just not judging your parenting, period. Your kids behave just like everybody else’s kids, I promise. They’re great.
• Be prepared! This is especially important for smaller kids, but everybody spills things. It’s not a bad idea to have an emergency change of clothes, snacks, juice, binkies, whatever it is that everybody needs to be happy. But also, Photoshop exists.
•The nemesis of every toddler is the face wipe. Ours goes full armadillo mode. Do the best you can, and I’ll retouch what I have to. The toughest thing to retouch is nostrils, so if you’ve got to pick between a clean nose and clean cheeks, blow that nose, please.
• If you have questions about anything, get in touch!
