Tips & FAQs For Photo Session

General Tips

1. Posing. Most of us get self-conscious about our bodies and appearances. I truly believe that we are our own worst enemy most critical of ourselves. As a photographer, I mostly see light, emotion, and joy.  I want you to see the same! This is how you should want your family to see you.  

While I do minimal skin fixes, I do not glamorize any image. That means I will not shrink any part of your body nor grow any part of our body.  Don’t fixate on these things, and instead focus on the positives.  These bigger memories are so much more important. 

With that, I do recommend you to practice smiling (it’s harder than you think!), and find that pose you love. 

2. Hair and Makeup. Ladies, always cut your hair (if you are planning to) at least 2 weeks before the session to allow some growth in the event the hair cut didn’t go as planned. Bring a baggie of extra ties, clips, and a brush, because Mother Nature will tend to blow wind our way. Makeup – bring for touch ups especially if you have kids rubbing on your face like I do!

3. Glasses and Nails. Clean nails for everyone is important.  The slightest can be seen sometimes in the photos. Once again, I do not do special removals of nail colors or other nail issues.  Be sure to lotion and bring lotion.  Glasses – most common glasses are now transitional and they do absolutely no good for photos.  Try wearing contacts, or if you normally wear glasses and want to capture that essence, I recommend buying some cheap $1 glasses from the dollar store and pop out the lens to wear only the frames! All glasses produce a horrendous glare, and we do not want glares in our memories.

4. Dry and Tanned Skin. Moisturize everyone for days! That includes lips, skin, face, everywhere. Bring chapstick.  It will help to get that beautiful natural glow.  As for tanned skin, I recommend covering tan lines and sunburn as much as you can.  There are no special edits for tans. 

5. Children. Children of napping ages should get a nap and be fed prior to the session.  It makes them the happiest.  Bring extra snacks but avoid the gooey and messy ones especially those that dyes.  Always bring wipes, and water. Most importantly, let them be themselves! 

6. What to Wear. Long gone are the 1hour photo studio days where everyone wears the same colored tops and bottoms. Now, coordinating colors is the thing! Pick 2-3 colors and mix and match.  Layers are visually appealing too.  Ive created a board with sample coordinates on Pinterest for ideas here.  Always pick clothes SHOES that flatter your body and are comfortable because we will sit, stand, squat, and all. Bring flats/sandals to walk in and slip on the heel for the shot!

Avoid pin stripes, busy patterns that will generate a Moire effect in the photo and video because it’s not pretty. Also avoid too short clothes that may cause for a wardrobe malfunction. 

7. Props and Accessories. Bring that prop or heirloom that means a lot to you! We will incorporate it as much as we can. This is most important for Senior and Maternity Sessions. 

FAQs

1. What locations can be chosen? Will you suggest sme locations and can client suggest locations? 

When booking and reserving your session, we will discuss locations along with session time and date.  Standard sessions take place at a public location in the Greater Sacramento Area that we both agree on.  In special occasions, you may request a reserved private location.  All fees are paid at the client’s expense. Such fees are not included in your package. 

I will suggest some popular locations throughout the Sacramento area if needed. 

Travel fees may incur if out of Sacramento area. 

2. When should I arrive on location? 

I recommend arriving at minimum 15 minutes early so you can grab your stuff, get the kids last minute ready, and meet up!  If location requires a bit of walking, I will let you know to arrive early for best results since everyone walks at a different pace. 

Your session starts at the time booked.  If you are late, it does dig into your session allowed time. 

3. What is the turnaround time? 

The estimated turnaround time for most photo packages is 2 weeks and for films is 6-8 weeks. Depending on surrounding circumstances, that may differ, but you will be notified in advance. 

4. What if it rains or other uncontrollable Mother Nature event occurs? 

If the weather is poor including rain, extreme wind, or other catastrophic condition occur, we will absolutely reschedule (I do not allow for cancellations).  This includes any potential threat to our health and well being not excluding poor air quality or other health concerns and mandates. 

There is no fee to reschedule due to weather. 

5. What will I receive in my gallery? and how long will I be able to access the gallery? 

Your gallery will include the best selection of images, fully edited. Do not feel you are missing out on any photos.  Trust me when I say that, I will include every photo I can for you to select from.  Most galleries are available for 2 weeks online.  If you need an extension, please reach out to me before archival at end of 2-3 weeks. Permanent archival of all images is 6 months.  In rare cases, I can pull out archives, but you will be required to pay for the full gallery that is separate from your session fee. 

6. Can I order prints through your lab? 

Yes! Please reach out to me for current print packages. 

7. Can I order prints through another lab? Which labs do you recommend? 

Yes of course!  I recommend online labs such as Mpix, and Blurb for best quality for the buck. Always do a test print if possible. 

8. What if I need to reschedule or cancel? 

I do not allow for cancellations.  If you are cancelling, you are forfeiting your retainer fee.  Refer to contract for details.  If you need to reschedule, please let me know as soon as you can.  I require at least 2 days advance notice to avoid fees. See FAQ regarding cancellations due to weather. 

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