Getting started

Our desire is to set the stage to help you look your best, while providing the tools necessary to capture and produce the highest quality images.  There is no rush with your session, and we plan to take plenty of photos during our time with you.   We live in the digital age, which means we can provide immediate feedback regarding your photos, and retake a reasonable number of images until you’re satisfied with your pictures.  Any stress you experience during your photo session is likely to be self-induced.  Allow this to be your time, and give yourself a break from the hassles of everyday life.  Don’t be too hard on yourself or your children.  Attitudes become contagious, and we want everyone’s expressions to be filled with joy.  Even if there’s someone in your party who doesn’t like to smile, we’ll strive to catch the proverbial twinkle.  

We recommend you consider the setting / location where you’d like your session to take place.  Perhaps you prefer the natural look of the outdoors, or want your images to depict the atmosphere of your home or office.   Others appreciate the more formal look of a studio.  If you choose the studio look, we can discuss various color options once you decide what you’d like to wear.   Everyone tends to be more relaxed in the comforts of their home, which is one of the benefits of having the look of the photo studio from your own home.  In addition, those with children find their preparation time is significantly reduced when we take photos from the home.  We allow you to spend your time preparing your children for the photo session, as opposed to spending time preparing your children for the ride to the studio and potential wait in line.  

If we bring studio equipment to your location, we will need an additional 30 minutes to set up before we get started.  But take advantage of this time and spend a little extra time getting ready for your photos.   If you want a paper or canvas backdrop, we’ll need enough room to work.   You will need a room with a minimum width of 12 feet, and depending on what poses we chose, another 15 feet to work in front of the canvas.  We will bring a portable canvas / paper stand, so don’t worry about what’s behind the photo.  We also need room for strobe light stands, and various attachments (such as softboxes, reflectors, umbrellas, etc.).    We will also bring posing stools and minimal props, and will include items you have at your location that you prefer to use.  Keep in mind, if we work with canvas or paper backdrops, even your unfinished basement will work great.    Perhaps you have a friend or family member with a large area that would be best suited for photography.  In this case, we will consider completing two photo sessions at the same time and location.  We will treat each session separately, and will give each family or individual a 30% discount (on the sitting fee only – does not apply to photo disks, DVDs, or digital or video editing).