What is your style of photography? My style of photography is best described as "guided lifestyle". As opposed to more traditional or studio style photography, my focus is to capture the relationships between you and your family. Many of the times I will tell you not to look at the camera, and instead make faces at each other. I will capture plenty of candid shots, but I also have many games to play that create photogenic and connected interactions between you and your kiddos, all while keeping the session low-stress for you and fun for the little ones.
Where do the sessions take place? With a few exceptions, newborn sessions are always held indoors, where everyone will be the most comfortable. I will guide you through preparing indoor spaces to have them photo shoot ready, even if you don't live in a "magazine perfect" home. All other sessions, including maternity, family, child, sibling and baby photography, will take place either at your home or outdoors. During our pre-session consult call we will discuss the various options based on time of day, nap schedules, weather, season, etc. My goal is to capture your family at this stage in your life, so sometimes bits of chaos and mess work their way into photos, and it actually makes them all the more beautiful. I promise you I will show you how beautiful the mess can be!
What if my kiddos are complete terrors during the photo shoot? I try to keep the sessions feeling as much like a playdate as possible! Don't worry about your kiddos being "perfect" or "well behaved"- I want them to feel comfortable so I can capture them looking most like themselves! And generally, the more they sense how important the session is to us grownups, the more tempted they are to be wild and uncooperative. So please let me work with the kids and do your best not to stress about their behavior. As I mentioned above, I have many fun games and tricks to keep kids entertained and doing "photogenic" things. I do always encourage parents to bring favorite books or toys from home, as that can help shyer kids feel more at ease and forget about the camera. I'm also not above eh-hem, "incentives" (definitely not bribes ;-)!) such as the promise of a special treat after the session. Additionally, I always have an AMAZING sticker collection for the kids to go through after their session, and I've been known to tell more antsy kiddos that the stickers come out after__ more shots. Finally, the top of my camera has a pez dispenser, and with parents approval, each kid is allowed to take one candy from the "Camera Penguin" at the end of the session.
What if my baby doesn't sleep during their newborn session? Very rarely has it happened that a newborn won't sleep during their session. I have many tricks for keeping the session atmosphere conducive to sleeping, from white noise, all the "happiest baby on the block"methods, and an inordinate amount of patience! This is the main reason that newborn sessions can be between 2-3 hours - because your newborn is in charge whether we like it or not, and we can (almost) always wait until they fall asleep. A few days before your session I will share some prep tips with you, including ways of making the session more conducive to sleeping.
What is a "Digital File?" Digital file simply refers to a single image. Following your session I go through each image and meticulously select the very best ones based on expression, engagement and connection between subjects, lighting, composition, etc. Ultimately, I will create a gallery of the 30 best photos for you to look through. These 30 photos will be "rough drafts" 30 photos=30 digital files. Depending on which package you select, you will receive either 10 or 18 of the files as well as other beautiful photos products.
Do you release raw and/or unedited images? I don't release the raw files, because they are just that - raw - which I think of as a detailed sketch, but missing all the final details. I do a mixture of artistic and touch-up editing on each file you select. This results in having not just a photograph, but a piece of custom-made artwork. The touch ups are also a wonderful thing when it comes to tiny scratches from the little razor fingernails babies all seem to have, their frequently dry and flakey skin, and the unfortunate baby acne that tends to plague most little ones sometime within the 2nd-5th week. It's also a pretty nice boost for parents - for those telltale under-eye circles, any shine from the lighting or makeup smudges.
How do we schedule for our newborn session with birth being such an unpredictable event? For this exact reason, I book a very limited number of newborn sessions each month. I'll hold an approximate session day based on your due date, and we'll finalize our session time once your baby arrives, and you have had a day or two to settle in at home. Usually I will come to take the photos 7-9 days after birth unless we have discussed beforehand that you'd prefer "older" newborn photos. I do tend to fill up, so I encourage you to book as soon as you've decided I'm the photographer for you.
I’ve fallen in love with your photography, but money is tight. Is there any thing I can do to still have you as my photographer? Yes! I know very well what it is like to want a photographer that is out of one’s budget! (Oh believe me, I know so well!!) Basically, I don’t want cost to be prohibitive to working with anyone that feels drawn to my work. Please read more about bartering and payment plans here, and reach out with any questions or thoughts at all.
