General Questions
Baby Portrait Sessions
Maternity Portrait Sessions
Family Portrait Sessions
Outdoor Portrait Sessions
General Questions
Do you sell high resolution cds of your images?
Starting in 2010, all clients will be able to purchase a high resolution dvd of all the images from their on-line gallery. The dvds are $400 but if you order the dvd within 2 weeks of receiving access to your photos on the private on-line gallery, the dvds are only $300
Why are your sessions 1.5 hours long? That seems like a long time for a baby photo session.
I book 1.5 hours for all my sessions so we have lots of time and so the photo session is nice and relaxed. With babies, we work around their schedules and what they are willing to do. We always have to stop so the moms can feed them, change them or maybe give them some time to cuddle. With older children the longer session allows the kids to settle in a bit before we start taking their portraits right away.
Do you take a specific number of images per session? My last photographer specified that he would only shoot 2 rolls of film.
No. I never limit the amount of images I capture during a session. I like to shoot a lot so I can give me clients a wide variety of images to choose from. I usually take 75 to 100 portraits during a session.
What should we wear?
* The majority of the photos will be of baby with mom or dad so be prepared to have your photo taken!
* We will do a few photos of your baby dressed but for the majority of the photos, your baby is going to be down to a diaper cover that I will provide.
* As for the parents clothing, I always advise my clients to keep it casual. My style is not very formal so you will want to feel comfortable in what you are wearing.
* Moms – PLEASE do not wear t-shirts or tops with a lower cut or v-neck. Higher necklines look best, especially in photos where you will be holding the baby.
* Moms and Dads – Please do not wear shirts with writing, stripes, logos or crazy patterns as they are very distracting.
* Please do not wear black or white colors – the black is too dark against the black backdrop and the white is too bright.
* Please bring a black long sleeved shirt with you – it gives us a few more options if baby needs to be held alot.
* If it is summer time, please do not wear Summer/Beach wear such as halters, low cut t-hirts, shorts or capris.
Can you tell me a bit about how the session works and how we get our photos?
* Approx. 2 to 3 weeks after your session, we will email you your password to a private on-line gallery. Your gallery will contain 50 to 75 edited portraits from your session. We will leave them on the on-line gallery for 30 days so you have lots of time to look at them, share them with family and friends and not feel rushed to place your order.
* If you place your order within 2 weeks of receiving your password you receive 15% or 25% discount on your reprints/enlargements.
* All reprints/enlargements are professionally printed – we do not use home/office style photo printers!
* You may email us your order or if you would like some help, we can set up an appointment so I can meet with you to give you some assistance.
* It takes approx. 2 weeks to have your order ready. Framing and albums may take a bit longer
* For your convience, we take visa, mastercard or interac.
* Any orders over $300 require a 50% deposit
Baby Portrait Sessions
My baby is not on any kind of a schedule yet so I am not sure what time to book my session.
Don’t worry about how your baby will do. I always tell my clients the same thing… All baby portrait sessions seem to go the same…we take a few photos, then we stop to give baby some cuddle time. We take a few more photos, then we stop so baby can have a bit more to eat.
It’s funny because very little of the 1.5 hours of the session is actually used for taking the photos!
What if my baby cries or really fusses during the session?
Don’t worry! If your baby cries or gets really fussy we just stop shooting and take a bit of a break. Usually after a few minutes with mom or dad, they settle right back in and we can start taking photos again. I am a mom too so the crying doesn’t bother me.
What should we wear?
* The majority of the photos will be of baby with mom or dad so be prepared to have your photo taken! Your baby is going to be down to a diaper cover for the photos.
* As for the parents clothing, I always advise my clients to keep it casual. My style is not very formal so you will want to feel comfortable in what you are wearing.
* Moms – PLEASE do not wear t-shirts or tops with a lower cut or v-neck. Higher necklines look best, especially in photos where you will be holding the baby.
* Moms and Dads – Please do not wear shirts with writing, stripes, logos or crazy patterns as they are very distracting.
* Please do not wear black or white colors – the black is too dark against the black backdrop and the white is too bright.
* If it is summer time, please do not wear Summer/Beach wear such as halters, low cut t-hirts, shorts or capris.
What works best?
* Pants look best. Please do not wear shorts or skirts
* Colors that work best are mid tone colors – blue, grey, brown, red, etc.
* Everyone should be in the same tone if possible.
Maternity Portrait Sessions
I really want maternity portraits done but I have all kinds of stretch marks. Can you do anything about that?
Don’t worry. With a little bit of creativity and some different kinds of lighting we can create some really nice portraits for you.
I saw on your website that some of the photos the couples are nude. Do we have to do those poses?
Not at all! If you look closely at the photos, you will see that the clients still had some clothing on! I always talk to my clients beforehand to get an idea of what kind of portraits they are looking for. I NEVER ask a client to do something they are not comfortable with.
We have a 3 year old that we would like to come for the photo session. Is that ok?
Absolutely! Probably my favorite maternity sessions are when there is a toddler to include in the photos. Have the child bring their favorite teddy, toy, etc. so we can work that into the photos!
What should we wear?
It helps to come prepared. The following are some things that we have found that work:
* Bra – Wear one that you can be photographed in. Black is preferable. Bringing both black and white is ideal.
* Pants – Jeans are best. stretch or maternity leggings also work. Please do not wear skirts or really loose clothing
* Shirts – Bring a few with you! A tight fitting tank top or shirt that shows the roundness of your belly is great. Also, a shirt that buttons down the front is a good idea (borrowing one of his can work!).
* Jewellery – funky jewellery, chains, and more can be a great addition.
* Colors – no strips, patterns, writing or funky designs on your clothing please – they look too busy.
* Please avoid wearing white or black – mid tones work best. The same rules apply to what hubby is going to wear.
What to bring with you
Every pregnancy is unique! What defines yours? Bring along items that define you as a couple and you as future parents. Some ideas:
Props – It can be really cute to bring props for your photo session.
Some ideas:
* Baby’s booties or a teddy bear you bought for your baby’s room.
* Have any food cravings (ate tons of grapes, French fries, ice cream)
* I always encourage my clients to bring something that really says who they are or what kind of activities they are in to. Some of my clients have brought the following:
* Hubby’s hockey jersey, gloves, stick, etc.
* Golf props – balls and a golf club
Family Portrait Sessions
What should we wear?
Unless you only want photos of your children, alot of the photos will be of your children with mom or dad so be prepared to have your photo taken!
* As for the parents clothing, I always advise my clients to keep it casual. My style is not very formal so you will want to feel comfortable in what you are wearing.
* Moms – PLEASE do not wear t-shirts or tops with a lower cut or v-neck. Higher necklines look best, especially in photos where you will be holding the baby.
* Moms and Dads – Please do not wear shirts with writing, stripes, logos or crazy patterns as they are very distracting.
* Please do not wear black or white colors – the black is too dark against the black backdrop and the white is too bright.
* If it is summer time, please do not wear Summer/Beach wear such as halters, low cut t-hirts, shorts or capris.
What works best
* Pants look best. Please do not wear shorts or skirts.
* Colors that work best are mid tone colors – blue, grey, brown, red, etc.
* Everyone should be in the same tone if possible.
Outdoor Portrait Sessions
Where do you do your outdoor photo sessions?
I have a couple of places but my favorite is Emily Murphy – located across from Hawrelak Park.
What should we wear?
My style is very casual so don’t get too dressed up. Also, with outdoor portraits, you and your family will be sitting on steps, on the ground, on the grass, in trees, etc so you will get slightly dirty.
WHAT TO WEAR
* Jeans look best. Please do not wear shorts or skirts.
* Dark Colors work best. PLEASE DO NOT WEAR WHITE
* Everyone should be in the same tone if possible.
WHAT NOT TO WEAR
* Please do not wear summer/beach wear – halters, low cut t-shirts, shorts, etc.
* Please avoid clothing with stripes, patterns, logos or writing – it is very distracting.
* Please do not wear white clothing.
Other things to note:
* Dark socks look best.
* You will see your shoes in the photos
I always find it so stressful having our family’s portraits done! Do you have any suggestions to make it easier?
I always tell clients, the real story is the craziness that goes on BEFORE you get to the photo session!
Here are some tips:
* If you think your child is going to sleep in the car on the drive to the park, please try to arrive about 15 minutes early. This will allow your child to wake up and have some time to get adjusted to the new surroundings and maybe have a bit of a snack/drink before the session starts.
* In the summer, bring bug spray to help keep the mosquitos away.
* Bring water and a light snack. Some times we need to take a bit of a break and give the kids a quick drink before we start taking photos again.
