I am so thrilled to work with you! My mission is to give you and your loved ones something beautiful to remind you of this time in your story. That is a job I will never take lightly. Below you will find information about your session and what to expect after booking.
What to expect when you book a maternity, fresh 48, or newborn session with me.
Congratulations!! A new baby in the family brings so many things. It is beautiful and exciting but it can also be stressful and exhausting at times. I have 3 babies (my babies are 15, 12, and 9 now) of my own and I know first hand everything that comes with the arrival of a new little person. I want you and your family to use our session time to enjoy some quiet moments together while I document you loving on your new little one.
Time/Location: If you are receiving this guide, you have booked a session date and time on my calendar. Each of these sessions are booked as a placeholder date. These sessions are always adjustable as babies have a way of coming on their own time.
For maternity sessions if you are getting close to your due date, please let me know via email asap. I have had lots of babies decide to arrive early and their maternity session then became a newborn session. I can book maternity sessions on location and I can suggest several beautiful favorite spots or we can hold your maternity session at your home. I do have some studio dates available so please let me know if that is of interest to you. There is an additional studio fee for private studio sessions.
For fresh 48 sessions I will be in touch right after I see the booking to get your due date info location of the birth. Hospitals are often releasing new mamas and babies quickly following the birth so I will do my best to be able to get there if you would like your session at a hospital or birth center. Otherwise I will come to your home. Newborn sessions are typically done before baby is 2 weeks old. This gives me an opportunity to document all of the brand new baby details that change so much after a couple of weeks.
What to wear: For maternity and newborn it is important to remember to be comfortable and if you are nursing your baby, mamas should wear something comfortable to nurse in if you need/want to. Button up oversize shirts are great for example. Loose flowy dresses are also great for these sessions. Neutral colors for everyone involved looks best against a new baby’s skin. Bright colors or reds make faces appear red or off tone. You are welcome to put your new baby in a favorite outfit. I recommend ending the session with baby in a diaper and a favorite swaddle blanket so that I can photograph all of the sweet newborn details.
Prep any siblings that will be there for the session by letting them know that a friend is coming to take photos of them and the new baby. I will take all of the family/sibling photos first as little ones can lose interest quickly and I will do the baby’s newborn photos at the end of the session.
I will be here every step of the way. If I didn’t cover any of your questions in this guide, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to help.
I am so thankful that you have chosen me to photograph these important memories for your family. I am looking forward to seeing you soon!
What to expect when you book a family session with me.
Lets have some fun together! Family sessions can and should be enjoyable. I will guide you and your loved ones so that I can capture authentic moments of connection all while you are just enjoying some time being together. My style has a documentary feel and will leave you with images that reflect who you are now. I want to leave you with something beautiful to remember this point in time for years to come.
If you are receiving this guide, you have booked a session on my calendar. I will be in touch via email a week prior to your session to discuss final details about time and location and answer any last minute questions. The time you book on my calendar is not the exact time I will suggest that we meet. In home sessions are typically scheduled for the late morning when the sun is higher in the sky giving us better chance for more light indoors. If you choose an on location session we will set the time depending on the weather and the specific location. For example if we are outdoors and it is overcast, we would meet in the early afternoon. If it is a clear day we would meet outdoors closer to sunset. Remember in the summer months this could mean we are starting our sessions at about 8:30 pm. If you have young kids this might be too late for you. I will always discuss options and answer questions to guide you in choosing the best place for your family session.
What to wear for your session.
Everyone should be comfortable and feel like themselves for our session. Below is a link to a more detailed guide to help make session day easier. I also have a link to a pinterest board to give you some visual examples of ways to coordinate but not match completely for your session. Stay away from dressing everyone in the same color and style pant and shirt. Bright neon colors and reds make the skin look those colors. If you look at my style guide below you will see examples of the best choices of colors for your session.
Family Wardrobe Pinterest Board
To prep your kids for our session make sure that they have had a snack that is not too messy before we start. A water bottle is helpful at times to have on hand or non messy small bites of a snack as well. I will start the session by leading everyone together and prompting interaction. I will guide you on how to stay connected and engaged with each other while I photograph. If I find that busier kids are losing interest with being held or asked to sit together, I will let them lead a bit and engage them with everyone in a different way. Taking breaks is also welcome, but I will most likely be photographing during a break. There are always great documentary moments that happen all along the way. :)
What to expect when you book a senior session with me…
Congratulations to your graduate!! Senior sessions are so much fun. This is the time for your graduating senior to document this huge step and have some fun showing off their personality and unique interests. If you booked a senior mini we will meet on location for 30 minutes and wander a bit to get photos in a variety of spots. If you booked a full senior session we will meet on location for an hour and your senior will have the chance for a few outfit changes in that timeframe. Students often like to use one of these outfit changes to show their interests such as sports or music.
After you book your session date and time, I will be in touch a week prior to confirm location as well as give an exact time to meet. For several outdoor spots we will try to meet 1-2 hours prior to sunset for the best light. This of course adjusts seasonally. There are some locations or overcast days where we can schedule your session time earlier. I am also able to offer studio senior sessions as well for fall and winter months. Let me know if that is an option that would work better for you. There is an additional studio fee for all private studio sessions.
I love to have your student participate in preparing for their session by sharing some information about their interests and who they are. I also love to hear thoughts and ideas about what they are looking for in our session. There is an online questionnaire that will be sent prior to meeting and I encourage them to help complete it.
I am here for questions and help all along the way so please do not hesitate to reach out.
I look forward to documenting such an exciting time for your child and your family!
