Family Session Frequently Asked Questions

So, you’ve decided on a family session – sweet! I really enjoy shooting family portraits because I get to capture and deliver memories that you’ll have forever. Before moving forward, I’ve answered my most frequently asked questions about a family session below, but if you still have some, I’m here to answer!

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Do you charge a travel fee?

There is no travel fee for the first 15 miles surrounding Raritan, NJ. Locations beyond this would incur a travel fee.

Do you have any suggestions for great locations?

Some families know exactly where they’d like to have their session. For others, they haven’t even begun to think about location. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – is there a location that’s significant or special to your family? A place you often visit together? Maybe even in your backyard? If you’re looking for more inspiration, I’ve listed some of my favorite session locations with examples of real sessions.

What should we wear?

I always want you to feel comfortable, be able to move easily, and for your outfit to reflect YOU! Here are some tips for your wardrobe that will make for a timeless picture perfect look.

Can I bring my dog?

If you’ve got a furbaby, they are more than welcome to tag along – just make sure you bring along an extra “handler” for when you’re busy taking photos without them. This can be a parent, friend, or neighbor. I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 favorite dog friendly locations for your session when bringing Fido along.

Once we have all these beautiful photos, now what?

There are so many cool ways to share and display photos from your session. Get creative! I’ll help you create a wall collage, find new places to display them throughout your home, create gifts for grandparents, the opportunities are endless. Visit my products page to see some the ways we can print them and some examples of how other clients have printed their photos!

When should we schedule the session for?

I like to get family sessions on the calendar 2-3 weeks prior to when you want to shoot. If it’s during a peak season like the fall, 4-6 weeks before your desired date is recommended. I typically shoot family sessions on weekdays, but pending availability, I can sometimes accommodate a weekend session.

It’s best to schedule your session at a time of day when kids are in their best mood. For the little ones, many parents say the sweet spot is in the morning, after they’ve had a good night’s sleep and a full belly. You know your child best so think about when they are most likely to cooperate. If we aren’t worried about little people, I prefer to schedule our session based on the sun. Sessions just before sunset or just after sunrise are optimal. There is a reason they call it golden hour.

When will I be able to view my photos after the session?

After the session, I go through and select all of the top images and apply basic editing to make you look your absolute best! Typically 2-3 weeks after the session I’ll have them ready.

How many photos will I receive?

I will go through all of the photos from our session and deliver roughly 50-60 of them to you.

A Few Items to Keep in Mind:

Please be on time for your session! We largely base them on sunset times. If you’re late, the sun won’t wait!
If there are any photo permits to be obtained or location fees, it’s the client’s responsibility to obtain the permit and pay for any fees associated
Bad weather: We’ll make a decision about keeping or rescheduling the session date / time as close to the session as possible. Since weather predictions are reliably unreliable, we can’t make the determination days in advance. Typically for morning sessions, the decision is made the night before. For evening sessions, we’ll decide the morning of. Don’t fret even if it’s cloudy – cloudy days make for soft, beautiful lighting! There is no penalty for rescheduling due to bad weather.
Photoshop: Photoshop exists as a tool to be used in only a handful of cases. We can’t Photoshop everything out. If you have concerns about a blemish or something similar, let’s talk ahead of time. In depth editing will be an additional cost after the session if requested.
Resist the urge to pull out your phone and take photos during the session. This is often very distracting for kids, and may confuse them.
If your child isn’t behaving the way we hope, the absolute worst thing you can do is yell at them! It totally changes the mood of the session and I like to keep things up beat. Don’t feel embarrassed, roll with it. I’m really good at deflecting the situation and moving them away from the puddle they insist on jumping in!