Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a session take?
Most sessions take between 1-2 hours; when young kids are involved, I have noticed that they don't tend to last too much longer than an hour.
Senior sessions are dependent on the package chosen.
Newborn sessions generally last between 2-4 hours, depending on how sleepy/cooperative baby is - I allow plenty of time for feedings and cuddling to keep baby happy.
What time of day is best for a session?
I am a natural light photographer, meaning I use the light available to produce my photos instead of using artificial light. I love the golden hour so I generally recommend starting 1.5-2 hours before sunset (or 1.5-2 hours after sunrise) to ensure we have enough time for the session and can get plenty of photos in during the hour before sunset (or before the sun is too high in the sky). If those times aren't convenient, however, we can easily work with any time of day as long as we have an area that has a good amount of open shade - we can discuss location options and how they will affect your photos when you schedule your session.
How long until I can see my photos?
Generally, you will receive your client gallery 2-4 weeks after your session. I will post previews on my facebook page as I'm editing, and I will post a full preview on my blog once I am finished editing your photos - that is your sign that your gallery should be in your email soon!
How many photos do I get in my gallery?
I sort through all the photos I take during your session and I generally give you the best 15-25% of the photos I take (getting rid of the blinks, awkward faces, etc.). That usually ends up being between 100-150 photos, although sometimes you'll end up with more.
How far do you travel?
I will travel up to 30 miles outside the Grand Rapids area, anywhere farther than that, contact me for a quote!
What should I wear for my session?
My advice for groups is to pick a color scheme and vary your outfits within that color scheme. I suggest staying away from matching outfits and instead, coordinate your outfits within that color scheme. I also suggest to stay away from too many loud patterns if you are coordinating outfits for a family session - some subtle coordinating patterns can work, but mix in enough solids to balance it out. I also think Pinterest is a great resource for photo wardrobe ideas.
How do I access my gallery?
When your gallery is ready, I will email you a link with a password and a download PIN number. You can use the email to access my gallery site or the "client galleries" link on the top of this page. When you click on your gallery, you will be prompted to enter your password - that will open your full gallery. Below the feature image, you will see a few icons - your shopping cart, favorite button, download button, and a share button with options for sharing.
To download your gallery, you can press the download button and enter your PIN number, it will ask you which size photos you would like to download, I recommend "original size" or "high resolution" for printing, and "web size" for sharing on facebook or other social media sites (if you post high resolution images, facebook will compress the images and they won't look nearly as good as if you use a web-sized photo). You will be asked to enter your email, then press "start download" - it may take a few minutes, but you will receive an email with a download link - when you click that link, your files will be downloaded into a 'zipped' folder. For more information on how to unzip a folder, use these links:
You can also make a gallery of just your favorite photos - just click on a photo and then press the 'favorite' button to add it to your favorite gallery - the site will prompt you to enter your email address so that it can save your favorites specifically to you - anyone with the password to your gallery can create their own favorites list.
You can share your entire gallery or single photos by pressing the 'share' button either in gallery view or single photo view - just hit 'share' and choose your preferred method!
When you are ready to purchase prints, just open up the photo you would like to purchase, and click "buy photo" - you can create a shopping cart and checkout on that website - the site will then let me know that you have ordered prints, and I will put some finishing touches on your images if needed and then send them off to my lab to be printed and sent to you. The orders will still come to me (and are set to my own pricing - not some generic pricing that came on the site), it just simplifies the ordering process.