What happens when I schedule a session?

I am always SO honored when a family chooses me to photograph their session!  I put so much love and care into my work, and I hope each family knows how important they are to me, so thank you for trusting me to capture your family, as they are at this moment!

Once you’ve had a chance to review my work and what is all included with a session, you decide, “YES!  Let’s do this!” We will finalize a date and to confirm I will send you the super easy online contract and retainer info.  After that’s turned in the fun and planning can begin!!

I carefully craft each session to the family involved so it’s personal to YOU.  To help do this, I ask each client, old and new, to fill out my questionnaire telling me a little more about each family member as well as what you want most from your session.  From there I can help with location, outfits, etc and share with you my Family Prep Packet to help give tips on a smooth session.  Mainly things I’ve learned over the years that can really help enhance your session, and I’m here to help every step of the way.  And the more we can plan ahead of time, the more session time can be spent capturing images.

 

I am so excited for our shoot but don’t know what to wear! What do you recommend?

I have a FABULOUS Family Prep Guide to get you all ready for your session, including help with wardrobe.  You are also welcome to email/call/text me with any questions or if you need an opinion, and we can help pick from your closets or from something new.  I will help you work with any clothing budget, and if I have anything you can borrow for yourself or kiddos, you are welcome to it, too!  It’s password protected, and once booked you will gain access 🙂

 

How does scheduling work for newborn sessions?

Those wonderful newborns are on their OWN schedules!  They RARELY arrive on their due dates and I totally understand and build flexibility into my calendar to allow for that.  That is also why I take a limited number of newborns each month to ensure we can make something work for both of our schedules.  I also recommend booking a newborn session as soon as you are comfortable to since I absolutely hate turning people away.  That being said always reach out and if I have a last minute opening I will try to squeeze in!  Sessions are usually held on weekday mornings, and in some cases can be scheduled on weekends.

 

Why do newborn shoots cost a little more than a regular shoot?

There are a few reasons, but mainly Newborns are SO UNPREDICTABLE! They are all on their own schedule so it wouldn’t be fair to charge by the hour.  They cost a little bit more since the time is unlimited; most shoots last 2-3 hours so you are saving over the hourly rate!  They also tend to have reddish and/or uneven skin colors, dry skin, and some additional things that take quite a bit more time editing to make sure they look as perfect as ever, and I take extra time to devote to those.  Lastly and maybe most fun, I have invested a small fortune into a HUGE prop stash that you have free reign over!  There are so many blankets, backdrops, headbands, hats, backdrops, bowls, and more!!! You are certainly welcome to purchase something for me to incorporate but I like to make sure I have all you need 🙂  With all of those taken into consideration, that is why newborn shoots run a little higher than a standard shoot.

 

When and where does our session take place?

For studio shoots or and indoor lifestyle shoots, as long as we have light we are good!  Best times tend to fall between 10a-2pm.  If we are outdoors, I shoot within an hour or so of sunrise and sunset to get that dreamy golden light.  It’s THE BEST!!!  If you have super young kiddos that can’t stay up until 9pm in July, I recommend booking spring or fall when sunset is much earlier.  I also provide tips to help keep everyone happy and awake later 🙂 As far as location, I have SO many options in the greater La Grange area as well as across all the burbs and city.  I work with each family to figure out the best spots.  Please note that during the busy fall season I shoot 99% of my sessions in La Grange, mainly so I can offer additional sessions due to decreased travel time.

 

How many images will there be?  When will I see my images?

Each session varies but minimums are listed below.  Just know that with a full session even though I say 30-40+, I edit every image that makes me happy.  I cannot narrow down, so those full sessions usually end up with quite a bit more 🙂

Clients will receive an email with their gallery within 2-3 weeks of their session.  Kristin is also available for in-person viewing and ordering at the client’s request.

 

Do you archive images?

Of course!  Don’t want to lose those precious files!  I archive all clients images for a minimum of 1 year on both my external hard drives as well as DropBox.

 

Why do you include a Canvas with my shoot?

For so many years I would just give the digital images, and they would sit on clients’ computers!  You have invested a lot for a shoot, and I want to ensure you have great pictures of your family to enjoy!  Also, I invest a lot to make sure photos are perfect from the camera to the computer to the print.  The last thing I want is for a client to be disappointed with the final printed product so I ensure they have professional prints that will last a lifetime.    I want you to enjoy your photos as they were intended, you have a canvas credit built into the session fee and I can help you design wall layouts, prints, frames and anything you can need.   You get high quality prints that you can enjoy for 100+ years 🙂

 

Do you sell prints and products?

Yes, Yes, YES!!!  I want you to see your beautiful family up on your walls and not stuck on a hard drive somewhere.  I am available to help plan your gallery, or even just help narrow down your favorite images for printing.  I offer professional prints and canvases and a price list is available here.

You are also given a print release to print your images with mpix.com only.  They are a great lab with professional quality at consumer prices.   I can only endorse printing canvases through me and my lab to ensure quality and color are correctly matched.  For any announcements or cards, I recommend www.tinyprints.com.

 

Do you offer any discounts or promotions?

OF COURSE!! WOOT! WOOT!!  Discounts are built into packages AND I offer a few more.  Check out all prices and packages available on the Investment Page.  And if you are looking to do a payment plan, I can help create something custom that works for your family.  AND for discounts, keep scrolling down the page and you will see them 😉

 

Oh No!  My kid(s) are sick and/or the weather looks bad! Can we reschedule?

I totally understand!!!  Kids get sick and the weather changes daily.  Just let me know as soon as humanly possible so we can reschedule.  I always keep an eye on the weather and depending on both availability we can come up with a contingency plan.  Please note I do not reschedule for cloudy days or a change in temperature.  It is up to my discretion to reschedule for weather, but good thing is I’ve gotten pretty good at reading the radar 😉

 

Something unexpected came up, can I cancel my shoot?

If you do cancel your shoot, the $75 retainer is NOT refundable.  For certain situations we can transfer the retainer to a different date, though.  I hate to have a cancellation policy, but I have learned the hard way that it’s necessary.  When I schedule your shoot, I am blocking off that time or even that day just for you so I am missing time with other clients.  Your time and my time are both important, and I will do my best to accommodate any rescheduling so you do not lose your fee.

 

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?!  Just drop a note and I would be happy to answer!!!