What To Expect | What To Wear

Feel rushed and worried about your session? Here are some FAQ's about your session from what to expect and what to wear.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

I have ideas about posing and props that I love. Can I send these to you?

• YES! I, too, am guilty of googling cute ideas when I am just plain stumped. It helps to refresh my mind but also to come up with original ideas that stem from an already published idea. While I find Pinterest to personally remind me of the not-so-crafty mom I am, it can have some really inspiring ideas! I will usually take those ideas and try to create something different so that your session is original and yours, but I won't copy the ideas exactly as they are. This is what makes photography so much fun!

What if the weather is terrible? Getting any amount of children ready can be difficult and I really don't want to do it twice.

• While I myself am a mom and dread having to get myself and my toddler ready for anything, and I understand it is completely time consuming, there are some things to keep in mind for terrible weather. Rain can make for some unique and interesting pictures, but for me to guarantee the awesome pictures as promised, we will reschedule your session should the weather call for rain. Please consider back up dates when scheduling your session during monsoon season in case we are bombarded with the fun dust storms and sideways rain. In the chance it might rain, I will have you be "on call" for the day of your session so you don't have to get yourself and family ready just to not have photos taken.

What times are best for the beautiful warm glow?

• In Arizona, it is usually warm most of the year and blazing hot the rest. But the most awesome times to be taking pictures is morning and late afternoon. The warm glow will be from the setting sun, and we sure get an amazing view of the sunsets here so it can be quite beautiful! It may be a bit warmer in late afternoons between April-September, so come prepared with tons of water, a towel to dab at yourself with and plan to go swimming after! For the mornings, you will find the light to be more "fresh" or "bright". It usually won't get too warm in the mornings, but depending on when the sun rises is when sessions will start.

I'm NOT an early riser, but I don't want it too get too hot during pictures. What are our options?

• Typically pictures can put a dent in schedules, but I can guarantee that with an awesome night's rest, a healthy meal prior to your session and plenty of water, the early sessions will be much easier to handle than the warmer late afternoon sessions, most especially in the summers. In the winter, sessions don't start until nearly 8, where in the summer they can start at 6. This is because we lose light, and there are times of the year where we lose that light at 9. If you want, we can do the latest sunset session that isn't usually the hottest time of day and can be fairly tolerable, again with a healthy meal and plenty of water.

I saw that I get the printing rights from my session, but I don't get the copyrights. Why is that?

• Rights to prints is wonderful because it allows you to go wherever you want and have your pictures printed, no questions asked! You get those images to keep for forever, and to display just about anywhere to show off how wonderful you look! A copyright simply says who took the photos or who it will belong to. Its a piece of art, and the artist can sell pieces of their art but it will still have been "created" by the artist. Should you want to have the copyrights, they will come at a price because I will be selling pieces of my artwork that I will never be able to use again or claim ownership to. This can be really costly, but I can promise that the images will not be used wrongfully or in a way that doesn't represent my business or put shame to you. It will most definitely not be used for blackmail or abused.

What is a retainer, and why can't I pay when we meet at the session?

• A retainer is a non-refundable deposit that secures your session date and time. It is our way of saying "we are committed to each other for the session time and date". It means that I won't double book those times, and that my time at that moment belongs to you. The remaining balance is due prior to the session as the final "YES, we are going forward with the session." While it is sometimes easier to pay for the session while at the session, sometimes we forget about the payments or we forget to bring the funds for it. It can lead to stress or extra time to run and get the funds. This way, we all can show up to our sessions and just rock it without worrying about anything!

WHAT TO WEAR:

Matching Vs. Coordinating?

• Matching white shirts... lets face it... are from the 90's. Though simple and clean, it can wash out members and lead to basic pictures. Coordinating means to find shirts that are similar but not the same color. They can be the same style, but to throw in some awesome color and pop really shows off individuality!

What colors should I choose?

• What season is your session in? What colors go best with the season and surroundings? What colors will match your home décor best? Do you like neutrals or really outrageous and fun colors? Are these images that will be used on the wall or in an album? Keep ALL those questions in mind when selecting the colors.
• I have a rule of thumb that I stick to and it works magically without too much effort! I love google. Its easy to google what the colors for a particular season are, so I do that.. a lot! Once there, I write down ALL my color options (even if they do not match at the moment!), and then get ideas from others involved with the color selection. I group my colors based on if they look dazzling together or if they are too much. Once you have your groups, go through and pick out: 1) primary colors, 2) secondary colors, 3) accent colors. Your primary colors are what will be worn by everyone, whether its in a shoe, a necklace, an undershirt, or bottoms. The primary color should be found somewhere on every member in the photos. Your secondary colors will be on about 50-75% of the members in the photos. No set order is required, just make sure that it is not a primary color. Your accent color will be found on about 10-25% of the members. This doesn't mean if someone has a secondary color on that they can't wear an accent color. There can also be more than 1 secondary color or accent color. THAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW. You don't have to just do 3 colors. Trying to dress 5 separate families in one group family session can be difficult, so sometimes you will have 2 secondary and 2 accent colors! This allows for more variety. As long as they "coordinate" with the other colors, it will work great! I have plenty of examples of this on my Facebook page. Or you can ask and we will get more in depth. Don't be ashamed to send me pictures of the outfits laying on the bed or hanging up! We will make this process as stress free as possible :)

Its hot. Should I do layers still? And what about accessories?

• Layers ROCK. Not in the summer, but if we go early enough in the day, we can avoid that sweaty "hurry up here" feeling. Layers will also allow us to remove a few to gain variety in different family shots. Layers are different from outfit changes, so keep in mind if you need privacy to remove layers, that is considered an outfit change. Accessories really help to throw in those accent colors, or if the primary color is just too much for one family, it can be placed with an accessory!

My session is in two months, do I need to plan outfits now?

• I always suggest the sooner the better when it comes to planning. Booking early, planning your day and schedule, having your clothes cleaned and ready days before all can be super helpful! Nothing is worse then being late because you forgot to set out your clothes or grab waters. As long as you are thinking ahead, your session will go plenty smooth and the less stress... THE BETTER! (For me at least!)

My son's Captain America shirt is his favorite. Can he just wear that?

• While having Captain America anywhere is wonderful, it can really take away from the person wearing the shirt. If it has screen prints, logos, or any characters, it probably should be left in the car or at home.

Will my outfits be timeless or modern?

• The main focus will be "10-years from now, will you be ashamed of the clothing selection?" and if the answer is at all near yes, then it may need to be changed up. Anything timeless and classic is great! Throwing in current fashions is usually pretty okay, but keep this in mind when selection of clothing.