Thursday, February 10, 2011

Getting the Most out of Your Session

By now you've surely heard about our 100% customer satisfaction record. Its one we're very proud of and we try very hard to keep that record. Because its definitely not as impressive to say a 98% customer satisfaction record. We'd hate to have to explain that a handful of women were not happy with their shots. And because we love what we do, we don't want to live with that knowledge of failure.

Our shoots have a consistent level of success because its a team collaboration. And YOU'RE the star! You have to work with us to create the beauty that we capture. Here's how:

Send us a headshot and full length shot of yourself

The headshot helps our makeup & hairstyle team know how to plan for your shoot. More on that in a future post! What I *can* tell you as photographer is that a full length, clothed shot of yourself is a tremendous help for the success of your shoot. There are all kinds of body types -- different heights, different flexibilities, different body proportions, different skin tones. We've shot every kind of body type but we prefer not to be surprised. Our best work comes from knowing in advance what we're going to do.





















Not every pose works for everyone. Knowing in advance how well your body is likely to bend in certain directions or if you have exceptionally long legs (or not) allows us to visualize the *right* kind of poses for you. There is still plenty of room for unique, playful, natural moments that are all your own of course but a good starting point goes a long way towards a productive session. We spend less time compensating and de-emphasizing things on the fly that we were not prepared for, and more time shooting super flattering shots because we had already planned for them. Win-win!


Lighting, too, is heavily dependent on the person in front of the camera. A certain kind of lighting that creates dramatic images on one person can make another person look much older than they are. A different kind of lighting that softens and removes age can make another person look much heavier than they are! You've heard how the camera adds 10 lbs? Well, only if you pick the wrong lighting! Clearly, we want to prepare the right kind of lighting for you rather than be scrambling to change things during your session. The more time we have to prepare for you, the more time we'll have to get fabulous photos!

Which brings us to the last point. We've created a number of packages to fit every budget and every need. We are flexible enough to create custom packages for those who want very specific sessions. No problem! However, a consistent rule of thumb in photography is, the more time you have to shoot, the better your shots will be. There are many reasons for this phenomenon including things such as your initial comfort level, time spent changing the environment, and yes, time spent working with you to get the most flattering angles and poses for you.

Don't Skimp on your Session!

Our most economical package provides for 1 hour of shooting time. This may seem like a lot, but you'd be surprised how fast that goes. We can get up to 40 great, sorted/final shots in that time, but that presumes you are natural in front of the camera and there are no major lighting or posing obstacles to overcome for your particular body type. If you feel for some reason you are a "challenging" subject, for example you feel you have rarely or never liked any photo of yourself, believe that you are not our only client who has felt that way. THAT is, in fact, why they come to us. Because our photos are often the FIRST ones they've ever felt truly beautiful in.

But the reality is, this kind of beauty does not come quickly, easily, or cheaply. Time is a factor in producing truly magnificent shots. And it would be a disservice to you if you feel this way, to book our shortest session. We *want* to create beautiful photos for you, but be cognizant that the more time we spend with you, the better your photos will be. You will still be amazed at your photos with our Reggie package, but you dont know what you're missing with a longer session. If you feel the camera doesn't love you, our cameras will. But they will love you MORE the longer you are in front of them, so definitely consider booking a longer session. After all, most clients only do this once. You might as well get the most out of it.