WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY SESSION?

STORIES WORTH TELLING

Choosing day and time to have your portraits made is an important part of creating the best experience possible. Of course there is the obvious scheduling of work and school but many oTher factors play into this decision that you may not have considered. Are we shooting outdoors or indoors? What time of year is it? How old are your kids? When is naptime? (Never ever schedule at nap time! Ever!)

The optimal time for professional outdoor portrait session is in the morning or evening. Midday should be avoided because the sun is high and harsh over head creating unflattering light and shadows. *Headshot sessions can be scheduled at select locations mid day.

Studio Sessions of all types are available in the morning and afternoon.

Newborn sessions begin at 10am. Newborns tend to be happiest (and sleepiest) in the morning hours.

Earlier is better! This is coming from very much NOT a morning person but the earlier you can make it to your session, the better the results. In the hotter months we usually start by 9:00.

Take note of sunrise and sunset times. As we get into the fall and winter the sun sets earlier and we have less daylight hours to work with. This will mean that “evening” sessions are actually more like 3:00 sessions.

Temperature plays a roll. In the winter months there will be exceptions to the midday rule as cold temperatures in the morning prevent us from working outdoors. In those cases we will often stick to shady spots to avoid harsh light or the studio.

*I highly recommend sessions with babies and kids take place in the morning hours* It is my experience that kids just do better in the morning than they do later in the day. They tend to wear out more quickly and become upset more easily and that limits our workable time together.

Weekends are crowded! Local parks and gardens are just plain packed on weekends around the area. Many are booked for weddings or other events so locations are limited. Also, if it rains on your scheduled date and you’re limited to weekend reschedules it can mean weeks before another available AND pretty weekend day appears (I wish we had more in a month, trust me I do!) It’s not always easy to miss an hour of work or school but you are making an investment of time and money into this photo session and I want the best possible outcome for your portraits. Please consider that playing hooky is worth it for memories that you will enjoy for years to come! (If weekends are the only option please plan for an early sessions time avoid crowds as much as possible)

What are the best ages for photos? Every age! I prefer to mark milestones in photos vs. sticking the certain ages. The big ones for babies are newborn, sitting, and standing. For the sitting stage we want baby to be sitting solidly on his or her own without toppling over. For the standing/1 year stage catching them before they are walking is ideal; new walkers tend to wear out very quickly and frankly they just want to MOVE, not play games with me. Once you have moved into the toddler and kid years watch for changes like a growth spurts, changes in those chubby cheeks, bald heads being replaced by gorgeous locks,  losing teeth – these are all stages that will go by in a flash! Never worry about the results – any age your beautiful baby is will be perfect for photos.