If you’re intrigued by the idea of booking a photo session with me but still aren’t sold on it (even after you’ve read the FAQs 😉), let me say a little bit more about what the whole experience will be like.
First and foremost, how your session unfolds, from start to finish, is largely up to you. I am not a shopping center photographer offering everyone the same studio headshot against a gray background. This is a premium service, offering a premium experience that is respectful of your time and sensitive to your needs.
To that end, the first thing we’ll do is have a preliminary chat, in-person or online, whichever suits your schedule. I want to get to know the person I’ll be working with, including why you’ve come to me and what you’re looking for in your session. We can look at different styles and moods, talk about boundaries, and make a general plan for how you want the shoot to go. Since I don’t operate a home studio, we’ll need to agree on a venue. If that’s your home, I can come by for this initial meeting, and we can have a look at the space, picking out the best areas to work and brainstorming ideas. If you don’t want to use your own space for the shoot, we’ll talk about other options and choose something that works for you.
The photo session itself is always focused on your needs, even if they change from moment-to-moment. We’ll have made a plan ahead of time, but if for any reason you want to deviate from it, we can adapt. Whether you’re not comfortable doing something you thought we’d do and want to pull back, or you’re even more comfortable than you thought you’d be and want to try something bolder, I’ll meet you where you are in that moment and get the shot.
What do these sessions feel like? Well, as tends to happen with humans, the mood of every shoot is as varied as the people who participate in it. If you want to be very diligent, serious, and focused, I can work that way. If you’d rather be more casual about the whole thing, I can work that way too. We can plan everything out meticulously with a detailed shooting plan, or we can work spontaneously and freely. Change outfits as often as you want, take breaks when you need them, put your favorite music on, have a glass of wine, bring your dog - this is your time. I’m a creative partner here, not a dictator. I want you to have an enjoyable time during the session and love the images you get from it.
Speaking of images, I can say a bit more about my approach to shooting, processing, and delivering the photos from our session. My goal is to get as many “keepers” (as we call them in the biz) as possible. Of course we’ll talk about your expectations for the final product before the session, but my general approach is to get a variety of different looks. That means a mix of close-ups (classic portraits) and wider shots (environmental portraits) but can also include detail shots of things like jewelry or other decorative accessories, bodyscapes, and silhouettes. I’ll process some of them in black and white as well, so there’s some visual variety.
When I edit the images after the shoot, I tend to use a light touch. Again, your feedback is important, so I can process the images however you’d like, but in general I want them to be maximally flattering while remaining faithful to reality. I see photographers posting portraits of women with every bit of detail smoothed out of their skin, and my only thought is, “this is not what people look like.” If you have a prominent scar or other kind of mark that’s visible in your photos, I defer to your preference on whether to leave it in or remove it from the final images. If you’re a photographer yourself (or just like playing around with image editing software) I can send you the RAW files for the selected images so you can edit them to your own taste. The image above shows one example of my editing style - you can see the original RAW image on the left, and my final edited version on the right. (You can click on the images to see larger versions.)
The reason that I’m willing to hand over the RAWs is that these images are ultimately yours, not mine. Once the shoot is done and the images are delivered, I don’t retain any copies of the files. They’re yours to use as you like, and I won’t post them anywhere without your permission. I can help you if you want prints or other physical media made from them; if the files don’t contain any visible nudity, most print shops will work with you. If you want to have nude images printed, you can do that too; you’ll just have fewer choices for vendors. (I can print up to A3+ size (13”x9”) with the professional photo printer in my office if you want it handled quickly and locally.)
Ultimately, all you need to get the process started is the desire to have this experience. If you’re curious, even just a little bit, send me a message, and let’s work together to create an experience you’ll enjoy and photos you’ll want to keep.
Thanks for reading!
