How to Book Your Photo Session (How to Prepare and What to Expect)
Congrats! You have decided to get some professional photos taken. Maybe you recently got engaged or you are wanting some updated family photos. Whatever your occasion is, there may be a lot of questions that come up about how to get this done. I have created this simple guide to help you out with the entire process!
Picking the Right Photographer
Now I could take this time to explain how I would be the photographer for you but ultimately its totally your choice! When it comes down to it, you should pick a photographer that you vibe with, someone you trust and you should be in love with their photos already! After all professional photography is an investment and if you are not happy with the service you paid for, it could turn out to be a waste of money.
Find a photographer with a style of photos you like then reach out by contacting or emailing them. What is their communication like? Have they offered a phone consultation? What about location and planning guidance? Do you like their personality? These are all great questions to ask yourself before making the decision to hire.
2. How to Book
Yay! You have found a photographer that you LOVE. Now its time to book. If you have decided to book with me, woohoo thank you for choosing me!
On my website I make it easy for my clients to contact me using forms like this one here. Once you fill out the form you will receive an email from me answering any questions asked and providing you some more information about your session.
I ALWAYS offer free phone consultations with every session. This allows us to meet each other over the phone first and also hash out a bunch of details all at once.
3. Book Your Phone Consultation (Optional)
Book your 15-20 minute phone consultation with me after I have responded to your initial email. You will be asked easy questions (no studying required!) about what your personalities are like, what kind of photos do you like, what your style is and anything else I need to know about you.
Is there anything you are maybe shy or insecure about? No worries at all. We all have them, myself included, so just let me know and I will help you every step of the way :) There are so many tricks and techniques that I can use like wardrobe, angles and lighting to help you feel confident and beautiful.
4. Planning Your Session (Location, Theme, Wardrobe, etc.)
This is the fun part! We get to plan your session. This is where creativity comes into play in order to make your session personalized to YOU. I have what I like to call my Grand Master List which includes session themes and ideas along with the perfect location spots for the season in accordance with when and where the sun sets. I get a little bit Monica Geller about my sun calculator so you don’t have to plan this part ;)
Wardrobe
Wait what the hell do I where?!
This one is actually easier than you think! Neutrals always look best in my opinion. Here is a color swatch if you do not know what neutrals are:
However there are some great colours that look great too. here are my Favourites:
For the Men
I always say a white button down or plain white t-shirt and dark blue jeans looks classic on every fella. All black is a great option as well.
Things I would stay away from: coloured/patterned jeans, t- shirts with branding or slogans, and with peace and love please ditch the ball cap!
For the Ladies
I am biased towards any floor length bohemian flowing dress or skirt. If you need a recommendation for a rental let me know! But if that’s really not your thing, dark jeans and a cute top will always look great. Textures look best on camera so things like lace, linen, silk, satin, leather, all photograph beautifully.
Things I would stay away from: Anything that exposes your bra straps (they take forever to edit out!), anything that you are not comfortable in, dresses that are too short for you to sit down in.
You can ignore everything above as long as you are wearing something YOU are comfortable in. These are your photos so you should feel comfy throughout the session as your joy is way more likely to shine through if you are wearing something you feel awesome in!
Location and Theme
This is the part that I can really help you with. If you do not have a location in mind let me know and I can pick one off of my Grand Master List (dun dun dun) Do you want simple photos or would you rather have some adorable candids while doing an activity? Some options for session themes are: Picnic on the beach, Champagne on top of a mountain, paddle boarding or a fun lake day at Thetis Lake, bike ride on the beach, home baking session…the list goes on! Anything you can think of I will help guide you there and help source any props or details needed to bring it to life.
This couple wanted to pop some bubbly on the beach while wear these luxurious bathrobes. Is this not the image of leisure?? Such an adorable idea and an example of doing something not so traditional. We still always take some simple ones afterwards for good measure.
What to expect (How to Have your Photo Taken)
Okay, now this is the REALLY fun part. Many of my clients feel worried about looking awkward or weird in their photos but that is never the case with my sessions! My clients are frequently surprised with how beautiful and natural they look in their final photos. If you are nervous about not looking right, just let me know but also know that I. GOT. YOU. It is my mission to get you to have fun so you wont even be thinking about what to do with your hands.
Our session will start off with us chatting before hand as for many this is the first time we have actually met in person! A quick digital photo release is signed and then I will walk you to our first location.
We start with simple poses, where I am furthest away from you. I usually have my couples walking first, holding hands and looking at each other, embracing in a hug. Just things to get warmed up with :)
We will do some sitting poses and laying down poses. I always bring blankets with me just in case the ground is wet. I will do a mix of guiding you into poses and by using prompts to get your genuine reactions.
A prompt is something like “Smell your shoulder” or “Forehead to forehead and just breath together” These are some of my favourites.
For the more advanced/active folks I have you do some action shots like running towards each other to embrace like you are in the airport and you haven’t seen each other in years. Or I might have you do some lifts or have one of you sweep the other off of their feet. These poses are not forced on you what so ever! If you are not comfortable we won’t do them :)
When can I see my photos?
My turnaround rate for each session is different so be sure to check out my Prices Page for more details. For couples sessions it typically takes me 3 days to get you your digital album. Proposals take 1-2 days. Weddings take 1-2 weeks. Family Photos take anywhere from a few days to 1 week.
Now you are ready!
Get out there and book your session! If you need any guidance or help from me you know where to go!