Plan Ahead – When to book your photo-shoot
If you were planning your wedding would you wait until a few weeks before the date to start calling photographers? Of course not, right? You know wedding photographers are booked out months or even a year ahead. Well, many people forget that professional portrait photographers work the same way. With this in mind, I wanted to explain what a professional photo-shoot entails and why planning ahead is so important.
I get a lot of phone calls, emails and social media messages from women who want to give a gift of images to their special someone. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and military deployments are some of the great reasons for their photo sessions. I love working with these ladies to create a unique, personalized experience that culminates with an amazing gift they can give. When a woman works up the nerve to call and schedule her session, the worst thing that can happen is to hear that there is not enough time to get this done. Often they are calling less than two to four weeks before they need to gift their images. Unfortunately this doesn’t leave time to have them come in for their session, edit their images, have them come in for their reveal to select their favorites, order their product and receive it back in time for them to give it for their special occasion.
So how can you be sure you’re planning with enough time?
The perfect planning would be to start making your inquiries about 3 months before you need your finished images in hand. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but stop and think for a minute; there are other women out there planning their sessions and they have already called and booked their dates. Like any other business, they have appointments already set and your product also takes time to be created and delivered. This also gives you time to find someone you are comfortable with who can work with your schedule. There are many photographers out there but finding the right one for you who is also available may not happen on the first phone call or email.
Your actual photo session should be 6 weeks or more before you need your images. Yes, at least six weeks. There is a lot of work still to be done when you leave the studio the day of your shoot. The photographer needs time to edit your photos, set an appointment to show you the final images so you can pick the ones you love, and get your product ordered and delivered.
No one wants to stress about not getting their gift in time. If you’re considering a photo session, give yourself time to prepare and enjoy the experience. Your session with me is a day long event that we beginning planning weeks before you come in. The day of your session begins at 9:00 am and includes a full day of pampering and fun. When you come in, we go over what clothes you brought so we can plan out your day. You have beverages and snacks available and you move right into hair and makeup. While you’re in hair and makeup, I’m preparing the sets and lighting based on the outfits you brought and putting final touches on the plan for your day. Your hair and makeup are done by our professionals here at the studio. When your finished being pampered it’s time to change into your first outfit and we begin. You are coached through the posing so you can relax and let me guide you through the shots. Getting to change outfits multiple times and use different sets, is like playing supermodel for the day and tons of fun! At the end of the day, usually around 3:00 pm or so, we wrap things up and give you a sneak peak of a few images before you leave. It is a day all about you and creating images you will love.
If you have any questions about this article or ideas for other topics you would like me to write about, please comment below or Contact Us from our web page.
If you have dreamed of having a photo-shoot that is all about you, call me to set up a complimentary consultation. You can see the studio and we can talk over coffee about how you want to be photographed. To make that happen, just click to book below! Is it a long trip to visit the studio? We’ve photographed women from all over the eastern part of the country including New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Feel free to contact us and set up a special phone consultation! And, as you now know, Gift Certificates are available.
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