For Seniors Only
Warning: this page is wordy and full of information I would want were I booking myself. I am that person.
If you aren't, just skim and call it good.
Its Booked!
So, you've booked a session! Yay! Once everything is signed and retainer paid, I will email your senior a survey. I will contact you about a week before to discuss locations, outfits, props, etc. Final payment is due the day of your session. I take cash or check or credit/debit card. I do offer payment plans as well- please inquire. Think about your props; Letter jackets, pets (make sure you have an extra set of hands to handle the pet as they will be in just a few of the shots) flowers, medals, dance shoes, hockey sticks, etc. Make a list so you don't forget anything :) Think about your session and what portraits you would like to see from it. This may sound weird, but maybe you'd like to practice smiling and posing in front of a full-length mirror. Learn what you like and what you don't like. Communicate with me about these things. I am not scary, and I take your input very seriously. I LOVE when we can collaborate during a session!
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Cancelling
Please understand that your session is reserved for you. I have most certainly turned away potential clients that have wanted your session date. This is why a non-refundable retainer is required at booking. We all make mistakes, but please make absolute certain you do not have appointments, school, meetings, or sports on your session date as you will lose your retainer unless I can re-book the date. If you are ill, PLEASE reschedule. I am working 80 hour weeks during busy senior season and I cannot afford the time to be ill. Stay home, we will reschedule. Don't sweat it- I would much rather find a different date than risk your health or mine. Retainers are not lost on illness or inclement weather.
*In short, please do not email me that you forgot you have a big game on our session date as you will be required to pay an additional retainer for a new session date. Yes- this has happened and it's no fun.
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Location, location, location
For your session I have locations that I prefer and am very familiar with. Whether you want urban or nature, we can work together to choose just the right location for your portraits. I will also travel anywhere in Anoka County. I am completely open to location suggestions! If you have a family home with plenty of outdoor space or would like a specific city landmark, I am open to discussing those options. In fact, I love hearing your ideas! Sometimes at our locations or places I will have you sit (or lay) are less than ideal. I wouldn't ask you to do anything I would not do myself. Please make sure you have protected yourself with sunscreen and bug spray. Check yourself for critters when you get home! I have yet to get a case of Poison Ivy or Oak, but that doesn't mean you wont. I will always check our surroundings and lay/pose before you do to make sure you don't get a sticker in your bum or anything unfortunate like that. Moms & Dads, I will treat your babies as if they are my own.
What Should I Wear?
For the Girls! Go shopping. Bring your mom or don't, but expect an opinion either way. Moms- please allow them to express their individuality with their portrait clothing choices. I promise you will both be happier. Girls please feel beautiful in your clothing. When you FEEL it, it will show on camera. Advice I follow and give my own girls when shopping for a special occasion: Don't wear it until the day of. Other than trying it on, try not to wear your new clothes until your session. It makes for a very fun day of wearing your new things! It also prevents you from getting bored or sick of the clothing. It also will make you feel that much more beautiful. Remember, when you feel beautiful, you are. Make sure you can move and you have undergarments that do not show as I will not do extensive editing to remove them. A nude bra should be a staple in every woman's wardrobe. Wrists-Remove all hair ties, Fitbits, watches etc. Shoes should be appropriate per outfit and location. We are many times in the thick of nature, so shoes are not photographed or seen in the photograph and you may trip and fall. Bring a pair of practical shoes with and we will change them once we reach the desired location. Wear the amount of makeup that you normally wear plus a bit more. Bring lip-gloss, lipstick or a simple Chapstick. Dry lips do not photograph well. I do have extra (unused) chapstick in my camera bag if you forget :) Don't try anything new. Dyeing your hair a different color or even a new cut right before your session is generally never a good idea. Phones do not photograph well- leave them or put it in my camera bag. We will have time for snaps, selfies & stories in between locations :)
For the Boys! Let your parents help. Unless you have an uncanny ability to dress better than your classmates everyday, ask for help. I am not stereotyping every boy here, I am just using my own personal experiences :) Moms and Dads: they won't wear it and they will be crabby if they think they look ridiculous, so they do have somewhat of a choice, okay? Believe me, my own son was a BEAR throughout his session because of what he was wearing was not his choice. No baseball caps unless this is super important to you. Your eyes are beautiful, we want to see them! If you want something specific in your session, let me know as soon as you can so we can plan for it. Whether it's your car, pet or sport- I want to be prepared and have the perfect location for it. Filling out your survey will help us both so much!
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Eyeglasses: These can be tricky! If you have transition lenses, I highly recommend bringing a pair without the lens in the frame. Same holds true for glasses without a glare-free coating. Your glasses/lens shop should be able to safely remove and replace your lenses if you do not have an extra pair.
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Things you may want at your session:
Lip stuff
Water
Sunscreen (before)
Clothing on hangers
Slip on/comfortable shoes
Make up to touch-up
Brush/spray
Warm blanket or jacket for colder weather
Additional undergarments if necessary
Props you want in your portraits
Sporting equipment
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Things I bring that you may use:
Lip stuff
Mirror
Changing tent
Bugspray
Props like blankets/chairs/other
Hand-sanitizer
Hairspray
Nail polish remover
Wrinkle release
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**Outfit changes: I have a pop up changing room for my clients to change in. This means privacy anywhere at anytime**
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The day of...
I know what it's like to be anxious about a photo session. Heck, I know what it's like to just be anxious. I promise to respect your anxieties or nervousness and do my best to put you at ease. Eat, get a good night's rest, HYDRATE. Being a supermodel is exhausting :) Look at your list and pack it. Press your clothing (or use wrinkle release spray-AMAZING). I will not photoshop wrinkles out of your clothing. Don't put them in a Target bag- hang them. Please. Be ready to have some fun! I am going to do my absolute best to make you happy. In fact, I am certain I care more about this session succeeding than you do. I have incredible nervousness before every session! I pack and repack, check everything twice (if not three times). My desire to make you happy with your portraits so you come back and have me do it again, or at the very least recommend me to someone else. I am, without a doubt, fulfilling my dream of being a senior portrait photographer. I can't do that without you!
Don't put a filter on it, please. Social Media No-No's and Heck Yeah's!
#nofilter
Me, and every single other photographer beg you, please don't put an Instagram/Snapchat/other filter on your portraits. You are not only breaking copyright law, you are potentially costing me business. The photos will not reflect my style and therefore deceiving or deterring potential clients. My own children are not allowed to change my photos either. I thank you and every photographer ever thanks you as well. What we love? Credit. Give us credit when you post your portraits on social media-We LOVE that! Please let me know if you prefer not have your images shared on social media.
Sometimes I do post!
After your session
I will give you a general idea of how long it will take me to deliver your proofs. It is usually less than a week. When the proofs are ready, I will send you an email with a link to your gallery. I will ask you to choose your favorites over a few days. Your final gallery will be delivered in a timely matter. There is an expiration date on your finished gallery. BACK UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS. I cannot stress this enough. You also have the option to purchase prints through your gallery at any time. I only guarantee print quality when printing through me. I work very closely with my printer to assure quality. I do not recommend chain stores or worse yet, chain drug stores to print your photos. In your contract, I have included a print release. Store this in a safe place. If you choose to order through me, I will hand-deliver your portraits and inspect them to make sure they are correctly colored and flawless. They will be delivered in person or by mail within 2 weeks of your order date. All sales are final. I also offer elegant, hand-crafted albums and other products to showcase your portraits.
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"You can just fix that in Photoshop, right?"
Simple answer? No. It is never easy and never quick. Let's talk about editing! Pimples are not within your control and I will absolutely make them disappear! I will edit blemishes and light scarring. Unless you specifically ask me NOT to, I will do it. I will not, however, make you thinner, fatter, younger, older, or have you wearing something else or a different color. I will not fix sunburn or funky tan lines. Please treat yourself with the utmost care the week or two before the session-avoid the sun! My policy is to not edit what is within your control or prevents your photo from looking like you. Extensive editing requires a ton of time, and when there are 20-40 images, that can take hours and hours of extra work. Requests for extensive editing will be a set price per image. I want you to LOVE your pictures. I promise I will do my very best and dedicate my education, equipment, and skill to each of your portraits. Please let me know if you have any special editing requests before I start working on your final images.
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Senior Parents- do's and don'ts
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Hey, I've got three kids so I get it. I really, really do. I am not too old to remember what it's like to be a mom of littles and not too young to know exactly how teenagers are. I have parented three kids through high school graduation and just about through college graduation- so I DO get it. I have two grandbabies that I am with multiple times a week- AND I get smiles when I take their pictures :) I am also super type A- so this section would have been for me were I hiring me! I am also not a perfect parent by any stretch of the imagination, so this part is specific to me being a photographer of seniors, and more importantly, helpful information I have gathered throughout the years.
Remember, this is your senior's session and making them feel wonderful, loved and beautiful/handsome is the most important job of the day.
You can email me as many times as you want- and you can call. Please reserve texts for day of circumstances and when you are done choosing your images. My text messages get forgotten and are not as confined as email. I barely respond to my best friends texts, and don't want to be rude if I don't respond quickly to yours. I also have several sessions a week with dozens of correspondence daily. It is impossible for me to keep up with several forms of communication without hiring help- and I don't make enough to do that :) If it is important enough for a text- just give me a call.
Your child is looking to you for guidance and approval. Please do not criticize or talk about their appearance/mood/personality in a negative way. Their demeanor for the day is pretty dependent on you and I. If you feel like you can't control yourself, I can take them and you can wait for us or just send them to the session alone or with a friend/other trusted person. This part of my "what to expect" is unfortunate, but it has gotten to that point that it needs to be mentioned. Trust in me is equally important. I have photographed hundreds of seniors, they are all beautiful, unique and human. Some are nervous, some are excited, some are mortified and dreading the day. Let me get to know them and build trust with them so that we can make some gorgeous images together. Lets do this without anything but positivity and encouragement. Your seniors are amazing!
I cannot control the weather, the fall colors, the wind or the sun. I wish I could, believe me! Sometimes, we just need to go with the flow and get excited about the uncertainty ahead of us! I do not allow cancellations because of less than ideal weather or clouds or because the trees are too green (yep- its happened). I do not shoot in the rain- or a large chance of rain. If I feel exceptions are warranted, I will indeed tell you and make them for you without being asked. I am not oblivious to rare circumstances and am especially not greedy or mean within my business. What I am is thoughtful and firm within it. Now, after having ticked you off a bit by having you read how horrible you all could be- I must say that 99.9% of you are so awesome to work with. 100% of you are the best parents to your seniors! If this section makes you not want to hire me- its probably for the best :)
More information/FAQ's and general rambling on is a click away:
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