What Happens After I Book My Family Photos? | Portland, Oregon Photographer

Your Portland Family Photos: From Start to Finish

So you’ve booked your family photos with me here in Portland, now what? Some people love it when they know exactly what is coming. I want you to be as prepared as possible for your session day, so here is what will happen throughout the entire process.

Contracts and other business-y things

Okay, I hate contracts. They are boring and stuffy. But it has to be done, so we will get this out of the way first. I’ll send over a booking email that has a link to select add-ons if you wish (like a family film!), sign your contract and pay your retainer. The rest of your invoice will be open until the day of your session. You can make payments on it if you wish, or wait until just before the session to send the rest. 

I may also be sending a short questionnaire to get to know you and your family a little bit better. You can get as detailed as you wish, or you can only answer a few of the most important ones. It’s up to you, but the more info I have, the better prepared I will be.

Photo locations and styling

Okay, this is my favorite part and where it starts to get fun. If we haven’t discussed location ahead of time, I’ll first send my location guide showing you all the places around the area that get great lighting and look awesome in photos so you can select your favorite.

Next, you’ll get a styling email (the most important email you will get!!????) which has lots of great info about what looks good in photos (warm tones look awesome!) and things to avoid (neon colors are evil). You have the option to do most of the styling yourself or get my help. I will find you outfits and send you links, make vision boards with combos, or send you examples of outfits from my client closet that you are welcome to borrow. Just let me know! You’ve hired me because you like my work and a large part of that is the clothing. So if you would like help styling your family, then I would be excited to plan outfits with you!

All prepped and ready to go

About a week before your session, I’ll send a prep email with additional tips to help the day run smoothly. I will ask you to send me a photo of your outfits if you haven’t already, just so we can be sure everything is looking right. I also send a reminder e-mail before your session with directions to the location if needed. Yes, everything is very organized, unlike my current desk situation ????. I’m an artist, okay? My desk is supposed to be messy.

During your family photo session

If you haven’t figured it out yet… you’re going to have fun at your session. In fact, you’re ALL going to have fun. This is a time to relax and enjoy your family, and not worry about trying to discipline. The kids are in charge (but also I am????). I’ll have you play some games together, giggle, tickle, and talk about toilets and boogers. But you’ll also have plenty of time to be sweet together, cuddle, embrace, and love on each other.

When kids are involved, it will most likely be chaos for some of it but all it takes is a split second to capture adorable moments. So even if you think I’m not getting anything good (and everyone always thinks that), rest assured there will be lots of amazing photos of your family in the end.

After it’s all over

Your family session is done! All you need to do is sit back and wait for your gallery to arrive in your e-mail! I’ll be getting your gallery to you within three weeks so you can select your favorites. Or you are also welcome to upgrade to all the photos in your gallery so you don’t have to make any tough choices. You will have plenty of time to download your images and order all the professional quality prints you need.

Ordering Professional Prints

Once you have your final gallery, you can order professional prints right from there. You can even see exactly what your products will look like with your photos on them. You are also free to make prints elsewhere but I can’t guarantee the quality unless they are printed through your gallery. You’ve invested your time and money into a session with me, so I’d encourage you to get your photos beautifully printed through a professional lab. The colors will be exactly correct, the quality will be amazing, and it will last for future generations.

If you’re looking for some unique ways to display your photos, you can get inspiration from this article that I helped contribute to!

If you still have questions about any of the process, send me a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP! If you haven’t booked your family photos yet and you’re in the Portland area, you can message me to get started!