Your Child or Family Photography Session
How long will the session take?
Portrait sessions are 60-90 minutes. With young children we work more quickly but I allow extra time incase a short snack break is needed.
Where will the session take place?
All my sessions are done on location, either in your home, backyard, a park, beach or one of your families favourite places. For locations outside of Vancouver and the North Shore there maybe an incremental travel fee.
What is the best time of day?
It’s really what works best for your children and your schedule, however mornings tend to be better for babies and young children. With older children and teens we can plan later sessions and capture that magic light which happens a couple of hours before sunset.
What should I bring?
A blanket can be useful to sit on or wrap around yourselves on cooler days. Other props that can work with young children are things like: a ball, a jar of bubbles (one for each child), a favorite toy, a scooter, a trike, a favourite book, your dog even. If your worried that you child will insist on keeping the toy for every single photo, perhaps leave it in the car and bring it out later in the session. Just keep me in the loop so I can plan around that.
A none messy (dry) snack for young children is a fantastic idea. Hungry children = grumpy children. A change of clothes is also recommended for young children incase of slips or spills.
What should we wear?
If you love your outfit and feel comfortable it will show. You can be as dressed up or dressed down as you like. Planning your outfits ahead of time and how they look together does pay off. Avoid too much matching, gone are the days of everyone in white shirts and khaki pants. Accessories are great and can add fun and color to your images: hats, scarfs, colorful shoes (avoid lace up running shoes if possible, unless they are a solid color), rubber boots, flip flops, superhero capes, tutu skirts, crowns. If your still unsure, google “what to wear for family photo session” and you’ll find lots of ideas and tips. If your still stuck, call me and I’ll happily help.
What will we do?
Preferably something your children and family love to do. I want it to be enjoyable for you. There will be some posing, positioning and guiding, but I will also ask you to just be yourselves, interact and pretend I’m not even there. This is a good time for tickling young children, whispers, inside family jokes with older children, funny noises, hugs, kisses, chasing, wrestling, talking, playing. Anything really that reveals some emotion, shows the love you share or shows me a little of who your family is. Remember we are capturing a moment in your family or child’s life, so think about what you want to be reminded of when you look back at those images and that will help us plan your session. That being said, if you would like me to go in a different direction or stick to more traditional poses, just let me know and we can do that. It’s your session and I want you to love the photographs I take.
What happens if my child is having a bad day?
Try not to worry, stay calm and relaxed before and during the session. Feed the kids (and yourselves) before the session. Hungry children and teenagers are guaranteed to be more challenging. Sometimes children just feel shy, embarrassed or just a bit grumpy and it might take them a little while to warm up to the idea. Sometimes children just don’t want to do something that mom or dad want them to do, but usually I can find a creative way to get co-operation. I always want you to be in sight of your children during the session but if they aren’t responding well, sometimes it can help if you move back from the scene a little and let me interact with them. Too much direction and pressure from parents isn’t always the best way to get co-operation. Remember, I want you to enjoy the session and if your worried about what the children are doing wrong, you won’t be and it may show in your expression. Sometimes the best images are the ones with baby crying, the toddler refusing to look or the teenager pouting, because these emotions (good or bad) remind us of the different stages of childhood and that they aren’t always easy or perfect. And if all else fails, a little bribery can go a long way but keep it positive, perhaps a reward or small treat after the session.
What if I need to reschedule?
In the event of sickness or an emergency please text me (604-916-2929) as soon as possible so we can reschedule your session.
What if it’s raining?
Sadly this can be a problem in Vancouver. If the weather looks wet I will contact you either the day before or the morning of your session to discuss our options. This could be to reschedule, move to an indoor location or if it’s just very light rain, perhaps you get your rain gear and we go for it anyway.
How long will it take to get the photos?
I will email you a link to an online web gallery within 2 weeks of your session. You can share this password protected gallery with friends and family. If your package includes the digital collection, you will receive a CD containing the high resolution digital files and a print authorization giving you the freedom to display and print the images for you own personal use. (refer to the legal stuff below). Zip drives are available for an additional $25. Professional prints, mounted wall hangings and canvas wraps can be ordered through me and take up to 2 weeks. Photo books take up to 1 month.
What is ‘A Day In The Life’ session?
This is a longer session, 3-4 hours and it documents your children or family doing an activity or perhaps on a grand adventure. This can be as simple as a Saturday morning routine, from PJ’s to the park, or it could be a trip to your families favourite hang out spot. It should be something that your children/family loves doing or something that is very much part of your everyday life that you’d like me to capture in a creative and beautiful way. We will meet before hand to talk about your ideas and if your having trouble coming up with something, I can offer some suggestions. These are fun, relaxed, casual sessions with very little posing, but we can always fit in some portraits as well. Photo books are a wonderful way to showcase the images from these sessions and you can do this yourself with the digital files which are included, or if that sounds like a daunting task, I’d be happy to create it for you.
What forms of payment do you accept?
A non refundable deposit of $150 is required in advance to book your session. The remainder is due on the day of your session. Payment can be made by cash, INTERAC e-transfer or by cheque . For prints, photo books or digital collections, payment is due when you place the order. Paypal is also an option for a small fee. GST (5%) applies to the session fee and all sales.
The legal stuff.
Krishna Neale retains the copyright for all the images taken. You are not permitted to copy, reproduce or print photos from the online gallery or my website. If you purchase a package that includes a digital collection, or the individual digital files, I (Krishna Neale) still retain copyright but you will be given access to those files and permission to print and display the images for your personal use. In either case, you may not sell or give away prints or digital copies for advertising, marketing or commercial use, or be entered into a competition. I may use images for the purpose of promoting and marketing my business and this can include my website, blog and social media platforms. I never include names or personal information when sharing or displaying the images. If you prefer that I do not display your images publicly, or if this is a gift or surprise for someone that may see them, please let me know in advance of your session.
Thank you for choosing me to capture this truly amazing time in your life. If you have other questions, please contact me. I’m excited to meet you and your family.
Krishna.
604-916-2929