Top Five Things to Consider Before Booking a Family Portrait!

Many factors go into the success of your family's photography session.  Your Family Portrait will take time and patience, you must plan everything early to ensure that everyone will be there and dressed properly. With over 25 years of experience Studio One Designer Photography has come up with a few helpful tips in getting the process started. Remember when capturing your precious family on film you should take all of these factors into account if you desire the best portraits possible.

1.      What Will Our Family Portrait Cost?… Many factors should be considered when deciding what types of portraits you want. Consider the following, where will the picture hang? Now how large of a photo will you need.  This will give you the answers you need in pricing also remember, that in most cases, you will need a frame, so you will need to allow an additional  2 to 4 or more inches in that particular sought out area. Does your photographer offer packages and ala carte prices (single portraits)? How much extra does it cost to add another image to a package? When you ask upfront you will have a better idea what you need and what you want.

2.      Timing! When to book and how long will it take. Ask yourself when will you need your family portrait?  Is this a gift for someone?  If so, when do you need the finished product?  You need to take into consideration when will everyone in your family be available?  If it is your larger extended family you need to give ample warning so nobody is left out.  Typically families have children in school, college, or the military and schedule their appointments in the summer or during Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter Vacation.  Okay once you know when everyone will be available now you have to remember the different photo breakouts your family may want.  For example just husband or wife, grandma or grandpa, the children, or even for extended families breaking out individuals families will take time. At Studio One Designer Photography, we have some clients that sometimes book out 6 months in advance to insure that their particular weekend date is available, and surprisingly we have families that book out 2 to 3 weeks in advance.

3.      Always Seek A Consultation First! A consultation, either on the phone or in person is extremely important. Advice on what to wear for example and what backgrounds you would like are very important factors in having your family photos taken. Photographs where family clothing clashes rarely look ok.  Remember solid colors are the best! Darker colors are more flattering than lighter colors. Long sleeves work better than short sleeves, sleeveless or tank tops. Pants work better than caprice, shorts or short skirts. The less skin that shows means the more flattering your family photos will be.

4.      When Will You View Your Images?  At Studio One Designer Photography, in most cases, you are able to view your images immediately following your session depending upon YOUR time availability. Doing this afterwards could take an hour or sometimes more, depending upon your situation. It is always better to view right away than to wait, more time usually means an added expense for you personally.

5.      Find Out When Your Family Portraits Will Be Ready! At Studio One Designer Photography, this usually takes about two weeks. Be careful on some occasions photographers can send your digital files to offsite developers hundreds of miles away.  At Studio One Designer Photography we are a part of the Fond du Lac community and keep our business local. Not surprisingly we save money by keeping our business within Wisconsin.

6.      What Will Your Payment Schedule Be? At Studio One Designer Photography, we require the session fee to be paid in advance of the appointment. On the day you view your images and place your order, we require one half of the balance to be paid, then the balance when your order is ready to be picked up. This is pretty much industry standard, but be careful in some cases studios will charge you full price up front, we try to make you as comfortable as possible.

Remember always select the person you feel most comfortable with.  By utilizing the above criteria you should be able to find the best photographer for your Family Portrait. Good Luck!



Five Things to Consider When Scheduling Your Child's Photography Session

Many factors go into the success of your children's photography session.  Children's Portraits take time and patience, you must plan everything from the time you select to the what outfit to wear first.  We have all seen good children's photos and bad ones.  Here is some advice for making your children's photographs the best they can be! 

As a professional Children's'  photographer I have worked with parents, who struggle to find out what others do to get their young children to sit still, smile and pose.  After 25 years of taking professional children's portraits I have surveyed the mothers, fathers and grandparents of the most patient camera friendly children, and here is what they have to say.

1. The first thing you must consider is when is it a good time for the child, not you!  Usually after a nap and after the child has had a snack or lunch. Do not book appointments after 6 PM…especially if the child has been in day care all day. They will be tired and will be more demanding of your attention.
2. If you plan on changing your child’s clothes more than once, plan on using the outfit you like the best, first. At Studio One Designer Photography, Kris will work the child until he/she “drops”. (By that we mean, the child will tell us when he/she is finished.)
3. How long will a child’s session last?  It all depends upon the child. It could take 5 minutes or an hour. If the child is Ill, please call to reschedule to another time. A sick child will not be in the mood to smile and be happy. At Studio One Designer Photography, we would rather you reschedule than come in and not be happy.
4. When will I be able to look at the images? At Studio One Designer Photography, you will view your child’s images immediately following your session. You will also place your order at that time and pay the one-half minimum required amount to start the order.
5. When will my portraits be ready? At Studio One Designer Photography, the best case scenario, your order will be ready in two weeks. The only time it takes longer is if something doesn’t meet our rigorous standards and needs to be redone or photo shopped.   

When you are ready for your next photography session please call us, we have successfully taken the photographs for hundreds of children.  Studio One is an award winning photography studio who believes your child's photos are an essential part of their history, and we are serious about capturing the finest images possible.