First Things First, what is and what can you expect from a 5 minute session?
These sessions are designed to be basic, simple, no fuss no muss type sessions. The price is able to be so low because of the following factors:
• The date/times/locations are all pre-determined by me, so less time spent on deciding where and when to do the sessions.
• You are able to book online and pay at checkout, meaning less time invoicing you and waiting on payments, it’s all taken care of upfront. Yes, sessions must be paid in full to get on the calendar.
• After you book online and before your shoot, you will hear from me directly 1-2 days before your session in a group email with directions on where to meet and any weather updates. You are of course welcome to email me before any with any questions, but if you don’t hear from me until that 1-2 days before your shoot, that is normal.
• I choose the images to send you. Minimum I’ll send is about 5-8 but I strive to send more if there are more gorgeous photos. No you can not see all that I shot and no you can not choose your photos. That’s the point, you are choosing to trust my professional opinion on which digital images you get. Less time proofing = less headache for you on which ones to choose and less time for me waiting on you to choose them. You will get your images in about 2-3 weeks depending on the season.
Q: What’s the cost and what’s included?
A: Each 5 minute slot is only $90 + tax and includes an average of 8-12 images. No upselling or unexpected costs!
Q: Seriously, 5 minutes? What can you possibly do in 5 minutes?
A: When you’re not changing locations, outfits, or props, 5 minutes is the perfect amount of time to get those precious few portraits that’s all you’re really looking for. If it’s for a family, we’ll do some family shots, some of just the kids and some of just mom & dad. Maternity, we’ll do some couple shots, just mom, just belly. Just kids, we’ll do close ups and action, etc. Headshots, easy peasy! Seriously, you can do a lot in 5 minutes.
Q: What type of photos can can we do in these sessions?
A: Almost anything really. Family, Kids, Maternity, High School seniors, Grandparents, Graduation theme, birthday theme, holiday theme (like Halloween costumes for example), headshots, pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, retirements, NICU Then & Now themes, almost anything. Larger extended families have their own guidelines, see next question. The only type of session I can not do in a mini session is a newborn. Now you can do some quick family photos with parents holding the newborn (no kiddos holding newborn, sorry, takes too much time), but that’s pretty much it. If you’re interested in a longer newborn session I have some amazing fellow photographers who specialize in newborns I’d love to refer you to!
Q: What about large extended families?
A: I so value the heritage of doing extended family sessions, but there are some rules in place that I follow in regarding them. There is to be one main nuclear family, usually a set of grandparents and their adult children as the main nuclear family, with their respective grandchildren to a limit of 4 families with kids. This is a minimum 20 minutes, so you would have to book 4 mini sessions back to back. To appropriately price this, please EMAIL ME FIRST prior to booking. Also these sessions must go last in the day you want to schedule. They are still meant to be quick photos, there is no assistant to pose you and families must cooperate with me to move fast. I can not guarantee any outcome and there are no reshoots if not everyone is looking at the camera. Participation and attention is key to success!
Q: What is your cancellation/refund policy?
A: Very simple. Once you book you are holding a spot on my calendar that no one else can book, so there are no refunds once you book. You can reschedule to another available date on my published calendar within one year of original date purchased (not date scheduled) to reschedule at a later date. You are solely responsible for rescheduling your session and if you miss the expiration date of 1 year since date of booking (again not date of the shoot), the session is void. If you no-show your appointment, you forfeit your session fee and would need to book another session.
Q: What if my kids misbehave or won’t smile?
A: While no one can guarantee the outcome of any photo shoot when it involves kids, I CAN tell you that 5 minutes is the perfect amount of time to give it a go. In my 14+ years of professional experience, if a kid knows it’ll be short and sweet and you make a game of it, they tend to actually have fun. For 5 minutes. Then they’re done and over it. If the kiddo absolutely won’t cooperate, I do offer a reshoot discount of 10% off for another attempt scheduled within 30 days of the first session. I also am totally ok with parental bribing if warranted, just sayin’. And honestly sometimes, the ornery/crying/pouting pics are so cute!
Q: What if the weather doesn’t cooperate? What are your rescheduling options?
A: If we get rained out, if it’s too cold or too hot or there’s a tornado watch in effect at the time of the shoot (I will not proceed under tornado watches), clients will be notified via email first if it’s far enough out and then text message if we have to reschedule. I keep everyone very will informed of weather conditions and plans. There is also no charge to for clients to self-reschedule if you simply need to change dates and you can do that yourself online.
Q: Will the backdrop of our photo shoot be the exact location in the photos you advertise for the location?
A: I do my very best to represent the actual backdrop in the photos I use for promoting locations however there can be circumstances out of my control that can arise that may impede the exact backdrop, such as unexpected crowds, weather & light conditions, etc. In that circumstance I will shoot very nearby and the photos will still be gorgeous. There are no guarantees when it comes to backdrops, thank you for understanding.
Q: What if I don’t like the photos you send?
A: I retouch and pick the very best ones to send you. Keep in mind it’s a 5 minute session so there won’t be a lot of variety (that’s the point), if there are reasons you don’t like the images that are cosmetic and require additional retouching I can offer a retouch fee of $15/image or $40 for the whole session. There are no refunds or reshoots if you simply don’t like the photos, but take a look around on my site and you’ll see the crisp, colorful and high quality of my work and the way I retouch.
Q: What am I allowed to do with the digital images you send?
A: Print them and share them! I still own the copyright to the images, so I may use them on my websites and on social media to advertise my work. If you absolutely do not want your images online, please just let me know.
Q: What locations do you shoot at? How do I book an appointment?
A: CHECK THE SCHEDULE to choose your location and click on the Book Your Appointment blue button, can’t miss it! If you’re on a desktop, you can schedule right on that page, if on mobile, click the blue button but remember the date you’re scheduling so you get the location you want.