what to do?

Once we are set on a time and date (via phone or email), I will email you some paperwork and an invoice to look over and sign. Your session is confirmed once I’ve received the paperwork and a deposit for the session. Please note that the way I approach fees and services with my photography is very different from traditional methods other photographers employ. Read more about pricing.

how long is a session?

Each session is about one to three hours. It’s casual, relaxed and will not be rushed. If you have children, plan around their schedules accordingly, such as nap or nursing times. Read more about my style of photography.

where?

Your session can be at any location of your choosing — in the comfort of your own home, at a playground, in a park, or in an urban setting like San Francisco or Santana Row. Be creative! And I will do my best to accommodate you as we discuss your options and what you are looking for in your images.

If you decide to have a session at home, don’t fret over the clutter or that “lived-in” look. But do try to put away items you’d prefer not to show up in the pictures — mail, bills, laundry… etc. Unless, of course, that’s how you’d like me to document everything. But I do take artistic license in doing some “creative cropping” and editing in post production whenever necessary.

what to wear?

Do wear: Colors — simple, solid colors work the best. Pastels also photograph well. Textures are fantastic! For children, if they have a special blanket, stuffed animal or something sentimental you’d like included, feel free to bring those items. If you can’t decide between two or three outfits, bring them all!

For newborns, clothing is optional. They look great with just a diaper on or bare skin.

Do avoid: Busy or overpowering patterns, plaids or stripes; clothing with words, marketing slogans or big branded logos; cartoon characters; anything you might feel dated by or embarrassed about in 10 years.

For individual portraits or if you are just an “edgy” kind of family, ignore all the suggestions above and come as you are!

what happens during a session?

A few weeks before your session, I will email or call you to get to know your family better. These little “chit chat” sessions help me understand the context in which your images are to be taken. It allows me to personalize the session. The more I understand the context, the better the images represent the essence and the spirit of you. And that’s what my photography is all about.

For an at-home session, I will take a walk around the house to understand the environment better when I first arrive. Before and during the session, we will continually communicate: tell me if you’d like to have a particular piece furniture, a painting or an item of sentimental value to be incorporated into the images. There are also lots of activities you can do at home during the session: bake, cook, play Wii or all of the above. Are there activities you can do in your backyard? The patio? The swimming pool? These are things we can discuss during one of our “chit chats” prior to your session.

For sessions outside your home, depending on where you are, simply do what you do as a family or a couple — play, have fun and enjoy your time together. If all goes as planned, you won’t even notice I’m there!

For individual portraits, the sky is the limit. We will discuss what you’re looking for in the images and go from there.

maternity and newborns

Maternity: The best time for maternity sessions is anywhere between 32 and 36 weeks. Contact me a few weeks prior to that so we can work out a schedule that is convenient for you.

Newborns: The ideal time for newborns is within eight to 10 days of birth. Contact me with your due date a few weeks in advance so that I can pencil you in for a session. We can then confirm a time and date once your little one arrives.

rescheduling a session

In the event of emergency, illness or natural disasters, please give me as much advance notice as possible if you can’t make your session. Your session deposit is non-refundable. But we can always reschedule it within a three month time period.

when to expect proofing and final delivery?

My goal is to show you a few sneak peeks within one week of the session on my blog. After I’ve made the initial selection of images from the session, a password protected webpage will be emailed to you for proofing. Once you’ve decided on the images for me to do the final editing on, expect to see your images ready within two to three weeks of my receipt of your selections from the proofs.

If your images are intended for an event or for greeting cards like Christmas, please inform me at the time of booking so that we can schedule accordingly.

availability

I only take a limited number of sessions every month so that I can really focus on preparing for each session and afford ample time for post production. Feel free to contact me for my availability.

tips and good-to-knows

• Schedule your hair cut appointment at least a week prior to the session to allow time for your hair to “grow in”;
• Best times of the day for a session are when the lighting is the brightest; for indoor sessions it also depends on the locations and size of windows in relation to the sun; we’ll discuss this when we schedule your session; for certain outdoor locations, the last two to three hours before the sun sets usually are the best;
• Snacks for children are strongly encouraged; fed children are happy children;
• Come to the session fed and rested!
• Bring extra outfits in case what you wear gets dirty or messy for whatever reason;
• Trim your nails (don’t forget the toenails if you do plan on going bare foot); this would be a good time to redo that half-worn nail polish;
• Depending on the season, bring or dress in layers in case it gets cold or windy;
• For maternity sessions, wear something loose that doesn’t leave any impressions on the skin;