You are booked - Now what?
Before we go there, I just want to thank you for choosing me to document your story. Honestly, It means the world to me that you trust me with your memories.
My hope for your session is that I am able to capture what it felt like to be there. I want you to be able to look back at your photos and remember the smell of the warm air as it blew through your daughter’s curls, the feeling of your toddler’s chubby hand on your cheek as you feed him, the softness of the blanket your grandma made for your newborn. I also want images your children will look back and see the love in your eyes as you look at them.
This guide serves as your reference for all things Kathy Spanski Photography. You can refer back to it for what to expect before, during and after your session. Of course, I am here for you if you have any questions anywhere along the way. kathy@kathyspanskiphotography.com 303.709.6580. I’m always up for a chat!
Wow, that is nice. So how do I get ready for the session?
Choosing a location -
We are telling your family’s story and our goal is to capture genuine moments and make art showing your kids being who they are. You know your family better than anyone else so this is really up to you.
I love sessions in your home or in your own yard. Kids are always the most relaxed in their own environment and they warm up to me the fastest when they can show me around their diggs. There is less stress for everyone and it is a great way to include the family dog as well. I love capturing the everyday chaos of your morning routine or all the activity involved in getting dinner on the table, kids relaxed and into their bedtime routine.
Sometimes though you want to document something else or are just itching to get out of the house. Maybe you are a family who loves the outdoors or frequents the zoo, or maybe even the Museum of Nature and Science. We can plan a fun outing and I can document your day out and about.
No matter the location, the key is that it is something you do often and can be 100% yourself doing. If the kids are old enough, involve them in choosing your activity. Their investment increases if they collaborate in the process.
Sounds fun! What can we expect at the session?
This is a fun family day where you have a family friend hanging out with you taking photos. The focus needs to be on the family and the fun you will have together. I’m just the sideline activity. I’m the goofy friend tagging along. So whether we are hanging out at your home or enjoying a familiar family activity, it is a fun family day.
I use very little direction. As I said before, our goal is to capture genuine moments. There might be times that I missed something so I’ll ask the little one to do something again and make a game of it, but mostly it is just you guys doing your thing. We will take our time. This is time for parents to enjoy time with their family. You should focus on having fun with your loved ones and let me worry about capturing the moments.
There are times kids just meltdown. DON’T STRESS. I had a session once where the toddler literally screamed at me anytime I pointed the camera her way. Two-year-olds are going to be two-year-olds and there isn’t a lot you can do about it. It is best to stay relaxed, deal with it how you normally deal with it, and I’ll just shoot through the moment. You will be amazed at what we will capture. In the case of that two-year-old - We ended up with a gallery that had amazing photos of her snuggling her mom, playing with her brother, playing at the park, having fun. You never would have known she was having troubles (except I of course included a couple of screaming photos because they are awesome and great for blackmail in the teen years).
Trust me to get the shots
You are paying me because you trust me. It is easy to forget this in the moment. You concentrate on having fun. I will tell your story and there is nothing your kids can do to disrupt that.
I still have some questions…
Here are some commonly asked questions.
Q: My session is in my home. Do I need to have a designer come over beforehand?
A: NO! Again, this session is about YOUR family. I usually recommend that you clean up or declutter the same amount you would if you had friends coming over. Not your in-laws or boss, your friends.
Q: Should we buy matching white shirts and jeans to wear?
A: NO! I repeat - unless your family usually wears white shirts and jeans or matching outfits, don’t do it. It is important everyone is comfortable and looks like themselves. I don’t want you looking at these photos in 10 years and say ‘What is Milo wearing? I don’t think he’s ever worn a collared shirt’. You want your kids to look like your kids and you want them to feel comfortable. I love it when parents involve kids in the wardrobe choices. It can be so much fun to get photos of your daughter wearing her green dino t-shirt with purple shorts, mismatched socks, and glitter slippers. The photos are much more meaningful and interesting.
Also, be weather appropriate. This probably doesn’t need mentioning, but if it is 30 degrees outside, nobody is going to be happy in a thin skirt or a short-sleeved t-shirt.
Q: What about my first baby, Spot?
A: I love animals. I mean I REALLY love animals. They are part of the family and are with us way too short of a time. We need to document them as part of your family. I will do everything in my power to get good shots of them with the family. I have two very unruly Golden Retrievers myself. I have some tricks for getting good photos, but all animals are different and I can’t guarantee that ‘money shot’ but I will do everything in my power to feature them in the session.
Q: What about grandparents?
A: I love including grandparents as well. If it is common for your parents to spend the day with you, by all means, include them.
Anything else I should know?
H-ANGER: If we are going out for the day please make sure everyone has been fed. Hanger is a thing and one of the easiest things to control. I’m all for bringing snacks and favorite treats along as well.
Comfort: If your kiddo has a special lovey or blanket he loves to have, don’t be afraid to bring it along.
Any hangups: Don’t force your child to do something that may make them uncomfortable. I have no expectations for certain behaviors. If your child is shy, it is completely within reason for them to stick by your side. Usually, I can get kids to warm up to me, but sometimes they just want their parent. It is ok. We will take our time and roll with the punches.
If your child has particular things they really don’t like, please let me know. If they don’t want to be touched, hates having their hair tousled, doesn’t like eye contact, or is just going through a nose-picking stage that you are trying not to acknowledge and you don’t want me to laugh, just tell me.
Meaningful Behaviors: If there are certain gestures, relationships, or moments you would like to have documented, please let me know. Maybe it is the special friendship between siblings, the way your preschooler sucks on his fingers, or a naptime routine. I will do my best to include those moments.
If you have any questions or concerns, PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help you make the most of your session.
So what happens after the session?
More fun! After your session, I will get to work culling your images down to the very best of the best (typically between 40-60 images/session) and hand edit each image for a cohesive gallery. Once they are ready, I’ll be in touch to schedule your BIG REVEAL - the 24-hour slideshow window.
When you get the slideshow link, I encourage you to make an event of it! Queue it up on your tv or large computer screen and gather the whole family to watch. The first time you see your photos is always the best. Once you’ve selected and paid for your collection, your gallery will open for thirty days, preloaded with your print credit, and set for you to download the number of files included in your collection.
Downloading your files:
Once you’ve decided which images you’d like to use for your download (for Collections A & B), I’d like to encourage you to do that immediately. The process is super simple: select the images and use the down arrow in the upper right corner of the gallery. Click the arrow and the system will walk you through the download process. The images will download as a zip file, which you can double-click to expand.I suggest you make a second copy of the files and save in a different location. The first copy should be easily accessible (like your computer drive) and the second copy in the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Photos, etc).
Copyrights (and wrongs):
Once you’ve got your digital files in hand, you are free to print them when, where, and as often as you wish! You can use them to make holiday cards, share on social media or on your personal blog. The only things you can’t do are related to the resale of your photos or use for commercial/business purposes. For instance, if you authored a book, you’d need additional permission to use one of the photos on the dust jacket. Or, you won’t be able to enter one of the photos into a contest and win prize money for it. Otherwise, you’ve got free reign! If you ever have a question, just let me know.
Printing your images:
While everything that I offer in my store is printed in professional labs using archival inks and papers and guaranteed to be beautiful, I also recognize that you may want to print your images yourself, and thanks to those digital files, you absolutely can! I recommend mpix.com for online prints. Be sure to de-select any color correction options, and be sure to upload the original files you downloaded, not copies. The files you receive from me should allow you to print up to at least 20”x30”.