Children, Pet and Family Portraits FAQ

How can I prepare my children / family for the session?

Basically, try to be prepared for every contingency. I won’t laugh if you bring a suitcase with you. At minimum though, bring makeup and hair accessories for quick touch-ups. If you’re session is for child photography, it can’t hurt to bring an extra outfit or two, in addition to the planned outfits. Favorite toys and snacks from home are encouraged.

Check everyone before the session e.g., temporary tattoos (or other “marker artwork”), etc. Make sure your outfits are clean and ironed. Check all accessories, such as socks, shoes, belts, ties, and jewelery, making sure that everything coordinates appropriately. You may bring your outfits to the consultation if you have questions.

What type of clothing should we wear?

We’ll talk about clothing in your before-session consultation. Items to avoid are bold prints and patterns (which can distract the eye when viewing photography). Also, If you are having baby portraits done consider doing some of them with no clothing or just bottoms on. Tastefully done “birthday suit” baby photography emphasizes the simple beauty of your child with minimal visual distraction.

Poses

I’ll work with you and your family so you’ll be comfortable in front of the camera. With adults a relaxed, natural pose is crucial to getting the best expressions. In child photography, creating an environment that gives children the freedom to be spontaneous makes for the best child portrait and is one of the most important goals of the child photographer. Capturing a child’s unique expressions while they are caught up in the moment with themselves or with a parent or sibling makes for the most expressive child portrait. In a family portrait, closeness expressed among family members is the key – having fun playing, hugging, and holding hands are all things I will encourage during your session.

Time of Day

Outdoor sessions are usually scheduled late afternoon/evening or early morning in order take advantage of the best natural light. We’ll need to pick a time when your children are at their best. Having already napped and eaten beforehand makes babies especially agreeable during photo sessions.

Locations

We’ll confirm your location during our session discussion. Choice of location for an outdoor session is crucial for a successful family portrait. The best outdoor environments offer ample shade from direct sunlight with no “man-made” objects in the background (unless we specifically design them in, e.g. a playground or the family home). As an example, I’ve often photographed in Richmond’s Byrd Park since it is quite large with lots of big, stately trees, green grass and many different natural background choices within a short distance of each other.

How long is the session? How many pictures do you take?

The average session lasts about one to one and a half hours and averages approx 45-60 proofs. During your session I will ensure that your family, children or pet is given the time they need to get acquainted with me and become relaxed. I guarantee that your family and children will get the attention that they deserve. Since every family is different additional time may be required if you have more than one child, a large group, or if we will be doing backdrop or clothing changes.

When are payments due?

Your initial payment is due at the time of session booking and reserves your session date and time. This payment is non-refundable since considerable time and effort goes into the planning of your session. I honor Visa and Master Card and payment by check. Your family portraits will be ready to proof / review in approximately 2-3 business days from the date of your photo session.

If you elect online proofing, I request that you view your proofs within one week of them becoming available online. If you elect to review your proofs in-studio, I request that you schedule your in-studio review within 7-10 days of your photo session. The review session at the portrait studio is the best time to make any purchase decisions since your favorite images will be fresh in mind. Order payments must be paid in full to process all orders.

After you have selected the images you want to purchase it takes 1-2 weeks for your order to be ready depending on your order. (e.g. Sheet prints take less time in production than a wall portrait or gallery wrap). Please let me know if you have a “must have” date in mind for your final product when placing your order.

Who owns the negatives?

Digital negatives remain the exclusive property of Dan Iott Photography, unless you choose to purchase high resolution digital images. In this case, although Dan Iott Photography remains the owner, you are given unlimited rights to print and duplicate your images. The portrait studio reserves the right to use images and/or reproductions for the purpose of display, publication and advertising. To protect your rights it is the studio’s policy that all clients complete the studio’s model release form prior to their session. To save time, you can review and print a copy of the release form here.