Planning Your Photo Session (Part 1) - The Big Question {Terre Haute family photographer}

So, you've decided to have (or are at least considering having)  a professional photo session for your family. That's awesome! Whether you're a brand new family with your first baby, or you're sending your last "baby" off to college, or somewhere in the middle, I'd love to work with you to create images that you'll love now and treasure forever. Wow, that sounds cheesy. But seriously, you won't regret investing in your family's memories.

If you're looking for a photographer in the Wabash Valley area, I'd love to hear from you. Just click the tabs at the top of the page for whatever information you need, or email me at amy@amyfoltz.net.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about your session. The first question you need to answer (as much for yourself as for me), is "Why are you getting photos taken?" Your answer to that question is probably as unique as you are, and it's the basis for every decision we make about your session.

You might just want some updated photos because you've had more kids since your last session, or your kids have grown a lot since then, or you've moved and now have the wall space to display more photos. Maybe you want photos to celebrate a milestone like a first birthday or a high school graduation. Those are all great reasons to schedule a photoshoot.

Or maybe your reasons are a little deeper. Maybe you've been thinking about time passing and the little details you don't want to forget. Like your toddler's chubby little hands, your kindergartener's love of Dr. Seuss books, or the way your baby plays peek-a-boo. Maybe you want to document a day in the life of your family. Maybe you're in a crazy time in your life, and need a tangible reminder of how blessed you really are.


Ok, now that you've answered that question and know why you want the photos, you can start making some decisions based on that. After choosing a photographer, who I hope is me of course, the first thing you need to decide is who will be photographed. Do you want a family session, or is the session just for one child, or all the kids? Even if you think you only want the kids photographed, I recommend getting at least a couple of images of the whole family. If you're self-conscious, don't worry. Photographers know all kinds of tricks to bring out your great features and minimize the ones you're not crazy about. And even if you don't like the images with you in them, you don't have to display those. But you'll have them in case you ever want them. If you choose a family session, I also take individual photos of all the kids too.


The next thing to decide is which kind of session you want. I offer two types: Short and Sweet, and Storyteller. Short and Sweet Sessions are just that: short, and sweet. They last under an hour (usually about 45 minutes or so) and result in 20 edited images delivered on DVD with print release and a full set of 5x7 prints. The prints are great because not only will you have them to display right away, but you'll also have them as a reference to make sure any prints you have made are printed correctly. That's especially important if you choose to use a lab other than the one I recommend. Since the sessions are so short, most of the images are posed (although not stiff and boring!) and we stay at one location. These sessions are great if you don't need a whole lot of variety in your final images, or if your main goal is to get images to display in your home.

Storyteller sessions are longer, so we have a lot more flexibility as far as changing outfits and locations, and it gives us plenty of time to get to know each other and for the kids to relax and take all the breaks they need. It also allows us the time for lots more fun images - tickle fights, tossing a football around, reading a favorite story, whatever your family loves to do together! Since we spend more time together, Storyteller sessions obviously result in more images: 40 to 50 on average. You still get the digital images with print release, and you also get your choice of a set of 5x7 prints in a custom-designed keepsake box (the box is seriously awesome), a custom-designed 8x8 album (can you tell I'm all about things being customized?), or a 16x20 gallery wrap canvas. These sessions are great if you want your images to tell a story and you want a lot of variety.

If you just can't decide which type of session you want or need, just let me know and I'd be happy to talk you through the decision. You can click here to contact me.

There's still plenty more to think about when planning your session, and I'll be back next week with another post.