Frequently Asked Questions
So, what is lifestyle photography and what can I expect if we hire you as our family photographer?
Lifestyle photography is your life…styled. For me, that means real smiles, real emotion, the real you, just at your very best with clothes that go together in good lighting, and with prompts that bring out the best in you. For newborn sessions, that also means that I do not force babies into poses, use props or wrap your baby (except in a simple swaddle). I do pose both families and babies, but I do so in a very natural way to make sure you are in the best light, and there’s nothing awkward happening with your hands or the way you are standing. From there, we will play fun games and/or I will prompt you to do something that brings out your real emotion, which leads to natural feeling photos, even though they are technically ‘posed’. Every picture you see on my website started with a pose or direction.
We will also make sure that in addition to those candid, fun moments, we do get images of everyone looking at the camera and smiling, because those are important, too! Whether you are looking at me or not, my aim is always for real smiles. You’ll never hear ‘say cheese’ around here!
What if I don’t know what to do or don’t feel comfortable getting my picture taken?
Leave that to me! While I do want to make sure we capture your family ‘for real’ on camera, I’m heavily involved in crafting the moments and getting everyone set up for success, taking the guesswork and anxiety out of every shoot for my families. Years of experience, plus two children and a husband of my own, have taught me how to handle anything that comes my way to make sure that no matter how shy or awkward you may feel at the beginning, you leave saying “wow, that was easier than we thought!”
I have a toddler/less-than-enthused husband/moody tween. Are you sure you can handle them?
I have two children who are less than two years apart, who are polar opposites in every way, but are somehow both insane little balls of chaos. They are now rapidly approaching the teenage stage and man, it’s a doozy. More importantly, capturing joy on film is my job, and it has been for over a decade. I’ve seen a lot of tantrums, a lot of fussy babies and a lot of cranky dads walk out of their cars at the start of their sessions. I can guarantee that no matter what is happening with your family, I’ve been there. I’ve never had a session end without real, genuine, sweet, bursting with joy emotion on my memory card. I will do whatever it takes to get that to happen and I have an arsenal of tricks up my sleeve for every age and every situation. I will warn you, you may have to hear me sing a Disney Junior song, and it’s probably going to be terrible, but it will get your kid to smile, and your images don’t have sound. Thank god.
What if my baby is cranky or has colic?
Unlike with my other subjects, I can’t distract or play my way out of a cranky mood with a baby, but I can give them time. Time with you, time to eat, time to cuddle with you alone. Newborn sessions are longer for that very reason. The amazing things about babies is that given a little time, a little food, or a little change in environment, their mood will improve. I never rush my newborn sessions for this very reason. You will have the time you and your baby need to capture every single incredible newborn moment during our session.
When should I book my session?
As soon as possible. My calendar books up quickly, especially in the fall, and the only way to secure your spot is by officially booking with a deposit and contract. Once that’s in, you have a spot and even if your session needs to be rescheduled for some reason, you will have priority and I will fit you in.
How do you schedule newborn session when we don’t know when they will arrive?
If you book before delivery, we will block a date 2-3 weeks after your scheduled due date for in-home newborn sessions. Once the baby comes, you can see how you feel and when you delivered, and make sure that date works for you. If scheduling a session just didn’t happen before the baby was born, that’s okay, too. Contact me ASAP and we will work together to find something that works!
Where do you work? Do you charge travel fees?
I am based in Marin and regularly shoot both in Marin and in San Francisco. As long as your session is within San Francisco county or Marin county limits, no travel fee applies. I do travel to Sonoma County the East Bay, and the Peninsula, but a $100 travel fee applies to those locations. If you home is outside of those places but you want to book, please reach out directly, otherwise you can just add it to your session at booking. For outdoor sessions, I shoot at some of the best locations in San Francisco in Marin, and you can see those location options here.
I’m not ready to book my session yet, but I know I will be in the future. How do I keep up to date?
Are you interested in newborn or maternity sessions but you aren’t pregnant yet? Waiting to finish a remodel before your family session? I highly recommend subscribing to my newsletter here if you are interested in my work. It’s the only place where you’ll find out about special things happening around here and you’ll get first dibs on new dates and special sessions.
I have more questions that you didn’t answer here like what to wear for my family photos or how to prepare for my newborn session?
My blog is a wealth of knowledge. You can sort the articles by topic or just click around and see what treasures await you! There are session shares, FAQs and tips and tricks that are invaluable. If you’ve poked around there and still have questions, you can always contact me directly and we can chat.