The days are long but the years are short
Documentary photo sessions are not photo sessions in the traditional sense. The process looks more like me dropping into your life at a time you would want to remember, to capture pictures that will truly matter to you.
Step 1: Booking
Shoot me a message through my contact page to let me know what I can do for you.
We’ll schedule a video call. You can ask me questions to make sure that I’m someone you’d be comfortable with in your home. We’ll also talk about your life to figure out the best timing for me to be a fly on your wall.
Let me know what you decide. You don’t have to make a decision during our call – discuss it with your family and send a quick note to let me know whether or not you’d love to work with me.
To book, you’ll sign a session agreement and pay a retainer. I will send you both the agreement and the invoice electronically. The retainer counts towards your session package.
Step 2: On the day
How you dress matters. To have an honest record of your family, you should dress like you do every day. Too match-y is not real, and is best reserved for formal portraits.
Also, let your kids be themselves. Showing that you value pictures of your kiddos being themselves will tell them how much they are cherished just as they are. Kids usually adjust to me fairly quick when they are told a friend who loves taking pictures is coming over to hang out.
I will show up in comfy clothes and take my shoes off. This way I’ll be able to crawl on floors, lay in the grass, or climb on top of furniture while taking pictures. Taking my shoes off is a Finnish thing.
All real life is welcome. Really. Brushing teeth, bath time, nap time, feeding time – these are the moments where the gold happens.
Step 3: After the day
You’ll get a link to your online gallery within 2-4 weeks. (The delivery time may be longer for full day in the life sessions.) You can buy prints or photo books beyond the package you’ve purchased through the gallery store.
There is no in-person sales session – unless you would like help figuring out what to buy for your home.
I can’t wait to hear your reaction about your photos! I check my email every seventeen seconds after I’ve sent pictures to a client. I pour so much love into the pictures, hoping they make the family as happy as they make me.
You favorite the pictures you’d like in your photo book – or I can pick them for you. I believe a photo book is the best way to display the full story.
Let me know if there are images you do not wish to be shared online. You can mark these images in your online gallery.
Reviews and referrals are important. Reviews and referrals help other families find the right photographer for them, while they are also a great way to support my small business. Networking is rough for an introvert like me, and all help is appreciated.
Until next time! I can’t wait to stay friends.
On pricing
If I won the lottery, it would be fun to travel all over the world documenting family life in exchange for home-cooked meals. While waiting for that to happen – fingers crossed! – I have put together packages that bring you the best possible value while allowing me to keep serving you year after year.
Session packages start at $1,500. All packages include the session, a coffee table photo book, and digital files download of the full gallery. There are no additional fees unless you want additional products.
You'll be grand-mothered in! Your package price will remain the same regardless of price increases if you book at least once a year.