Family Sessions

Here are a few answers to questions you might have about family sessions-

How do we choose a location?

After you contact me, we’ll work together to pick a location for your photo session.  I am a natural light photographer, so family sessions are usually done outdoors.  I can suggest several locations in Fort Collins that have worked well for me in the past, but I’m open to new ideas from you too.  I will want to scout out the location before the session though to make sure that it will work well and that the light will be good at the time that we’ve chosen.  

What’s the best time for outdoor photos?

The best time to take outdoor photos is when the sun is low in the sky.  This gives you soft, warm light, while midday sun gives harsh light and makes shadows on people’s faces.  I prefer to schedule sessions about 60-90 minutes before sunset for this reason.  If at all possible, I’d really urge you to consider tweaking your schedule for the day to do the session close to sunset.  However, if you have very young children, you may not be able to make this work.  A photo of a happy toddler in midday light is much better than a photo of an over-tired toddler throwing a fit in gorgeous evening light, right?  If you don’t think an evening session will work for your family, we can still get great photos at any time of day as long as we choose a location where there is plenty of shade.  Of course, none of this matters much on a cloudy day, but cloudy days are fairly rare in Northern Colorado!

What if we have to reschedule?

I’ll be watching the weather during the days leading up to your session.  I’ll send you a message if I feel like we may need to reschedule and we can make the decision together.  If you need to reschedule due to illness, I completely understand.  Please try to let me know as soon as possible and we will work together to reschedule your session when your family is healthy again.

What if my kids don’t cooperate?

I have lots of experience working with kids in a variety of contexts.  I have two boys of my own and was an elementary school teacher for 7 years, so I understand that kids can be unpredictable and don’t always do exactly what you want them to do.  Don’t worry if your kids don’t want to pose for photos or stay still.  Honestly, you will be less stressed out if you go into the session expecting that there will be times when they don’t cooperate.  I will be following them around taking LOTS of pictures to capture the moments when they look great.  I’ll have several tricks up my sleeve to try to help make the session fun for them and make them laugh.  I’ll also ask for your help to get them smiling and laughing, because you know your child’s sense of humor better than I do!  For more on this topic, check out this blog post:  https://beckymichaudphotography.com/nail-portrait-session-young-kids-fun/

How/when do I make my payment?

A $5o retainer fee is due at the time of booking to hold your spot.  This $50 payment is nonrefundable, but can be applied to another date within 90 days of the original date should you need to reschedule.  The remainder of your payment is due in full when we meet for your session and can be paid by cash, check, venmo, or paypal.  If you forgot to make the payment on the day of your session, of course I’ll still take your pictures, but I will need you to send payment before you’ll receive your photos.  Click here for family session pricing.

What should we wear?

I wrote a whole detailed blog post about this topic, and you can find it here: What to Wear Guide for Family Photos

What can I expect after the session?

If you’ve given me permission to share your photos on social media, I’ll post a few preview photos for you on facebook and instagram within a week of your session (or I can share those privately). You can find me on facebook here.  The rest of your photos will be finished up within 3 weeks of your session. When they’re ready, I’ll send you a link to a private online gallery so that you can download the photos and print them on your own. You can also share this link with friends and family. If you are really hoping to have a particular picture ready sooner than 3 weeks after your session (for example, if you need a shot of the whole family for Christmas cards) let me know and I’ll try to include some of those shots in your preview.

I do recommend printing at mpix.com.  I’ve sent my photos to several different printing labs and found that mpix most closely matches what I see on my screen when I’m carefully obsessing over  getting just the right colors and contrast in the editing process.  Their prices are really pretty reasonable too!