I want you to know how excited I am to work with you and your family this season! During your portrait session, you're going to laugh, snuggle & play together and we're all gonna have some fun & create a little magic together!
I've put together this helpful Client Prep Guide, to lend my expertise and prepare you for an awesome session with me! The guide covers selecting outfits that slap, choosing locations, timing, prepping your children and much, much more!
Hopefully, it helps you to feel confident and fully prepared for our time together, but should you have any other questions or if you need any advice, please feel free to reach out!
- Brittany
mEET the team:
I am so pleased to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Melissa! Melissa has joined the Asheville Portrait Company Team as an Associate Photographer which means Melissa will be shooting some Family & Extended Family Sessions this fall!
The addition of Melissa to the team ensures more flexible availability because while Melissa may be shooting your Family or Extended Family Portrait Session, I will be editing every session in that true to life, rich, dreamy signature Asheville Portrait Co style that you love!
Melissa is a mother of two and has been working professionally as a wedding & family photographer in Asheville for the last eight years! My favorite thing about Melissa is that she's just so incredibly friendly & easy to be with! She's a true delight of a human being and I am 100% confident that you will love working with her!
Brittany is the Founder, Owner, Primary Photographer & Editor at Asheville Portrait Company! In addition to those duties, she is also the secretary, the scheduler, the sales exec, the book keeper, the marketing & advertising exec as well as web developer, blogger and social media personality, Not only that, she is a single mother which means she's soley responsible for the day to day raising of her 7 year old son including school drop offs, pick ups, guitar lessons, baseball practices and games,
At home, she's head chef, maid, chauffeur for doctor's appointments, birthday parties and play dates --- in addition to the less than glamorous aspects of maintaining a home (and studio).
Ever the ambitious crazy person, Brittany went ahead and opened a second studio in Charleston in the persuit of her happily every after!
She will be commuting back to Asheville twice per month to shoot Maternity, Newborn, Family & Extended Family Sessions in Asheville.
You might be thinking to yourself: "I'm exhausted just reading that, how does she do ALL of that?" Not entirely delusional, Brittany quickly recognized that she couldn't possibly do it all and needed some help!
Sweet Melissa
Meet Melissa!
If fifteen years of industry experience has taught me anything, it's that portrait sessions involving children see best outcomes when parents let go of their expectations and all that pressure to perform and just go with the flow!
It's important to remember that: while the portrait session we shoot once a year may cause you a little anxiety, it's the same for children!
They're in a new environment, meeting this new person who's holding this big, intimidating camera and acting a fool and they're not entirely sure what's going on or why we're doing this and maybe mom and dad felt rushed or stressed getting ready, just before the session and maybe they can feel that tension...it can be a lot.
Just BE COOL. And know that it's ALL okay! I've got you!
All you have to do is focus on snuggles and tickles, hugs and kisses, laughing and playing with your people! That's it! I just want you to enjoy this moment with your family in this beautiful place and I promise you, I'll take care of the rest and it will be MAGIC!
Managing
little ones
The best thing you can do for your kids is to go with the flow and stay positive. The more you relax and have fun with it, the more likely they are to get on board (no matter their age)!
With young children, it's helpful to pack a few treats, favorite toys, special snacks and if all else fails, the promise of ice cream afterwards usually works wonders!
I'm incredibly patient with little people and I have a few tricks up my sleeves to help get even the wildest ones to cooperate!
Generally, jaundice & baby acne aren't that big of a deal but if your baby is really yellow or has baby acne pretty badly, please let me know and we'll just reschedule for the following week!
(hot pro tip: apply breast milk directly on the affected skin, it will clear it up in a couple days, it's magic!)
If you notice that your baby is cluster feeding or having tummy trouble (or generally just unsettled) the day before your session, please let me know! I would rather reschedule for a few days later than try to work with a baby who is cluster feeding, having tummy trouble and generally unsettled! Shooting under these conditions makes it really difficult to get any of those sweet, sleepy shots of your babe!
Even if you don't feel like it right now, I need you to know that you are beautiful, you are powerful, you are strong and capable! You are a goddess and what you've just done is nothing short of exceptional! You are exactly what that precious baby needs, they chose you and you are doing great!
If you're not feeling all that great right now, I can schedule hair & makeup at the studio for you, if you'd like! Just let me know! I also have a client closet full of beautiful, flowy, empire waist / a-line dresses in a variety of sizes, that are super flattering and you are welcome to wear any of them!
Dear Mama,
Preparing your baby
Jaundice, baby acne, cluster feeding & tummy troubles
After baby comes home, you'll just send me a message to let me know they've arrived and I'll get you into the studio the following week!
Newborn Sessions turn out best when we have a full, sleepy, settled baby! For this reason, I try not to shoot between days 7-10 (if your baby was full term) because they're typically in a growth spurt during that window and cluster feeding (which makes trying to shoot a portrait session really difficult!) There's usually a sweet spot between 10-14 days!
when do we shoot?
Congratulations new parents!
I am positively delighted to Welcome you to the Asheville Portrait Company Family and into my Biltmore Village Portrait Studio!
a note about
Spring, Summer and Fall are by far, my busiest seasons for Outdoor Portrait Photography in Western North Carolina! However, it should be noted that the rocky, alpine, evergreen, winter look found in the higher elevations can be absolutely gorgeous if you wanna shoot something a little different!
I am so incredibly grateful for the ability to offer my Maternity, Newborn, Milestone, Cake Smash and Family Portrait Clients a large, beautiful, bright, modern studio where we can shoot indoor portraits year round, no matter the weather! (which also eliminates the need to shoot a certain time!)
My outdoor sessions usually last (up to) an hour and a half and when we can— I love to begin shooting about an hour and a half before sunset! You might've heard this referred to as "golden hour" and that's because the sunlight during this time of day is warmer, softer and produces those creamy, dreamy photos you love! I prefer to shoot when the sun is lower in the sky to avoid harsh shadows and bright light. The tricky thing about shooting late in the day with little ones is that depending on their schedule, it can be during dinner time, during what's typically nighttime wind down and a little too close to bed time! If you have little ones, we can also shoot in the early morning (7-10am) for nice, soft, even light for your portraits!
I schedule portrait sessions during what I believe will be the best light of the day which means that it’s super important to be on time! If you’re late to an evening session, we could run out of light before we’ve finished shooting and if your session takes place in the morning, the sun gets more harsh as it rises higher in the sky!
TIME & LIGHT
Sunset & Bedtimes
In the warmer months, golden hour sunset sessions often fall during the dinner time. They may even fall during or after bedtime for our littlest ones!
As much as we love a consistent bedtime routine, if you want that warm, soft, evening, golden hour light -- in order to capture that, we're likely going to need to throw off your schedule a little bit.
If your session takes place close to dinnertime, I recommend bathing & feeding the kids (and yourselves!) before we begin shooting so that no one get's hangry during your portrait session! Snacks and water are always good to have on hand during your session and for some kids, the promise of ice cream afterward is an effective motivator!
If your children will be going to bed later, consider pushing their nap a bit that day, letting them sleep longer or packing pj's so that you can quickly tuck them into bed as soon as you get home!
my favorite places to shoot
I photograph families visiting Asheville regularly and am often asked to come out to beautiful vacation rentals to photograph the whole clan and I am happy to do that if it makes things easier!
The best session locations are often meaningful to my individual families; however, I'm also happy to make recommendations! From mountain tops to lavender fields to apple picking and waterfalls, the options for session locations in WNC are endless!
Biltmore Estate
Grove Park Inn
Homewood
City Hall
Grove Arcade
history & architecture
Downtown Asheville
River Arts District
Pedestrian Bridge Downtown
urban
UNCA Botanical Gardens
Asheville's Greenway
Grove Park
Amboy Park
parks
The Farm
Claxton Farm
June Bug Retro RV Resort
The Never Ending Flower Farm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
The Lavender Farm (late May - June)
farms
Sky Top Orchard
Justus Orchard
Biltmore Gardens
NC Arboretum
UNCA Botanical Gardens
Craggy Pinnacle
Graveyard Fields
Black Balsam Knob
Max Patch
Big Bald
Beauty Spot
Dupont Falls
Catawba Falls
(my) Secret Falls
Looking Glass Falls
Linville Falls
Beaver Lake
Lake Junaluska
Lake Powhatan
Lake Susan
Lake Tomahawk
Blue Ridge Parkway
Christmas Tree Cutting
Apple Picking
Wiseman's View
Rough Ridge View
Moses Cone
Hawksbill Mountain
Ski / Snow Tubing
White Water Rafting
Kayak, Canoe or Floating
orchards & patches
gardens
hikes/mountain tops
waterfalls
mountain lakes
adventures
Bunn House
Biltmore Village Inn
White Gate inn
b&b'S
The above locations are all beautiful but I also really love exploring meaningful locations with my families as well!
Seasonality
things to keep in mind:
Summer
is for chasing waterfalls, playing in rivers & creeks and frolicking among the wildflowers!
In spite of the heat, I'm a big fan of those lovely sun soaked summer sessions! Because of the later sunset during summer months, sessions often begin as late as 7:30pm. If you’re scheduling a session during the summer months, I recommend dressing accordingly (in light, breezy fabrics)! Remember to bring plenty of water, makeup for touchups, towels and a backup shirt incase of sweat.
Hot Pro Tip: don't forget to use anti friz product in your hair!
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Fall
is for mountain adventures, colorful foliage and legendary autumn sunsets!
Fall is the most beautiful (and most popular among tourists) time of year in Western North Carolina and because of this, my shoot calendar fills up very quickly! The fall season is incredibly short and I photograph families every single day of the month of October, sometimes twice per day with my weekends filling up first. If you have your heart set on a fall portrait session, I strongly recommend scheduling it in July or August to ensure date / time availability!
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winter
the most underrated season for outdoor family portrait sessions in Western North Carolina!
If you don't know about those legendary Blue Ridge Mountain Winter Sunsets in Western North Carolina, now ya know!!
Winter isn't traditionally the most popular time of year for outdoor family portrait sessions in Asheville but just hear me out:
Something about the atmosphere -- the sky is just so clear, and the mountains are blue blue and the sunsets are just incredible!
At higher elevations, you'll find gorgeous evergreen forests, frozen waterfalls and if we're lucky, we'll see a little snow!
You could also consider inviting me along for a winter activity such as selecting a Christmas tree, skiing, snow tubing or ice skating - so cute, so fun and what a precious memory to have beautiful professional photos of!
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SPRING
is for tulips, cherry blossoms, azaleas, dogwoods and moms!
After a long, cold winter, we're all looking forward to longer days, warmer temps and those glorious spring blooms!
Spring is definitely the only season that I simply can't wait to arrive every year! Spring in Asheville is another very short window of opportunity for portrait sessions with the various blooms and during that time I'm photographing many expectant mothers and families among the tulips and azaleas at Biltmore Estate, at the NC Arboretum and a few other special little spots that I know around town with lovely dogwoods and cherry blossoms!
Because the window of opportunity is so short, my calendar fills up very quickly. I recommend booking your spring session in early March to ensure date / time availability!
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When choosing outfits for your family, Keep the word “complement” rather than “match” in mind. For example, if Dad is wearing a plaid shirt, then Mom may want to choose a solid color dress that is one of the colors found in dad's shirt.
I recommend choosing either a theme color or color pallet and designing your wardrobe around that!
Hot Pro Tip: head over to Pinterest.com and search color pallets! For example: earth tone color pallet, fall color pallet, jewel tone color pallet, etc. The search results will return a lot of beautiful pre-made color pallets that will make designing your wardrobe much easier if you're sticking to a color pallet!
Lastly, don't be afraid to incorporate subtle patterns, cool accessories and interesting textures (such as cordoroy, velvet, tweed, faux fur, etc) into your wardrobe choices!
Choosing Outfits
for everyone
Dress in a way that makes you feel confident and comfortable. like the very best version of yourself!
Personally, I love maxi dresses on moms! I love the way the fabric catches the breeze, it gives movement to your photos! Baltic Born has tons of beautiful dresses at a reasonable price point! In the fall, I also really love sweaters with leggings, paired with riding boots or jeans and a cute fall blanket scarf! In the winter, I'm way into sequins, velvet and fur (reason enough to consider a winter session!)
A note about shoes: heels lengthen legs but if your heels aren’t comfortable for walking or we'll be in grass, bring an extra pair of shoes to slip into in between shots!
I love the way larger patterns and interesting textures photograph - just be careful not to choose a pattern that is too small - it may accidentally make your photo look a little too busy.
for the ladies
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The way you accessorize your outfits really sets off your photos! Consider adding awesome shoes, suspenders, a trendy felt or tweed hat or a cool belt, etc!
Statement jewelry is great way to add color or pattern to a simple dress.
Dresses with sleeves are a great way to help slim arms.
Interesting textures such as linen, tweed, cordoroy, chiffon, velvet, lace, leather, suede. tulle or faux fur really bring depth and dimension to your images!
Accessories
for the ladies
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Rent the Runway
ASOS
Morning Lavender
J. Crew
Anthropologie
Free People
Jessakae
Petal & Pup
Pink Blush (Maternity)
H&M
Vici Dolls
Virginia Dare Dress Co.
Baltic Born Clothing
Madewell
Kate + Grace Boutique
Favorite Shops
Able
Zara
Mango
Nothing Fits But
Sezane
Hill House Home
Reformation
Rachel Pally
Nuuly
Christy Dawn
Rylee & Cru
Clad & Cloth
Ivy City
Shopbop
Everlane
for the ladies
shop my PRIME favorites
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It’s so important that you look and feel your best for your portrait session! Investing in professional hair and makeup can go a long way towards creating photos you love for years.
Professionally done hair & makeup lasts longer and tends to hold up better in wind and humidity.
If you choose to go this route, we recommend staying a bit “classic”. Now probably isn’t the best time to try out that new dramatic smokey eye if it's not a look that you're used to seeing on yourself!
If you’re planning to do any spray tans, waxing or laminate, schedule those for a few days before the session to give your skin time to recover.
Hair & Makeup
for the ladies
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You can’t go wrong with crisp button down or consider layering a blazer or sweater with jeans.
Cozy sweaters layered over button downs are a great way to stay warm and stylish during the cooler months.
Be careful not to choose a pattern that is too small - it may accidentally make your photo look a little too busy.
Softer, muted colors tend to photograph better than bright colors.
Don't be afraid to incorporate interesting accessories (a cool hat or tweed cap, suspenders, fresh kicks or a bow tie etc.) and textures (linen, cordoroy, suede, leather or tweed) into your wardrobe choices!
A note about shoes: stylish, trendy boots, suede clarks or a cool lifestyle sneaker are all good choices. Please do not wear athletic sneakers or flip flops.
Wardrobe
for the gents
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Wardrobe
for the gents
next
Rent the Runway
ASOS
Suit Supply
J. Crew
Zara
Leather & Cotton
Jack Threads
Frank & Oak
Nordstrom
Cuts
H&M
Urban Outfitters
Madewell
Lululemon
Everlane
Banana Republic
Mango
Reiss
Alex Mill
Untuckit
Amazon - GoodThreads
Bonobos
Abercrombie
Rag & Bone
shop my PRIME favorites
Kate Quinn
Zara Kids
Quincy Mae
Rylee & Cru
Noralee
Target - Cat & Jack, Art Class, Q by Quincy Mae
H&M Kids
Crew Cuts by J Crew
Roolee
Alice & Ames
Favorite Shops
Smallable
Fin and Vance
Little & Co.
Briar Baby
Jaime Kay
Childhoods Clothing
Spearmint Love
Gap
Old Navy
Boden
Hanna Andersson
for the kids
shop my PRIME favorites
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If you're scheduling a winter portrait session, we could begin shooting as early as 3:30pm to catch the sunset. I recommend dressing in layers and maybe even having a warm blanket or parka on hand so that in between photos you can stay warm! Don't forget to bring a little extra makeup and tissues in case your nose begins running. Pocket warmers and thick socks hidden in cute boots can help keep everyone warm without showing up in images.
sequins, velvet and fur coats, oh my!
Winter
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I typically begin shooting spring portrait sessions in mid April, as soon as the tulips arrive and the dogwoods bud! I'll continue shooting those beautiful spring sessions through mid May until the azaleas and cherry blossoms loose their blooms! This is such a short window of time, only about a month with the spring flowers in bloom! I recommend booking your spring session in early March to ensure date availability!
Spring Blooms, pastels and light airy fabrics!
Spring
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In spite of the heat, I'm a big fan of those lovely, sun soaked evening summer sessions! Because of the later sunset, sessions sometimes begin as late as 7pm. If you’re scheduling portraits during the summer, I recommend dressing in light, breezy fabrics, bringing plenty of water, makeup for touchups and a couple towels for sweat! If we're hiking to the top of a mountain or to a waterfall, we'll walk slowly so as not to get too sweaty but I definitely recommend wearing a different shirt and changing when we get there to avoid any sweat on your clothing!
"If it could only be like this always"
Summer
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Fall is the most beautiful (and most popular among tourists) time of year in Western North Carolina and because of this, my shoot calendar fills up very quickly! The fall season is incredibly short and I photograph families every single day of the month of October, sometimes twice per day with my weekends filling up first. If you have your heart set on a fall portrait session, I strongly recommend scheduling it in July or August to ensure date / time availability!
"and autumn a mosaic of them all."
Autumn
A few things to keep in mind during each season:
Honestly, you don't need to worry about this at all! I've been doing this for a very long time and my methods are fool proof! I'll guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. Instead of "poses" I often use prompts instead to natural movement and posing. If I ask you to do something that feels ridiculous, it’s probably because I know that it’s going to make everyone laugh - and that’s the photo I'm actually after!
Expect to hug and kiss, snuggle, play and laugh together and the session will be over before you know it!
"What do I do with
my hands"?
I don't know, Ricky Bobby, what do you want to do with your hands!? (kidding)
Managing
fur babies
We will plan to touch base via text the week of your portrait session to confirm our plans for meeting time and location. We'll keep an eye on the forecast and in the event of inclement weather, we will simply re-schedule your session for a different time on the same day, before or after the rain comes in. In the event that it's a total washout, we'll simply re-schedule your session for the very next available date / time. If you are unable to re-schedule for any reason, you will be issued a gift certificate in the entire amount received at the time of booking to be used at a later date.
Inclement Weather
what to do if it rains
If you have booked an Extended Family Session (more than one household, grandparents, etc), I've got a few tips to help make photographing this larger group a bit easier on everyone.
Tips for larger groups
Please email me a family tree or list of all family groupings ahead of time so that I understand who should be photographed together.
While you don’t need to draw me an actual family tree (although, bonus points if you do!) something like this would work well:
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Grandma - Jean
Grandfather - Max
Sam (son of Jean + Max) and Tina.
Their Kids: Jason (10), Julianne (5) and Jack (2)
Elizabeth (daughter of Jean + Max) and Paul
Their Kids: Austin (9) and Claire (6)
Nailing your wardrobe is probably 75% of the battle! Photographs typically turn out best when families choose a theme color or color palette over trying to match exactly (the everyone wear jeans and a white shirt look is corny & dated.)
Hot Pro Tip: head over to Pinterest.com and search color pallets! For example: earth tone color pallet, fall color pallet, jewel tone color pallet, etc. The search results will return a lot of beautiful pre-made color pallets that will make designing everyone's wardrobe much easier if you're sticking to a color pallet!
Send a screenshot of your chosen pallet to everyone so that you're all on the same page about which color shades to use (because there are million shades of blue!)
Outfits that feel a bit special (your “Sunday best”) but that you still feel comfortable in generally result in the best images.
If you need any advice in this area, just let me know, I would actually love to help!
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When it comes to choosing a location for larger groupings, there are a few extra elements to keep in mind. Locations should be easy to access and be safe for young children.
While we can get away with shooting small families at a waterfall or in a downtown setting, for larger families, we’ll need a bit of space to spread out. Many vacation rentals perched on the side of the mountains don't have enough flat area for us to spread out. Homes with larger flat'ish yards are best. Also, parks, gardens, farms, Biltmore and the Blue Ridge Parkway typically work well for extended families! OR depending on how agile & adventurous your crew is: mountain top balds such as Max Patch, Beauty Spot, Black Balsam and Big Bald are all incredible with those iconic Blue Ridge views!
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After your session, I will deliver an online proof gallery that will be accessible to everyone in your group.
Please let me know ahead of time who should have access to this gallery. If you send me a list of the email addresses, I can set those up at the time of delivery to give everyone gallery access. Once your proof gallery is delivered, you will have seven days with the gallery to either order Heirloom Print Collections or to order from the A La Carte product list!
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Entire family
Grandparents + Grandchildren
Grandparents + Their children + spouses
Child A + Child B
Grandparents + Child A + Child A’s Family
Grandparents + Child B + Child B’s Family
Child A + Child A’s Family
Child A + Spouse
Child A’s Kids
Child A + kids
Child A spouse + kids
Individual photos of all members of Child A’s Family
Child B + Child A’s Family
Child B + Spouse
Child B’s Kids
Child B + kids
Child B spouse + kids
Individual photos of all members of Child B’s Family
Example Extended Family Shot List
Please note that this list is just a starting point and that I am happy to shoot any requested family portraits as long as time allows!
You can, but I wouldn't recommend it.
I would strongly encourage you to order prints for framing and display in your home from your online gallery as I cannot guarantee the quality of prints ordered from consumer labs. These labs are not equipt to properly preserve the color profile of professionally edited images and often the finished product from these labs has an obvious pink or green tint because the papers are incredibly thin and not uv resistant and as a result, the print just looks terribly cheap.
A:
Can I print the images on my own?
q:
You'll receive a proof gallery of 40 images.
A:
How many images will I receive?
q:
You'll have 7 days with your online gallery to choose either an Heirloom Print Collection or to order from the A La Carte product list.
You can access information on that here:
A:
How long will I have access to the gallery?
q:
You'll receive your proof gallery within 7 days of your portrait session. During peak months (October - December), delivery may take up to 14 days,
A:
When will I receive my images?
q:
Absolutely! To ensure that my work is properly represented, I ask that you refrain from adding any edits or filters to my work. I also really appreciate image credits and tags as they help me to continue to grow as a business.
A:
Can I share the images on social media?
q:
By default, the artists / creators of images always own the rights to the images they create in perpetuity. However I’ll give you a release to use, print and share your images. The only thing you won’t be able to do is sell or publish the images commercially without my written permission.
A:
Do I own the rights to the images?
q:
Portrait Sessions are typically scheduled for 90 minutes although the session may not take that long! While we likely don’t need to shoot this entire time, having 90 minutes does give us the flexibility for location changes, rowdy kids and time to warm up.
A:
How long should we plan for the session to take?
q:
Your proof gallery will be delivered with partially edited images (they will have been processed through lightroom only). Once I receive your order details, I will complete hand edits on your chosen images in photoshop prior to sending them to print. (This step is where I'll be smoothing skin, brightening eyes and teeth, enhancing colors, removing bugs, flyaways or other distractions and generally just giving your images a little pizaz!) Once I'm finished with hand edits, I will replace the images in your gallery and will send another link for you to download the selected digital files!
A:
Will you retouch our images?
q:
Images were never meant to solely exist in the digital space.
You'll download the included digital files, you may even share a few online and then...
Technology isn't reliable and it changes rapidly (RIP CD Rom Drives) hard drives crash, get lost or damaged all the time and I will only archive your images for one year following your session date.
Fine Art Portrait Photography is an investment no matter how you square it. Wouldn't you rather walk away with Gorgeous, Heirloom Prints, Albums and Wall Art to show for it!?
I want you to have these beautiful pieces to display in your home, products that will bring you joy each time you walk by them, heirlooms to pass down to your children... it's your family's history and it's incredibly valuable.
Bring Your Images to Life with
prints
XO - Brittany
For those who value legacy. These heirloom albums are a wonderful way to house a large number of images in a beautiful way. Leave them on display as coffee table books or protect them with a legacy box.
Albums
Framed and matted prints are the perfect way to fill your walls with memories. With a variety of frames to choose from, I’ll help you select the perfect image pairings for your space.
Prints & Wall Art
Details and ordering instructions will be delivered with your gallery.
Easy to hang and easy to change out. Canvases are one of my favorite ways to decorate a space.
Canvases
I know that this guide is long and hopefully it answered all of your questions and gave you everything you need to know to prepare for your portrait session.
If there's something I missed, or you need feedback on outfits or a recommendation, please feel free to email me using the link below! Also, don't forget to schedule a pre-session consultation call with me to chat about location options, timing, wardrobe and logistics ahead of your session!
Thank you!
xo - Brittany & Noah