FAQ

Everyday FAQ:

What happens at the pre-session consultation?

This is where the excitement starts! We get to sit back, relax and talk about what we can do to create the ideal session for you. We want to know everything about you, your kids, your family, your house, your style! We will talk about clothes, and we would love to see images of your home so we can talk about certain wall spaces and plan to make sure that what we create fits your style, and tells your story. When your session day arrives, we’ll have a plan so everything goes smoothly–which means LESS stress for you.

What is the difference between a Newborn Session and an Everyday Session?

Newborn sessions offer a unique opportunity to spend the perfect amount of time and energy needed to capture this new relationship right.  Because newborns have different needs, there are a lot of special techniques we use to prepare for, perform, and enhance your newborn session that are simply not required with everyday sessions.  Both types of sessions include our specialized attention to your story and your style.  Please see our Newborn Session and Everyday Session pages for more details on what is included with your session type.

When do I get to see the images?

You will get to see your images projected larger than life in a slideshow set to music during your Viewing & Ordering Appointment 1-2 weeks after your session. We are here to help you with all of your final decisions about images and products that we have custom designed just for you. And remember those snapshots of your home you sent us? We can show you what your images will look like right on YOUR wall! This is one of the best part – so please feel free to bring as many people as you would like. But don’t worry! If family lives out of town, a gallery of your purchased images can be posted online for them to view following the ordering appointment.

Can I bring my kids to the ordering appointment?

Of course you can! Children are welcome, BUT if you would like a chance to relax and concentrate on taking in the beautiful images and products that we will creating for you, you might want to arrange childcare. Many of our parents choose to schedule their viewing appointment when their children are in school for this reason.  We find it depends on the child – some kids really want to be involved in this process and, if they do, we love to have them!

What if I only want digital files?

We are big fans of digital files, ourselves – they hold so much potential! We also believe strongly in the power of physical art to drive our lives and strengthen our families and other human relationships. Over the past 10 years in the industry, we’ve seen digital files go from rare and exquisite to commonplace and, as a result, we’ve seen less value for our clients who tend to postpone making physical art for their lives and instead just keep the files on a hard drive where they’re much harder to access. We feel passionately about helping people take this process all the way, and we feel we’ve failed in our job a bit if we send you home without anything “real” to show for it. Because of this philosophy, our investment structure is set up to encourage you to put you money into the art that is harder to come by and add the digital files as a secondary product. If you have given it some though and prefer to simply order the digital files A La Carte and create your own art, that option is available to you as well. Please see our Investment page for more details.

What if I only want a few small prints?

We are a full service, high quality studio. Serra spends quite a bit of time on your session including customized planning, photographing, and post processing.  You are then provided with the highest quality images to choose from with the intention of creating a piece of art for your home and life that will be special to your family for years to come. Of course small prints are included in our packages along with digital files and art pieces.  If you want gift prints only, we are happy to refer you to another photographic studio who specializes in this type of service.

What kind of investments do most families make?

Most of our clients invest anywhere from $700 to $1800 on their sessions. However, everyone’s needs are different – some spend a little more and some spend a little less.  It should also be noted that the needs and desires of families change over time, and most families invest more at milestone times like the birth of a child, engagement, first day of school, etc., than they do for annual everyday sessions.  We advise you to design art based on what is needed in your life, and are not concerned with how much it costs.

What makes custom photography more expensive?

Quality, custom photography by a specially-trained portrait artist is not for everyone, and takes an enormous amount of time and creative commitment. We are priced in order to continue the premier service we provide to our clients. For example, there are discount stores, department stores and boutiques. We are the “boutique” of photography studios, offering a fine art product and service that comes with this business model.  You will walk away from your session with a meaningful investment in your family’s story that captures so much more than how big Johnny was when he was 3, and what hair styles were popular at the time.  Custom photography is truly art that has the power to change lives in unforeseen ways throughout time.

When do I get to bring everything Home?

Quality takes time – Although we shoot for 2 weeks, please allow 4 weeks from your order date for completion of your order. Custom designed albums and orders with framing and wall art will take longer, but it’s worth the wait!

Newborn FAQ:

When is a good time to schedule my newborn session?

Before your baby is born! It is so important to plan ahead. Capturing your newborn within the first two weeks of life while they are still sleepy and curled up, can make all the difference in your newborn portraits. Serra’s schedule typically fills up about four weeks in advance, so please call to schedule your newborn appointment before your baby is born. Since we never really know when your little one will arrive we will put you on our calendar to hold a spot for you. When your baby is born we will move your appointment accordingly.

If your baby came early or if your baby is already born, don’t panic! We always do our best to squeeze newborns into our schedule, and older babies take beautiful portraits too.  We love photographing babies at the “next newborn” phase of around 3 months old in studio, and can get a lot of precious relationship portraits at this age as well!

When is a good time to schedule my maternity session?

We recommend doing your maternity photos somewhere between 26-32 weeks, although we have done them later with fabulous results! The risk you run waiting is that you will have late-term complications and either be less comfortable moving the way you’d like to, or have an early delivery! So far we have only missed one maternity session due to early delivery, and she didn’t call until 3 weeks before her due date, so the lesson learned is to call early and plan for the ideal time window if possible! We’re also open to incremental shoots if this is something you are looking for. We’d love to see you a few times during your pregnancy for a quick mini shoot and track the story of your birth that way. Please mention your desires in your inquiry.

Is one week too early for my newborn session?

Absolutely not! Newborn babies photograph best between 6-10 days old. At this point they are still very sleepy and like to curl up as if they were still in the womb. We take up to three hours for a newborn session and leave plenty of time for feedings, diaper changes and breaks for mommy and baby. Come as soon as you are ready. We can’t wait to meet your new little one.

What should baby wear?

Newborns photograph best without any clothes at all.  We adore the natural state of newborns, and love being able to see all their little folds and their soft new skin.  Serra also loves to photograph newborns in blankets and wearing cute hats with lots of texture, so if you have a special blanket or two bring them along as options. Loose knits or soft thin fabrics are the cutest on camera as opposed to solid cotton or other more traditional fabrics.  You are welcome to bring any hats or props that you would like to have the baby photographed in.  Serra encourages her clients to bring special, personal items which make the session and images especially meaningful.

How should I prepare for my newborn session?

We recommend that you bring baby to the session well rested and plan to feed baby as soon as you arrive. Sleepy babies photograph perfectly, so Serra will ask you to undress and swaddle baby before the feeding so as to not disturb them by undressing them after the feeding. We take several breaks for feeding baby during the session to ensure that baby is happy and has a full tummy. We ask that you not be too concerned with scheduled feedings during the session and that you feed baby on demand or when they get a bit fussy to ensure their comfort and a smooth session. More details can be found on our Preparing for a Successful Newborn Session page.

Can I circumcise my baby boy before the session?

NO!! If you plan to circumcise, please wait until after your session. We will be tightly swaddling your boy naked and curling him up for his photos. The fabrics are soft, however a fresh circumcision is very fragile and often uncomfortable for a newborn. When we wrap and unwrap, along with change his position or pose, the circumcision can become irritated even further which leads to a VERY unhappy baby who is not able to be photographed. We do not want to make your baby hurt or uncomfortable. Please note, we feel very strongly about this and we WILL send you home if your baby arrives at the studio and has been circumcised within 5 days of your session.

Can I be photographed with my baby?

Most certainly! This is our specialty and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Serra loves to capture the emotion of those special first days with your new little one and believes that there is no greater image than a new mommy or daddy cuddling with and admiring their newborn child. Skin on skin images are a unique way to capture the purity of these relationships, but we also ask parents to bring a long sleeved neutral colored shirt so that they may serve as a backdrop for baby for some of the images.