Q&A |What to expect and how to prepare for portraits| Puyallup Family Portraits

Hello friends!
I thought we could mix up the blog a little bit while I continue to prepare some other sessions (and a wedding).  Let's take some common questions first! 

Q: Eeek, I'm so excited about our portraits!  But now I'm freaking out!  What do we wear?

A: Simplicity is king!  A clean and classic look with no busy patterns guarantees that the focus is on your faces and relationships!  Please try to avoid black, logos and large words.  Coordinating colors look great for the modern family portrait.  Think Blue and Yellow, grey and yellow, pink and brown, blues and greens, green and brown etc.  Pinterest has been a fantastic way to share color schemes and seasonally appropriate clothing.  Sometimes even winter coats can be well planned into the colors!

Q:  What about the kids?  Should they match and be little mini-adults?  Or something more whimsical?

A: This is entirely up to you!  On children, please avoid clothes that are clearly a size or two too big and the opposite!  Make sure they are comfortable with what they are wearing and it does not restrict movement.  If the child has certain things they want or need to be incorporated into the session please let me know at this point. 

Q: Now the clothes are picked out.  Where kind of location are we going to meet at?

A: Oooo, this is the fun part for me!  You can choose from an urban theme (bricks, alleys) or a rural theme (green, forest, grass).  In the Graham/Orting/Puyallup area we have a great selection!  Rivers, views of Mt. Rainier, quaint main streets, little coffee shops, fields of wild grass!  We will chat and get a direction for which setting would suit your family's personality and needs.  For instance, it is easier to photograph children in wide open spaces like fields of grass.  It is easier to photograph large groups in a rural setting.  It is more feasible to do small groups, a small family or individuals in an urban setting.  Occasionally I have photographed in some clients' back yards.  If you have a yard you'd like to use just email me a picture when we discuss location!

There is a travel fee for locations more than 30 miles beyond the 98374 area code and the 99021 area code. These two locations (Puyallup and Spokane) are the hub of my family and thus, my work. Spokane sessions are available during one or two weeks in July and for special events. If you would like more information about the travel fee to your area please email me directly. If you would to avoid the travel fee please let me know, I'm sure we can find a great place to meet that works for all of us!

Q: I'm trying to prepare my family.  What can I tell them to expect?

A: I arrive early to the home or location to have adequate time to prepare my equipment.  I will touch base with you in case there are any new ideas since our last discussion I am prepared for those.  I will take some time to get to know the child or children before I begin shooting.  Please give us a little space so they can be natural with me and do not feel the need to perform for you.  And just a little personal note, please try to refrain from saying "cheese!"  This word creates really toothy smiles that look quite unnatural.  :D


Q: What is a session fee?

A: The $100 session fee reserves the approximate one hour for your portrait session.  One rescheduled session is available at no extra charge in case of illness or extreme weather situations (and as I mentioned yesterday, the very rare inconsolable child).  Additional rescheduling is available at $70 per date.

Q: How long will the session take?
A: Family and child portraits usually take about one hour.  A small family can expect no less than 20 images to review, a larger family can expect no less than 30 images to review. 

Q: Okay, whew, we made it through the session!  Now what?

A: About a week after the portrait session is the ordering session.  I prefer to do these sessions in person whenever possible so that we may view the images together and you can ask questions immediately!  I also bring over a variety of sizes so we can place them in the room where you are considering hanging a print, to confirm the correct size and grouping.

I have three basic packages that range from $200-$600.   They are all created with families in mind!  Every package contains an album and at least image options!  For every image ordered as a print, that digital file will be gifted to you!  All orders must be paid in full before processing.

The final order will be delivered approximately 2-3 weeks after the ordering session, depending on the items ordered.

Q: I'm so excited!  Now that the prints are in my house I want to share them on Facebook too!  How do I do that?

A: Your digital copies on the CD are specially sized and protected for use on the internet.  You may post them on Facebook, a blog, use the headshots for LinkedIn or a digital picture frame.   They are not an appropriate size for printing.  If you would like additional prints or images for sharing digitally, we can discuss the options at the time of ordering.  As the artist, I retain the sole copyright of my work.  Copying and reprinting images without my written and expressed permission is a violation of federal copyright law.  The images on your disc come with my written permission to use these exact images and no others.

If there is anything else that I have not answered here please let me know!  I look forward to talking with you to discuss your portrait ideas and needs!

PS - follow me on Pinterest to see LOTS of wardrobe ideas and portrait themes!

Approaching the Cranky Child | Puyallup Children's Portraits

At some point, every family is going to have the cranky child during portraits.  The one who cries, whines and won't be bribed with anything.  The parent is usually embarassed at the child's behavior, may be sweating and have a raised blood pressure.  The parent may be expressing tons of patience but it doesn't seem to go anywhere.  This may happen during portraits intended to be of the child, family portraits where everyone is cooperating but one, or maybe it's the flower girl during a wedding.  This may be unexpected for the parent, but the photographer actually expects this!

For several years I went through several studios with my "wild" child and was frustrated with our lack of time, lack of patience and ultimately the lack of satisfaction I received as a customer.  When I began learning photography it was because of these issues.  I felt certain that if I could learn the skills to take good pictures, I could capitalize on my child's comfort zone and good times of day and not be restricted to the time tables of the store studios.  Honestly, I didn't even consider custom family portraits.  I wish I had looked into the many local photographers at that time and seen what a difference it could make with my children.

The usual reasons a child is cranky for me as a photograher include: overstimulation prior to the session, sensing a parent's or sibling's stress preparing for a session, a sense that their concerns and feelings don't matter, discomfort with me as a stranger, unsure of what I will ask of them and occasionally unsure of what mom and dad will ask of them.

What can you do?  If you have a child who is easily overstimulated, you can help them out by keeping the morning or the day of the session as simple and routine as possible for them.  Sometimes they just need a nap, which is why we try to schedule your child or family session around these times.  Of course sometimes the child just won't take a nap that day! 

If you have a child that is sensitive to their emotions and the emotions of others, it can help to keep your voice calm as you talk about the session.  You can also tell them what to expect from me: I'm a mom who is calm and nice to talk to, who wants to take pictures of them and will help them feel comfortable.

Here's what I would say to my child, "honey, tonight we're going to have pictures taken.  There's a really nice lady who's going to ask you to smile, sit and maybe stand in certain places.  She's going to make funny faces and talk to you nicely.  I want you to be polite and do what she asks.  She and I have made a plan for these pictures. We will be visiting a location (describe the location if you can) and there will be time to explore but there will be time to be a good listener too."

This kind of picture (see below) is usually what we can get with this kind of preparation...

On the other hand, occasionally there is a kid who just has a really serious side.  Below is one of my favorite and most loyal clients.  I have never actually had full on toothy smile from the oldest.  But that is okay!  This is his personality, this is who he is right now.  There is nothing I could do to make him smile.  The best I can do with his age and abilities is take pictures of him at his best - being serious.

And sometimes even with the best preparation you get one who cannot or will not be able to handle this at this point.  My opinion is that we should just photograph it as it is.  This is a stage that will pass.  Someday this will only be a memory!

As your photographer, I come with a few tricks up my sleeve!  I have a few beaded necklaces, a squeaker, and usually some small candies.  I do not use any of these as bribes but as distractions.  On rare occasions, having a smartphone helps too!  I can bring up a kid's favorite show to gain their attention or to distract them from their current worries.  So far I have never needed to use all these tricks during a session, just one or two.

But really, I understand if there's nothing that can be done at the moment.  If we don't make any progress with them within 30 minutes I offer one free rescheduled session.  We can wait a few days and try again.  If you have any concerns about special accomodations or needs of your child please let me know ahead of time so I can be as prepared as possible. 

Thanks for reading and enjoying some of my favorite, priceless, "cranky kid" moments.
For more informationa about family portraits or tips you'd like to add to this blog post please email me at info@ndrobbs.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!