In the last blog installment, I discussed the 5 W’s that provides a basic foundation of a thorough invitation. However, there is one part that I didn’t include and that is the “how”. I figured this additional piece of information that is often grouped with the who, what, when, when, and why would be a good follow up to my last post… so here we are!
Last fall I wrote a blog post about what to expect when you book a session with Weber Photography and what to expect along the way. This is going to be somewhat a recap of that post but with a touch more detail. So without further ado, let’s get into the nitty gritty of how I do what I do as a photographer.
After I receive your inquiry, I will email a response within 24 hours. I ask that you be patient with me as sometimes that extends into a second day but, I will proudly admit, that is rare. If I am on a family vacation or out of town, I have out of office emails set up through email and change my website landing page so you are notified of when I’ll return when you submit your inquiry.
In the initial email, I breakdown my pricing again and send you some availability around the date you list in your inquiry. The times I recommend are when we will have the best lighting for your specific date and I also send a few ideas about locations I have successfully photographed at if we are close enough. If you are booking a date further out than two months, I will often ask to get in touch with location ideas closer to the date, especially in spring. This gives me an opportunity to do some location scouting and ensure we have the best possible backdrop for your photos. When a location isn’t chosen at booking, I get in touch at least one week prior to firm up where your session will be held with your feedback.
I am currently in the process of creating client guides with some advice of how to get the most out of your sessions. If you sign up for a mini session, this is already part of your experience and you will receive that guide three weeks before your session so you can prepare by thinking about color palates and bribes for the kiddos.
During your session, I encourage you to enjoy your session and use it as quality family time without outside interruptions. Put your phones away (preferably out of frame) and embrace your loved ones while I cheer you on from behind the camera. I will ask you to pose a few different ways and give you prompts so your final gallery includes both traditional photos for Grandma’s fireplace and interactive images that convey the joy and fun your family emulates.
Within a 48-hour time frame, you will receive a mobile app with a few watermarked sneak peek images. I watermark these because I might change things slightly as I continue sorting through and editing images. The sorting process is probably the longest step in my post production workflow because I am a habitual over shooter and I dread the possibility of cutting images that you might love. My aim is to get final galleries to clients within three weeks of their session. Although that might be extended slightly during times of high demand, I guarantee final images within 30 days of your session.
Galleries are delivered through an online gallery which you can download from directly. I highly recommend saving your photos to an external hard drive and cloud service. Recent experience has shown that hard drives will randomly fail and no longer be of use for no apparent reason other than they just decided to stop working. Save yourself from the panic and upload to a cloud source such as Google drive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc. Your gallery will remain open for 6 weeks to allow you ample time to download and save your photos.
Starting this year, I began offering print credits with regular sessions. I know purchasing photos from a photographer’s online gallery can cost a pretty penny but it is so worthwhile. The quality of a print service is unmatched by printing through Walgreens or Costco. If you’re still hesitant, I would recommend at least printing through a mail order service such as MPix or Shutterfly. While I’m sure many of you have heard about Shutterfly, MPix is a secondary company of Miller’s Printing which is one option for professional photographer’s to print through and my personal printing choice.
Welp… there it is. How things are run with a few insider bits of wisdom for the icing on the cake. I hope this helps you feel confident in knowing what to expect for your next session and I can’t wait to see you on the other side of the lens!
*Please be advised, this process changes slightly with headshots, branding, and wedding photography. If you’re interested in hearing more about any of those types of sessions, you can reach out using the contact form or email me at weberphotographymke@gmail.com.
