I‘M BOOKED NOW WHAT?

I paid my retainer now what?

ARRIVE EARLY!

 Make sure you have the correct date and address where your shoot will be. I have had people show up on the wrong day/time because of vacation brain…yes vacation brain is real!  If we are meeting at a location make sure to check your GPS about an hour prior to our meet time. They are very accurate at real time traffic information like accidents or traffic jams. It will allow you to predict the time you would need to leave so we can meet on time! 

GET PLETY OF REST!

Don’t do anything very strenuous before your shoot. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun without sunscreen and stay hydrated! Getting some rest or a quick nap before your shoot is also a great way to show up with some energy! Seriously, if you have littles, or teens, or dad’s, don’t spend all day in the sun without a nap…they will be cranky and I don’t photoshop out cranky…trust me!

HAVE A SNACK BEFORE!

No matter what time your shoot is, make sure no one is hungry…even if it’s just a snack. Bring water, but leave in your car in a cooler for after. If you have toddlers, go ahead and bring snacks like gummies to the shoot…just don’t tell them! If you have a husband, boyfriend, dad or grandfather bring them a beer…they like snacks too! Please DON’T bring chocolate as your treats for littles…just trust me on this one!

BRING A BEACH BAG/PURSE/TOWEL

Bring a bag to put everyone’s cell phones and keys in…they are not needed during the shoot and they show up in pockets…and I don’t photoshop them out.

If you are a sweater…bring a towel to wipe your face because you will sweat.

Be ready to have fun!!!

WILL YOU PHOTOSHOP ME??

Seriously the most asked question! lol!! Photoshop extras are not included in the session fee. Included in the fee is general color correction/brightness. If you have a little, and they have a LITTLE booboo, I’ll try to edit out the close-up photos. 

Below is everything that has been asked that is NOT included:

*I do NOT photoshop your hair in every photo to make it look like you are not at the beach. There is wind…and I do my best to position you in the best way possible to not have crazy hair.

*I don’t switch heads or eyeballs..

*I won’t make you look 25 if you are 55

*I won’t make your husband look like Matthew McConaughey

*I won’t use the skinny lens…there is no skinny lens

*I don’t add a sunset sky if it is overcast/gray on the day of your shoot

*I don’t take out tan lines. If you know you are having photos made, please choose a shirt or dress that doesn’t show tan lines, or try to find a strapless bathing suit.

All this being said, for a fee of $300 I WILL photoshop (or attempt to) up to 20 images however you want. I can smooth wrinkles and shave off a FEW inches in certain places…want  a more defined waist, thinner arms, fewer crows feet? I’ve got you! Just let me know your request and I’ll let you know if it’s doable!

HOW DO I FIX MY HAIR?

If your hair is naturally curly/wavy, wear it curly/wavy. If your hair is naturally straight, wear it straight. It is VERY humid and the humidity always wins…ALWAYS! There are not enough hair products to make straight hair curly or curly hair straight in this humidity…trust me I’ve tried them all!

WHAT DO I WEAR??

Begin with the most difficult person to dress first. Plan all other outfits around that person, remembering to coordinate colors and patterns as if you were pulling ONE outfit together. Consider the colors in your home when you’re planning your outfits. Your portraits will ultimately hang in your home and needs to fit cohesively, reflecting the personality and style of your family. Also try to avoid black! It is the beach and black brings out all the blemishes. Neutrals, blues and greens always look nice against our beautiful Gulf water!

Ladies, stay away from dresses with ruffles on top…remember it is windy and they fly in the breeze like flags. Ruffles at the bottom of your dress, below your waist are lovely! Long skirts on the beach are amazing. Long dresses that are fitted at the waist are amazing.  Long dresses with belts to make a defined waist are amazing…long dresses with no shape are NOT! They will spread out in the wind to double their size and that is not flattering no matter how small you are…trust me on this one! For your littles, those onesies with the bibs…just don’t do it…they flap in the wind like the ruffles. If your little is in a dress, bloomers over the diapers so when you are holding them. If you are wearing the long white dresses, which are lovely, then make sure you are wearing neutral undies not white because, well, the sun likes to shine through white dresses and any print and white undies will show through. 

WHAT IF IT RAINS?

It rains here every day lol! It’s tropical…it heats up during the day and we get a small shower usually every day during the summer. With that being said, I rarely have rain outs. In the past, I’ve cancelled sessions at 3:00 and ended up with amazing sunsets! So now I don’t get excited about the weather until about an hour before the session. I will usually show up at the session and see what’s going on. I’ve gotten really good at becoming a local weather woman lol! So unless it says 100% chance of rain, unless you hear from me, don’t worry! The best sunset colors are right after a rain. If it DOES rain during your session time, I will attempt to reschedule for another day. Usually I will not have another sunset time slot open. Sunrise usually will be open or another early morning time slot. We’ll play it by ear.

DO YOU TAKE SUNRISE PICTURES?

Yes!! I love sunrise sessions! There’s something so peaceful about being on the beach at sunrise! That being said, if you have littles, and they are not early morning people, a sunrise session may not be for you lol! So we can still do an early morning session, just not sunrise.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET MY PICTURES?

That will depend on the type of session and the season. 

Portrait off season:

2-3 weeks

Portrait May-October:

4 weeks typically

Wedding off season:

4-5 weeks

Wedding Season May-October:

6-8 weeks typically

You will receive an email from me with a link to your gallery and all the details on how to download. Emailing me saying “just checking on our pics” will not get your gallery any faster lol! I promise I have no life during the summer because I shoot, edit, sleep and occasionally take a shower and eat lol!

With that being said, I can be bought. If you want to skip to the front of the editing line, $1000 will get you your images in 7 days.

WHAT CITIES DO YOU SERVE? 

For beach photography I serve the following areas: Panama City Beach, all of Hwy 30A (Dune Allen Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Watercolor, Seagrove, Seacrest, Watersound, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach), Santa Rosa Beach, Inlet Beach, Ft Walton Beach and Destin.

For weddings I’ll go anywhere!