In order to reserve a date, you will sign some paperwork and pay a retainer. This retainer covers our time spent photographing as well as the editing and retouching of the photographs. It also covers our time creating the slideshow and hosting your online storefront.
If we haven't already, the easiest way to compare calendars is for you to email or call us with a few dates that work for your family - we always try to be as flexible as possible, and once we find a date, booking is 100% online and takes just a few minutes. As you pull out your calendar, here are a few things to consider:
• If you have a particular date or holiday by which you need prints or gifts (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.), be sure to book a date at least one month in advance of that date to ensure sufficient processing and printing time.
• Babies and young children are almost universally at their very best first thing in the morning. If you have children under five years old, we encourage you to consider a session at a time that works between their normal schedule: napping, eating, etc.
Our location in Carson City and close proximity to Lake Tahoe gives you even more options if you love the idea of documenting your family in your favorite outdoor setting. We are adventure people so photographing outdoors is like second nature to us. If you choose an outdoor session, please consider the following:
• Given the beautiful colors and temperate weather, spring and fall are the busiest times of year for outdoor family photos. If you'd like a session during one of those times (ESPECIALLY if you want a weekend spot), please get in touch as soon as possible!
• Again...babies and young children are almost universally at their very best first thing in the morning, which just happens to also be a great time of day for beautiful light. If you have children under five years old, we encourage you to consider a session at or as close to sunrise as you can reasonably be ready.
• If you have older children or have one of those rare babies that doesn't do mornings, the other time of day that gives us great light is late afternoon/early evening... usually around 1.5 hours before sunset.
• Beautiful photographs can be made in any kind of weather, but we understand that there are some downsides to being photographed in the pouring rain or the freezing cold. We can and do reschedule sessions for inclement weather, but we are also happy to use your home if sticking to the schedule is a priority.
Once we've decided on a time and date and officially put your session on the books,
we'll send you a getting ready guide that will walk you through everything from choosing outfits to strategies for getting kids to cooperate. That guide has been created and refined over years of experience, so it typically answers 90% of the questions that come up, but we're always happy to set up a time to chat if you want additional help.
A few days before our session is scheduled, we'll reach out to confirm our time and
location... at that point, if the forecast is questionable or someone seems to be coming down with the flu, we can talk about our rescheduling options. Otherwise, that's the perfect time to ask any last-minute questions or let us know if you've come up with a fun idea we haven't discussed.
The day of the session, please block off 2-2.5 hours. Typically we're done within 90 minutes or so, but we don't charge by the hour, so if there's some kind of wardrobe malfunction or child meltdown, we like to stay flexible. If a parent has to leave for an important business meeting but the rest of the family is still available, that's fine... just let us know ahead of time so we can focus on getting that parent in the frame more while they're still available.
Finally, take a breath and relax... we promise to give the grown-ups (and kids) breaks throughout the session as needed, and to make it as painless as possible for everyone
involved. If it would ease tensions to crack open a beer before we arrive - or better yet,
serve mimosas with breakfast - well then we say go for it!
Within just a couple of weeks of your session, you'll receive an email from us letting you know that your photos are ready. Getting your photos is a BIG deal so we want it to feel like a BIG deal- like a big family event. For that reason, we create a slideshow set to music of all your finished images, for which you have 24 hours to view and share with family. You choose the 24 hour period for which to have your slideshow open and you can watch it as often as you want during that time frame. We recommend watching it on the biggest screen you have TOGETHER as a family. Once you've had a chance to see them and marvel for a bit, you'll let us know which collection you want to purchase. After that, you'll have a full month to select the specific digital files and print items you want to use to fill that collection... zero pressure!
COLLECTION A - $500
• Pre-session phone consultation
• Family session prep guide
• A complete set of web-sized digital downloads
(This package is best for those who wish to display their photos digitally only)
• $50 credit good toward your choice of
anything in the gallery store: prints, frames,
albums, high resolution digital files, etc.
COLLECTION B - $1000
**Most Popular**
• Pre-session phone consultation
• Family session prep guide
• A complete set of web-sized digital downloads
• Choice of 20 high resolution digital files with
print release (suitable for printing)
• $100 credit good toward your choice of
anything in the gallery store: prints, frames,
albums, high resolution digital files, etc.
COLLECTION C - $1500
• Pre-session phone consultation
• Family session prep guide
• A complete set of web-sized digital downloads
• A complete set of high resolution digital files
with print release.
• $300 credit good toward your choice of
anything in the gallery store: prints, frames,
albums, high resolution digital files, etc.
What you're going to do with your images is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when you're planning for a photo session, but it's all too often the aspect that's overlooked... all that time and money invested deserve a better return than photos gathering dust on a hard drive somewhere. You'll never get the same feeling looking at your photos on a screen as you will seeing them on your wall or flipping through the pages of an album, so we include a substantial print credit with every collection. Below is a sample of some of the items you can choose among:
Your favorite images are professionally printed on photo paper with your choice of a traditional semi-gloss print that are great for special gifts or popping into a frame. Or you might prefer our Fine Art prints which are printed on archival photo paper with a deep matte finish.
Semi-Gloss
5x5 or 5x7 / $10
8x8 or 8x10 / $20
Fine Art
5x5 or 5x7 / $30
8x8 or 8x10 / $75
10x10 /$100
These beautiful hardwood frames will protect your prints from damage and help them look their very best in a spot for everyone to enjoy. Frames come in your choice of white or black and arrive ready to hang with all necessary hardware included.
8x10” (external measurement) / $150
11x14" (external measurement) / $250
20x24" (external measurement) / $400
10 spreads (20 pages) are included in the price
below. Additional spreads (1 spread = 2 pages)
can be added for $25 each.
8x8" / $650
10x10" / $800
12x12” / $950
We offer custom wall art collections made up of 5 different designs in two different price tiers. We source this beautiful wall art from a boutique lab in Italy whose quality and craftsmanship cannot be matched. Your choice of either luxury canvas or modern acrylic....
*Custom Wall Art starts at $200
Amalfi / $200 or $500
Pogonip / $600-800
Cirrus or Cumulus/ $1200
Arcus / $1800
Family Story Wall / $1800
Stratus or Lenticular or Nimbus / $2500