One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is working with clients to plan their dream photo shoot. Most of the sessions I do are in my portrait studio in Oak Harbor, Washington, but I absolutely love getting out and exploring beautiful Whidbey Island for shoots as well. I always plan a consultation call before a session to work out all the details, but the most common questions I get is what types of sessions I offer and what do they involve. While every session is unique, I wanted to explain each session type that I offer in one easy to find spot. This is a deep dive, so thanks in advance for sticking with me, and feel free to skip ahead!
Maternity
Maternity sessions are a perfect time to showcase the miracle your body is experiencing before baby arrives. I like to plan for these around 32-35 weeks of pregnancy so you have a nice bump but we still have a little buffer before baby comes in case they decide to make their appearance early. These sessions can include your partner or children, or be done solo. In studio, you’ll be able to do 4-6 outfits, gowns, fabrics, or implied nude sets. If we chose to do photos outdoors, you’ll pick 1-2 favorite outfits, as sometimes changing rooms are not quite as accessible outside. For either in studio or outdoors, you’ll have full access to my client closet of maternity dresses that ranges in size from XS-4XL. These sessions take about an hour, but I’ll always allow time for sitting breaks because I know growing a human is exhausting!
Newborn
Your baby is only a newborn for a very short window, so we try to plan the newborn session at around 2 weeks of life. This gives you some time to heal after giving birth and gives baby some time to adjust to life earthside. These sessions are very baby-led, so I set aside a three-hour time block on my schedule to allow time to get all your favorite poses. We will do simple poses of baby alone on one of my many fabric backdrops and some with props, like in a bucket or tiny bed. We can also include family photos of baby with parents and siblings during the session. Because of the amount of time poured into these sessions, I am only able to take on a limited number of due dates each month, so to ensure I have a time block set aside for your baby, you are able to pay a deposit before baby is even born. We will then schedule your actual session time once baby is cleared to come home from the hospital.
Milestones
Every day of the your baby’s first year is filled with changes as they grow, express more emotions, and learn new abilities. Milestone sessions allow us to capture all those changes as they happen. We do these with basic backdrops to not take any focus away from baby’s sweet features. Though these sessions can be done at any point, our most popular milestone session is what we like to call a “sitter session.” These are typically done between 6-8 months, or whenever your baby has mastered sitting. At this age, we get all the cute smiles, but they’re still too small to run away from the camera! These sessions allow for 4-6 outfit changes, and while you’re welcome to bring along any outfits you’d like photographed, we do have a client closet with sizes ranging from newborn to 18 months.
Cake smash
The most fun way to commemorate your baby‘s first birthday is seeing them covered in cake! These sessions are fully customizable, and the sets are typically more elaborate than my standard sessions. There is an endless amount of themes to chose for these, but some of the ones I have on hand include dinosaurs, bees, and woodland creatures. If elaborate themes are not your thing, we can always keep these simple with a solid backdrop and a balloon arch. Before the cake comes out, we’ll do some milestone portraits on the solid backdrop, then will do some clean portraits on the themed backdrop. Once the cake comes out, it’s up to baby if they want to touch it. Don’t be surprised if your baby wants nothing to do with it! I do have a giant spoon they can mess with, and we can also shove some of baby’s favorite snack, like goldfish, into the cake so they’ll grab for them. The goal is to at least make it look like they enjoy the cake - no one has to know if they don’t!
Family
Whether it’s to mail out this year’s holiday cards, or to update the pictures you have hung on the wall, it’s always a great time to update your family photos. We can absolutely do these in studio, if you’re wanting to avoid the unpredictable Washington weather, or you want specific theming, like Christmas photos. However, with all the gorgeous scenery here around Whidbey Island and the surrounding areas, most people chose to do their family photos outdoors. I will always help you to chose a location for your session as well as help give styling advice to help you pick the perfect outfits. We’ll spend about an hour together. For these sessions, it’s less of “smile and look at the camera” and more of capturing the emotions and bonds of your family. Don’t worry if you’ve never done picture before - I’ll give plenty of prompts and poses so you don’t feel awkward in front of the camera!
Elopement
Although I don’t photograph full weddings, I absolutely love the intimacy of elopements. These sometimes end up being the couple with an officiant and I sign off as your witness, or you’ll invite your closest family and friends for a cozy ceremony. Most of the photos from the day are documentary style, so I can capture all the moments as they happen. We do dedicate time to take portraits as a couple so you get the wedding photos of your dreams without all the chaos of a full wedding. Session fees for elopements include travel throughout the state of Washington, and while I don’t consider myself the most physically active, I’m always down for an adventure.
Military Homecomings
My husband met our son at four months old when he returned from a deployment, so I know just how important it is to remember those first tender moments together. Much like an elopement session, the photos of the day are documentary style. I’ll meet up with you at least a half hour before they’re set to arrive, and take some pictures of you interacting with the other anxious family members, then I’ll run with you once you find your person to make sure I capture all those first hugs. Once the excitement winds down, we’ll do some posed family photos together. I won’t keep you too long though, because if your person is anything like my husband, they’ll be ready to find the closest restaurant as soon as they’re given permission to leave.
Themed Minis
Throughout the year, I have planned mini sessions catered to the different seasons or holidays. These sessions are very short but we’ll still get lots of images to choose from. Most of these will be done in studio, but on occasion, mini sessions will be done outside. Some of the ones I currently have planned are springtime gardening, back to school, and classic Christmas.
Headshots
I don't currently have headshots listed on my website because I don't often get inquiries for them. However, if you're needing professional headshots, feel free to reach out on my contact form so we can set up a time for you to visit the studio! These would be done on solid colored backdrops to make sure you are the star of the show. Typically these sessions take less than 20 minutes so we won't interrupt your workday too much.
Comments