Q. How far ahead should I schedule my maternity portraits?   

A. When you are around 7 months pregnant, you should book your maternity session as we do fill up about 2-3 weeks out.  You’ll want to be at least 35 weeks pregnant.  We want you to be comfortable.   Make sure to book your baby’s newborn session very close to your due date.  You want to your newborn in within the first week of life if possible.  Of course, we understand that the birth of a baby is never predictable, so if the date needs to change that’s not a big deal.  Just keep in touch with us as time gets closer. 

For our Celebration of Motherhood moms, we also offer to come to the hospital to take photos of those first moments of life if you’d like us to be there.   We can be there during birth, shortly after birth or the next day when you are rested.  We work with you at your comfort level.  (we do shoot weddings almost every weekend from April to November so if we are in the middle of shooting a wedding, we may not be able to drop and run to the hospital, but again, we will work with you on the details if you choose for us to come to the hospital)

Q. When should I have my baby’s first portrait taken?

A. The moment baby takes his or her first breath is the first time a portrait should be taken. Babies grow and change on a daily basis and there are such beautiful moments to capture even in the first few hours, days and weeks life. However the best time is at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months when the milestones are reached. Better still, schedule your Maternity portrait session when you are 8-9 months pregnant and start baby’s album while he/she is still in utero.  We have a great Celebration of Motherhood Package to help you start out.

Q. What should I do to prepare for my child’s portrait?

A. The first thing would be to get Mom to relax. If Mom is stressed baby will sense it so it’s very important Mom feels calm when preparing for the shoot.  We have lots of experience with kids and being parents ourselves, we understand how unpredictable kids can be.  We will work with your child in a soft manner so they are comfortable with us before we start. 

Give yourself plenty of preparation time planning those extra few items of clothing as guaranteed baby will get sick on your ‘’pretty’’ clothes just as you walk out the door. Make sure both Mom and baby are well rested and well nourished too.  Bring any of your kid’s favorite toys or blankets as this makes them feel more comfortable when they first arrive for their shoot.  We will take as much time as needed to sit on the floor & play with the kids to warm them up before we ever take them in the studio.  Our clients who start bringing their children to us at birth soon find that the kids expect to come every few months and love visiting us.  They come in and make themselves at home and mom can just sit back & relax while we are capturing all the smiles!

Q. How many outfit changes & backdrops can we have during our session?

A. You can change as much as you want within reason.  Most parents change their kids 2-3 times, depending on the kid’s tolerance to having their clothes changed.  For families, usually 2-3 is enough too.  Dad’s are not usually excited about changing outfits.  Even if you just bring different shirts and keep the pants the same, it’s a nice change.  Our Senior Portrait kids like to change 4-5 times and that’s OK, but just remember it’s harder to pick out your order selection when you have a lot of outfits to choose from.

The same goes with backdrops, we have a lot to choose from and we usually shoot 2-3 different colors & styles.  We can work with you when you arrive to match clothing to the colors of backdrops.  We are a big fan of classic colors like black & white and brown.  Remember, it’s not the backdrop that should be the focus of the photo, it should be the person.

Q. Can we have an outdoor session?  Do you have any locations that you recommend?

A. Yes!  We are big outdoor photo enthusiasts!  The best way to a child’s heart is going outside to play!  If we decide to go to the park, we avoid the PLAYGROUND area until we are for sure we have all the photos you want, because once a kid hits the playground you have lost their attention.  ALTHOUGH…. We have had some adorable photos of kids on slides, swings, and in the sand box.  You have to decide what your vision is for your child’s photos and we will talk about it before we decide what outdoor location we will choose. 

For families, yes… outdoor photos are always popular. You have to decide what you are looking for…. Trees, rocks, the river, the woods, downtown brick buildings, etc…  we will talk and recommend some places when you decide what you want.

We recommend these locations…
THE RIVERWALK
EAGLE POINT PARK
BY THE RIVER, ON A BEACH
THE MINES OF SPAIN
SWISS VALLEY PARK
DOWNTOWN ON MAIN OR BLUFF ST.
MURPHY PARK
THE ARBORETUM
YOUR HOUSE!

Q. How far ahead should I schedule my family or children  portraits?

A. We usually are booked at least 2-3 weeks out.  So, if you are coming up on a milestone, holiday or birthday, it’s advisable to call 3-4 weeks in advance so we can be sure to get you in at a time that works the best for you.  We have lots of evening and weekend appointments to accommodate all of our customers.  We take a limited number of appointments per day to assure that all of our clients get the best possible service.  You will never be rushed to get in and out.  And you will never find yourself waiting with a whiny toddler or wiggly husband waiting for your appointment time.  We schedule 2 hours for every session, just in case we need it.  We understand all about kids… if we need to take a break for a feeding or diaper change, it’s OK.  We even have a “comfy chair” in the studio for Dad if he gets restless. 

Q. Are there better times to schedule during then the day than others for children?

A. We always ask our parents when their baby’s happy time is and we schedule the session around that.  Every baby is different, but we have found that the best time to capture baby’s natural smiles are soon after they have woken up, once they are well rested and preferably well fed too. Babies have a very small window and a limited amount of smiles so don’t use up the photographers smiles by playing with your baby before the session begins. Smiles are expensive so give the photographer first option to capture baby just as you know him/her to be!

Q. Should I come early to the studio to let my child adjust?

A. We schedule 2 hours for every appointment so you can come on time and be OK.  We sit and play with the kids before we start taking any photos, so they will warm up to us gradually.  We want natural smiles and not forced ones.   We have found that most kids last about 20 minutes before they get bored with what we are doing.  That’s when we take a break and change the backdrop, have a snack,  & you can change their outfit.  We bring out new toys to keep their interest and usually after a 5-10 minute break, they are ready to play again.  We call it “playing” to the kids so they are not scared of the camera.  We don’t put kids up on big tables to take their photos.  We just let them play on the floor on the backdrops.  A relaxed playing child will smile more natural than a stressed out kid on a table.   It is advisable not to tell the child they are having their picture taken and that they ‘’better behave’’, but to give them a positive mental image first. Tell your child they are going to have fun at Kris & Scott’s house and NEVER EVER tell them they have to say cheese for the camera. That only results in ‘’cheesy’’ looking portraits!

Q. Should I offer my child a reward (lollipop, trip to a favorite play place, etc) if they cooperate for the photo?

A. Bribery always works well, but it is important only to offer the treat for after the session is done. Never tell a child is they behave badly they won’t get the treat, but rather use positive reinforcement and tell them what a fun time we are going to have and how wonderful it is going to be to enjoy their treat time afterward.   We have a treat box of stickers, color books, & the always popular rubber lizards & frogs for the kids to pick a treat when they are done.  This gives them a fun treat to remember us and they always want to come back and dig through the box of goodies next time.

Q. When you’re photographing my child, is it helpful if I talk to my child and ask him/her to smile or should I be silent?

A. It is a photographer’s nightmare when Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and whoever else is in studio shouts out commands to the child.

It is confusing to the child as to who they need to look at because they want to please everyone in the room. It is very difficult for the child to pay attention to the camera and it makes the photographer’s job much harder to get the natural smiles that every parent wants captured.

Instead, a few encouraging words at the start like ‘Scott & Kris are going to talk to you so listen to them’’. Then the type of silent support from parents is always best by staying in the room to make the child feel at ease. Some children are better when parents leave the room as having Mom and Dad in sight could possibly make them clingy. Talk with us first about the best option to fit your child’s personality.

Q. Should I bring favorite toys or rattles?

A. A child is far more comfortable when they have their favorite toy or comforter and it is advisable to bring them with you. They can prove useful toys and great talking points for the photographer to chat to you child.  This also makes for more natural photos if your child has his own toys.  One of our favorite little boys always brings all his favorite cars, Lego’s, Spiderman stuff and dinosaurs!  It’s fun for us to see what Carter will bring to his next session!

Q. What type of clothes should I dress my child or family in for the best portraits?

A. For Kids…..As the saying goes less is more so keeping the colors neutral and the clothing comfortable will make the child feel less restricted.  We love naked babies & toddlers without shirts.  And, a great look for a 1-2-3 year old is overalls without a shirt.  Frilly dresses on little girls is very cute too, just don’t make them too frilly that she is uncomfortable.  Although shoes look cute when worn they sometimes don’t work in a photograph as they make a child’s feet look larger than they actually are. The cutest part of a photograph is a child’s eyes.  We focus on their eyes the most.  Their hands and feet bring out their natural personality, so showing off their little toes for the camera is always a hit. Avoid stripes, dots, brand names, and commercial characters as they will date the photograph in years to come.

It is not an absolute necessity to dress all members of the family in the same color clothing as each person has their own individual character and colors look different on different people e.g. a blue shirt brings out the color of blue eyes. However, plain white or black clothing with jeans or khaki pants do look great in black and white or sepia toned photos.   We think that jeans and different colored polo’s or t-shirts for each family member is great too.  Be creative and make sure the outfits you wear are “you”.

Q. What if my child can’t yet sit up? What should I bring and what should I expect?

A. Being able to sit is not a requirement to take beautiful portraits.  We don’t like to prop them up so they look unnatural, so we usually lay them down on their favorite blanket or cover their car seat with a back drop and capture a natural ‘non-posed’ baby.  A lot of our 3-month photos are taken with mom in the picture.  It’s a natural place for baby…. In mom’s arms.  We always recommend that mom & dad bring a black long sleeved shirt to the session in case you become a prop in your baby’s photo.

we just love taking photos of their ‘’kissable’’ parts such as their hands, feet, ears, eyes, nose, mouth etc. and compiling them in an artistic montage to treasure forever called a ‘’Kissable Collection’’. A newborn baby still has much to offer in a portrait as their little form reminds us how precious and vulnerable new life is. These early days are gone in a blink of an eye so capturing them while you can is so important.

Q. What if my child cries during the session?

A. We all have our good and bad days and sometimes even adults wake up on the wrong side of the bed! So it is only understandable that a baby or child could cry during a photo session.  If it happens it is best to pause the photo taking and cuddle with them to make them feel that everything is alright.   Most of the time it’s a case of nerves and we offer distractions to both mom and child to re-focus them until they feel at ease again.  If they have just had enough and you feel like you didn’t get the photos you were dreaming of, we will schedule another shoot (at no charge of course) for when they are in a better mood.   We usually can re-direct their attention to a different toy or play peek a boo with them to ease their fears.

Q. What’s the key to getting really great portraits of my family, kids or baby?

A. The most important key in being able to capture really stunning, emotive and memorable moments of your family, kids or baby is to find a photographer who you are comfortable with and who understands you.  We take a personal interest in our customers and get to know them on a personal level.  We want your photos to be what YOU want and not what we think you should have.  Above all, enjoy yourself because capturing these memories in your life is an awesome privilege for us and we want you to have fun!  As the old saying goes ‘’Anyone can take a picture but only an artist can capture the perfect moment’’.