What to expect when you book a family photoshoot with me
Updated: Oct 2
So, you’re thinking of booking a family photoshoot! Firstly, thank you for considering me as your family photographer! As a small business, every enquiry genuinely means a lot to me. And whether you’re capturing a special life event or simply updating your family photos, these moments matter and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. You can therefore trust that I will truly do my best to capture images that I hope you will love.
But what actually happens between the moment you submit an family photography enquiry form and when you receive your final gallery? Well, this blog post will hopefully help to explain exactly what you can expect when you book a family photoshoot with me. But if I have left any of your questions unanswered by the end of this blog post, please be sure to contact me.
Before the photoshoot
Once I receive your enquiry, I will do my best to respond to you as quickly as possible. My initial response will directly address your enquiry, but will usually include information about my pricing, availability and suggested Brisbane-based locations for the photoshoot. I will also ask you to complete a short pre-photoshoot questionnaire which provides information that will help me to prepare your paperwork and get to know your family better to support a more successful photoshoot.
Then comes the boring part! In order to confirm your booking, I will require you to pay a deposit and sign a photography agreement. If you consent to me using the images from your photoshoot for marketing purposes, I will also ask you to sign a model release form. I know this part can feel a little onerous and you may be thinking ‘I just want to book a family photoshoot, why do I have to read all this?’ but I honestly do believe this is important. After all, this process is designed to ensure there are clear guidelines in place, which I believe is beneficial to everyone.
Once the paperwork has been completed and your booking is confirmed, I will share any resources with you that I believe may be helpful, such as my ‘Getting ready for your photoshoot’ guide which includes information about what to bring and things to keep in mind when deciding what to wear to your photoshoot. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact me anytime. Otherwise, the next time you will hear from me will likely be a brief reminder email a few days prior to your family photoshoot.
Day of the photoshoot
On the day of your family photoshoot, I always aim to arrive a little bit early. This gives me time to set up and check out the location. When I’m checking the location, I’m looking for things like where the best lighting is and if there are any hazards that we need to avoid/be aware of during the photoshoot. Once I’ve completed my walk around and got myself set up, I’ll head back to our agreed meeting spot. I’m very tall, so I’m usually easy to find!
I personally love natural light photography, so most of my photoshoots will take place at a beautiful outdoor Brisbane-based location – usually during golden hour (the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset). We will therefore spend most of your photoshoot walking around and capturing images in a few different spots. My style is very natural and candid, so I’m not going to pose you (in fact, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really know how to pose you because it’s simply not my style). Instead, I’m going to give you prompts that will help us create genuine moments of connection, laughter, fun, play, excitement, and the list goes on. So, if you’ve ever worried about feeling awkward in front of the camera, I hope you won’t feel that way when you have me as your family photographer. Instead, it’s my goal to encourage your family to interact as authentically as possible, and with any luck – there might even be a few moments where you forget I’m even there.
My approach also means your kids are welcome to run, play, and just be themselves during the photoshoot. After all, I want your final gallery to feel like a true representation of you and your family. And I hope that one day you will be able to look back at your images and smile because they remind you of exactly what your kids were like at that age. It’s going to be hard to achieve that if your kids think they need to sit still and smile for the camera, so please don’t worry if they are running around and having fun – this is actually a good thing!
While a 45-minute or 1.5-hour family photoshoot might seem like a long time, you’ll be surprised how quickly the time goes. Before you know it, the photoshoot will be over and it will be time for me to go home and start editing all your images!
After the photoshoot
After the photoshoot, I will aim to edit and deliver your photos as quickly as possible. While I would like to be able to deliver them within a day or two, I am usually chasing a toddler around and can only be on my laptop during naps and bedtime, but in most cases I try to get them to you within a week of the photoshoot.
When your photos are ready, you will receive a link to an online digital gallery where you will be able to view and download the images in high resolution. I genuinely hope you will love them!
So if you're looking for a family photographer in Brisbane please contact me, I’d love to hear from you!
Comments