1. THE RESERVATION

The date is locked in my schedule upon receipt of the signed contract as well as the non-refundable deposit. I will contact you a few days before the date in question to talk about weather if necessary and reconfirm the meeting point / your address.

2. THe Location

There are several options available as we have probably already discussed; you can choose a familiar place, visit a new location or do a combination of both. You can do the whole session indoors, outdoors, or a mix of both, as long as it fits in the expected timeframe, including the moving between locations.

You can make the experience personal by choosing a place that reflects who you are and your interests. Sounds complicated? Not at all, just think about what you like to do together. Think about the things that inspire you in life. Consider visiting places that are meaningful to you. Just at home? At the park at the corner of the street? Out front of your favorite café or just a stroll downtown?

You can also go in a different direction and visit a place you have never been or do an activity you have never tried. The possibilities are almost endless! You might be very surprised to see the potential of a place that gets you out of your comfort zone. These often tend to be the moments where you are most relaxed, less aware of my camera, and most in the moment!

Planning for your shoot really is minimal, no big setup or unnecessary stress. I will give you very liberal guidelines if necessary on how to place oneself if need be, but really the idea is to capture you and your clan as you are today in this very moment.

Do you have any ideas? Write or call me and we can chat about it!

3. ARRIVAL TIME

Timing for our sessions is very important, especially when we are working on daylight (sunrise/sunset) because it is limited. But I also have three young children, a dog, cat and a husband so I know what it's like to try and get out of the house on time.. isn't always easy! I will do my best to be on time, but of course things arise. I sometimes have unexpected events come up when en route to a session, but I will always notify you if ever I am running late, and I greatly appreciate it when you do the same for me!

4. TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE THE TIME

Here's the deal, cleaning like a mad person, grocery shopping, or finishing up work before your shoot isn't going to create a low-stress energy for us to work with. Take some time before I arrive to just relax. Pour yourself a glass of wine, play your favorite music, maybe have a little snack. Let the kids play a game they love or ride bikes or play in the back yard. Talk with one another and get that loving connection going. (Avoid discussing bills, house renovations, or any other subject that may cause you to feel stressed before our session.) When I get there we will just sit and chat for a bit before jumping up for photos. Trust me you will be happy you took a little time for you!

5. What To Wear?

Good question! If you need a little advice in this department, I can help! This is the BIG question, what do we wear?? Truth is the answers can range, depending on you and your personal style. But I would the say the most important thing is that you are comfortable and that your clothes fit you well. If your shoes hurt or you're afraid your blouse button may pop open during the shoot, you probably won'y be very relaxed and it will show in the images! Try and plan your outfit a few days prior, so you aren't scrambling the day of! A few other things to keep in mind;

WE LOVE COLOR! Find a palette you love and go with it! Bright yellow? YES! Pink or Emerald green? YES YES! A pop of color can do so much for a photograph!
PATTERNS - patterns are wonderful but try not too get tooooo busy, it can become a lot on the eyes (and on the camera!)
DETAILS - jewelry, watches, embroidered sweaters, TEXTURE! all good stuff.
ACCESSORIES/PROPS - I love a good prop! Blankets, picnic baskets, bubbles.. anything easy to pack up and transport works!
THINGS TO AVOID - Perfectly matching outfits.. you know what I mean... Please just don't do it.

6. WE AREn't photogenic

Just be yourself. It may seem like an obvious response, but I know it's easier said than done. Don't do what you think you should do, but what comes naturally. Try not to look at the camera (unless I ask you to!) Have fun, hold hands, laugh with each other, talk, make jokes, or just cuddle close and close your eyes and be present.. whatever feels right. Tell your children that you love them, kiss your partner, lots of hugs, play, dance, roll in the grass with your little ones and just HAVE FUN! I will of course give you little suggestions here and there when needed, but my goal isn't to stage you in cliché poses, rather to to allow you to be yourselves, to relax, and to enjoy our time together.

7. your CHILDREN

I often see parents stress during photo sessions about their children's behavior. Trust me, there is nothing I have not seen in my own home! Your children are perfect just as they are. They will not be asked to stand like a statue and smile endlessly anyway; we will move, laugh and make faces if it feels right. If I can give you a little extra advice coming not only from a family photographer but a mother of three young children, it is better to avoid raising your voice or threatening to withdraw privileges if their behavior is not up to your expectations. This will often (as I'm sure you know) just cause them unnecessary tears and stress, and trust me that's the last thing you want during our short time together! Of course if a little tantrum does arise, we will work with it. Just try and remind yourself, there is no right or wrong way to behave during these session; just relax, smile and laugh a lot.. and be yourselves!

7. HELP, I'M AFRAID OF THE WEATHER / WE'RE SICK!

Don't be afraid of a little rain! Some of my most favorite images have come from rainy, cloudy, cold shoots. Bring a blanket or an umbrella, or even better let's get wet! But if it's really looking bad (thunderstorms, etc) or you are very sick, call me as soon as possible, let's talk about the problem (860-930-8684) and we'll see what we can do. Depending on the situation, it may be possible to postpone to a later date. In this case, the deposit would simply be applicable to the new date that would be chosen based on our common availabilities. In no case will any amount be refunded in the event of cancellation by you.

9. WHEN AND HOW WILL WE RECEIVE OUR PHOTOS?

In the days following your session, a small preview will be sent to you by email or posted on my Facebook/Instagram pages. Please follow along, your support means so much! You can find me on Facebook here and here and on Instagram here and here. The sequel will come in 2-3 weeks later in an online gallery(unless otherwise specified). You will then choose your top 5 favorite photos and put them into a Favorites folder for me to access via your gallery! Once you do this, and contact me back with your choices. you will be able to download these images for your own personal use. In addition, if you would like, you can purchase more photos individually for a cost of $ 30 per image or at a special rate of $ 175 for the complete gallery. You will be able to download the final high-resolution images 2-3 weeks after having communicated to me your final selection.

10. WILL OUR PHOTOS BE RETOUCHED?

All the high resolution photos you are given are ready for printing. They are retouched to adjust the exposure, contrast, sharpness and hues. Little pimples, a little scar? No problem, tell me your concerns and we can discuss them.

11. WHAT IF I WANT TO SHARE THEM ON Social Media or my Blog?

OMG please do! A link to my website www.jennifermarcuson.com in the caption for your shared image is the best gift you can give me, as word of mouth is the most effective advertising out there. We photographers get 90% of our new clients from referrals by other clients so you sharing my work is so very appreciated! Thank you <3

WEB files are optimized for sending by email or sharing on various social networks, these files are not dedicated to printing so please always verify your file size before printing. A personal publication on the Internet is authorized, provided that the name of Jennifer Marcuson, Photographer and my website is clearly associated with it and the images are not altered in any way, as stated in our written agreement!à

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any other concerns or questions. I can't wait for our session!

PREPARING FOR YOUR STORYTELLING SESSION | questions answered

Prepare your | STORYTELLING Session