I have no idea where my session should take place!?

Where should we go?

​

    Good question! If you’re not sure where to go I have a selection of locations I love and have shot at that you can take a look at. You have to really think of the vibe you’re trying to achieve during your session and think about how you want to remember this moment in time for you and your family. If you live downtown in the city and love that urban feel, a fells point or federal hill session might be ideal for you! If you’ve got more of that country/outdoors/woodsy vibe going on I would recommend a few different locations that are on the list! below! 

    It’s crazy but I get booked up SUPER quickly and for that reason I recommend considering a weekday session if you’re looking for a location outside of those parameters if you want a sunset time. If a permit is required, it is your responsibility to obtain that permit as well as pay any associated fees with it. Here are a list of my top locations for sessions and a little bit about them!

​

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE LOCATIONS

CROMWELL VALLEY PARK spacious grounds with fields and woods Towson Maryland *permit required*

1. PRETTYBOY RESERVOIR waterfront with pine trees and mountainous feel Parkton Maryland

2. PARKTON MARYLAND, GUNPOWDER small river, woods, large bridge, private Parkton Maryland

3. SOLDIERS DELIGHT tall grasses, rolling hills, earthy vibe Owings Mills Maryland

4. EDEN MILL NATURE CENTER woodsy, stream, boardwalk and tree cover Pylesville Maryland

5. CYLBURN ARBORETUM  historic mansion with lush gardens and trees Baltimore Maryland *permit required*

6. SHERWOOD GARDENS lush gardens, perfect for spring Baltimore Maryland *permit required*

7. DOWNTOWN FELLS POINT urban feel, waterfront with cobblestones Baltimore Maryland

8. FEDERAL HILL urban feel, alleyways, overlooking the city Baltimore Maryland

9. RAWLINGS CONSERVATORY indoor greenhouse with lush foliage and jungle Baltimore Maryland *requires fee*

10. PATTERSON PARK park, tall trees, pagoda, hills overlooking city Baltimore City

What should we wear?

I have no idea how to dress my kids or partner!?

 

No Logos: Firstly, the most important aspect of picking outfits for these sessions is keeping everything WITHOUT a logo on it. I can’t tell you how many times I have (almost always the Dads) wearing shirts with Under Armor logos on them, or Nike, or whatever and it just doesn’t fit the aesthetic of the look you’re wanting from me. So in terms of outfits, NO LOGOS! Please! Lol 

 

Neutrals, neutrals, NEUTRALS: I do love me a hot pink pair of sweat pants and funky socks, but I’m all about those neutral colors to highlight the family/couple/individual rather than the outfit and all the “things”. I love focusing on the backdrop as well and using it to create more emotive imagery (making the photos feel more emotional) and in order to create more natural looking images you really need to keep the outfits to the same color family as well. 

 

Color Family: I’m 100% not a fan of everyone wearing the same color… if I’m not blunt with my answers to these then I’ll regret not being authentic later lol which is why I’m saying this … the all white look is 90s and while I am a 90s gal, I am not a fan of that look. If you’re thinking of colors just google or look up “color family” for the main color you’re interested in. If you really like sage green, have one person wearing that, another with an off white, a beige, maybe a khaki … so the main goal is to have a few people in the family wearing the ‘highlight’ color and the rest wearing more neutrals to keep everything cohesive. Hope this makes sense, but if not just reach out to me at anytime with the outfits you’re thinking of and I can totally let you know my opinions!!

 

Time of the Year / Dress Appropriately…: If we’re going to be shooting in the summertime but you REALLY love that sweater dress and boots, and it happens to be 90 degrees out… maybe think of a different outfit. On the other side of it, if its the fall/early winter, don’t dress your little ones in shorts and a t-shirt if it’s under 50 degrees because they’ll be absolutely miserable!! This is honestly one of the reasons I LOVE summer sessions because kids love shorts and t-shirts and in general they love warm weather and the biggest complaint I get from families I photograph in the winter/fall is that their kids are cold and as a result will not smile for photos!! 

 

Read the Room: this is for the ladies specifically… if we’re shooting at a remote location or a field, please do not wear high heels (like stilettos) because you’ll just end up complaining about how your feet are stuck in the ground and it’s miserable. Just get a cute pair of Rothy’s or whatever flatter, more FUNCTIONAL shoes you can find and we can make it work!!

How do I book? Why are there like no weekend dates?

 

How to Book: Once you’ve had a chance to figure out what kind of session you want, the length of the session you want, and then ultimately the location you can view my booking calendar here: the 60 minute and 90 minute session dates/times include your choice of the location up to 50 miles from 21102. You will then sign a contract, and the contract is pretty standard and I’ll send it to you via an email to the email address we’ve been corresponding with. 

 

Weekend Availability: First, why are there like no weekend dates you ask?! Well, we have to first acknowledge that there are only TWO weekend days vs. FIVE weekdays, lol, so by numbers there are less weekend days available than weekdays. Now that my snarky answer is over, lol, its because I get booked up SO far in advance sometimes, coupled with the fact that I also shoot weddings which are almost exclusively on weekends there are a very little amount of weekend dates open. Additionally, I have kids and a family and I just don’t want every weekend day of my own filled with sessions when those are also the only two days I have with my husband/family. I probably shouldn’t involve myself this much with this question but I am very aware that most of my clients have 9-5 jobs during the week and I know it’s a bummer if I don’t have a weekend opening but my schedule is what it is and if there isn’t an opening on my calendar for a weekend date, there most likely won’t be. I know it’s a serious bummer if you can’t make a weeknight work and you can’t work with me, but on the bright side I can absolutely refer you to other photographers who might have more weekend openings!!

What if it rains? Do we reschedule?

 

Ugh, yes, preferably!! You don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on photos and have awful rain/weather on your portrait session date and end up looking back at them and wishing you would have rescheduled. Obviously I can’t control the weather or it would be a high of 76 degrees and slightly overcast with tons of sunshine at sunset only all the time. If the weather is WINDY, RAINY, EXCESSIVELY HOT, EXCESSIVELY COLD, POOR AIR QUALITY, FILLED WITH CICADAS, or anything else, we will absolutely reschedule and there is NO FEE for rescheduling due to weather. I have lots of clients who do not want to reschedule and would rather do their session in the poor weather, which I will 100% of the time double and triple check with you because if we show up and the weather is, in fact, no bueno for photos, you will lose your retainer fee and be required to pay a new retainer fee to reschedule. You won’t be charged for the remainder of the session, but at the same time if I have to drive out to the location after indicating we need to reschedule, and ultimately we can’t shoot for any reason related to weather/child temperaments/etc. you’ll lose that retainer. I’ve had way to many people in the past abuse this which is why I need to be as up front as I am about it!!

How do I pay you? Do you do a discount for cash?

 

You will be sent a link to pay the balance for your session at least 48 hours prior to the session unless you are paying in cash. If you are paying in cash you are required to remit payment at the time of the session. If for some reason you say you forgot the cash but had the best intentions of doing so, you’ll be still required to pay the full amount via a payment link the same day of the session. At this time unless stated I'm not offering discounts for cash payments.

 

How do I get my images? How many will I get and long will it take to see them?

 

Your images will be delivered electronically in an online gallery that is accessible through both a desktop and a mobile platform. The best part about this online gallery is that you can easily share it with family & friends and they can download as many of the images as they’d like at no additional charge. The images WILL NOT be watermarked and they will be yours to use for any personal use. You can also print them at any location you’d like, there is no requirement to use the printing company that I also offer through the online gallery hosting site.

Thirty minute sessions typically receive 35-50 final edited high resolution images, but that is only the minimum and you may receive more but never less than that number. The one hour sessions receive typically between 75-100 final edited high resolution images. Again, there are NO WATERMARKS.

Clients can typically expect to receive their images within 14 days of their session or whatever is agreed upon in the contract. The online gallery is up for a minimum of 10 years but I request that you back up your images to a SAFE hard drive space and separately three platforms to ensure that your images don’t get lost/corrupted from technology being technology.