Liz Byers Photography

Details

What to expect

Prior to the photography session, a consultation must be made. I do this for a few reasons. First, I like to get a feel for what you are looking for in your portraits. Second, I really like to get a feel for the personality of your family so I can capture the true spirit of who you really are. This not only helps me but I have found it helps the families feel more relaxed and they are full of smiles on picture day.

 My photography sessions are very laid back and carefree…Stress is a no-no in my photo shoots, so I ask that you try to keep the mood in your house before the session just like any other day. I cannot ask you enough; do not talk about smiling. I rarely ask them to smile myself! Children stress out as easily as we do. If you are running a few minutes late or you cannot find your little ones favorite ‘lovely’…just remember it is just like any other day. Everything is going to be fine and we are going to have a great time.

Sessions usually last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. I will take my time. You will never be rushed so by the end of the shoot you will have a good sampling of portraits. Newborns and young babies often need the most time, as they will often require comforting, soothing and nursing.

Please make sure that you have enough time set aside so you are not hurrying me along. Furthermore, it is imperative that your children have been fed prior to the photo shoot. I know I do not like to work on an empty stomach…and I have found that children do not smile all too often with gurgling bellies.

Feel free to bring any props that you feel are important for your pictures. I will do my best to incorporate them.

Please Note: Once a session is booked I require at least 24 hours notice if you are not going to be able to make it. If you fail to do so you will be charged the sitting fee. I understand things come up that are out of your control but please understand I have put time and thought into your photo shoot.

Your sitting fee must be paid up front.

General Clothing Information…

Clothing Selection
Clothing choice is an essential part of your portrait session. I recommend going
simple clothing – jeans or khakis and solid tops work best. We
suggest avoiding stripes and other patterned tops as they have a tendency to
pull the attention away from the subject of the portrait. Please avoid white
clothing if you are having an outdoor session.

Family Sessions - I suggest that you try to coordinate clothing choices for a
family session so that your images have a clean, classical look. Contrasting
colors and/or patterns will usually overwhelm the viewer of the portrait. Jeans with solid black tops are always a safe choice for portraits. Clothing changes are allowed, that way you can have if you are having a difficult time choosing between a casual or a formal look we can try both.

Individual Kids – There is more flexibility for individual portraits. This is the time for the fun/trendy clothing. Our only suggestion is to keep in mind that being too trendy may possibly “date” your portraits down the road. I do not know about you but I have a picture or two where I really wish my mom had gone with a different ‘trend’!

Maternity session - I recommend that you bring with you a pair of underbelly
jeans or black pants and a few different styles of tops. If you can find a black tube top and white sports bra (and/or white cammie) are a must have for the black and white maternity pictures. When selecting tops, you want to look for shirts that you feel flatter you in the chest area and through the arms, as we will pull the mid-section of the shirt up to show off the belly. Don’t forget to look over your pre-pregnancy tops as you may find one that while you can’t wear while pregnant, looks beautiful in the chest and arm
area. Fun and flirty lingerie is another option If you would like to do this, please
bring with you a strapless bra. For the daddy, I suggest jeans and both a solid black and white top. ***IMPORTANT*** On your way to your session, please wear loose fit clothing and do not let anything clingy rest around your belly as it will leave red marks that take awhile to disappear.

Newborn Session - There is nothing more beautiful than the skin of a newborn
baby, so I generally photograph newborns in their birthday suits. For parents
and siblings, we recommend the classic clothing choice of jeans with black tops.
If you would like to have a family portrait done with a different color top,
please still bring with you a black or other solid, dark colored top

General tips for all types of sessions

  1. Earlier is better! – Some of the best newborn portraits are captured between the ages of 2-14 days old. Unfortunately, the first two weeks are the ones that go by in a flash! For this reason, I really encourage expectant parents to contact the studio ahead of time about a newborn session.
  2. Loose is best! – On your way to your session, make sure that there are no tight fitting clothing, such as socks or elastic bands, on the baby. All newborns are stripped down to their birthday suits and these type of items leave red marks that take several minutes to fade.
  3. Speaking of naked babies – I swear that the second you remove a diaper the baby likes to pee. It is okay. They all do. All of the blankets and cloths I use for the newborn sessions are washable. When it happens, we get a good laugh, clean up the baby and continue with the session!
  4. FEED ME! – I am not sure what it is about newborn sessions, but most babies decide that they would just prefer to eat their way through the session. It’s not a problem to stop for a break. It is usually when they have a full tummy that they will doze off for those adorable sleepy newborn pictures.
  5. HOLD ME! – It is amazing how quickly a newborn forms an attachment with you as his parents. They know the best place is in Mom or Dad’s arms and this can be where we capture the most emotional images. With this in mind, I recommend all parents come to the session ready to be photographed. I suggest jeans and a solid black shirt as the black will allow the baby to really stand out the clothing.
  6. Older Siblings – Newborn and sibling portraits can be some of the more difficult images to capture. Is it possible? Yes. Can I guarantee success? Unfortunately, no. I will happily attempt to take a portrait of your newborn and toddler together, but cannot guarantee the outcome.
  7. Lastly, Been There, Done That! – I am a mom – trust me when I say there is not anything your baby (or toddler!) can do that mine has already done. I love my job and always feel privileged to be the photographer you choose to capture this moment in time.

All images are property of Liz Byers Photography. They are copyright protected and will be permanently kept on file, should you desire future reprints or enlargements.