How To Get The Most Out Of Your Professional Photography Session
Whether it is your annual holiday card, a milestone birthday or a family reunion, a visit to the local portrait studio is often on your list of things to do. Before doling out a large sum of money, do your homework on how to get the most out of the photography session for you and your loved ones.
Coupons and Deals
First, check with the local studios of national portrait companies online and compare coupons and special money-saving offers. Most studios charge a sitting fee on top of what you pay for the number of pictures you want to take home.
Consider enrolling in a loyalty club with a particular studio like the Sears Smile Savers club that will waive your sitting fee for two years. Or, if you like the variety every photography studio has to offer; then look for coupons with free sitting fees and at times a free sheet of pictures too.
Get the Family Ready
Pick a date and time that suits all members of your party. If you have an infant or toddler in tow, work around nap times and consider bringing along a favorite soft toy or 'blankie' to your photography session.
Experts suggest dressing your family in solid colors so as not to clash too much with one another or the background. One son in a floral Hawaiian shirt and the other in a bold plaid one may shift focus from your kids to their clothes!
Props and Options
Ask about options to have your photography session on a CD which you can take home and share with friends and family via email.
Ask about props the studio may have to commemorate the reason you are there such as a large inflatable heart for Valentine's or a pumpkin your little one could sit in for Halloween.
Most studios have standard picture sheet sizes so calculate how many of which size you need before you go for your photography session. If grandparents like wallet size pictures to show off to their bridge club buddies and you prefer a 10 x 13 for your living room wall, make a list before hand. That way you won't be tempted to buy everything in front of you as it is often more expensive to go back and re-order.
Let the photographer take the several poses they usually do. You are usually under no obligation to buy all of them. You never know which one will capture the perfect moment.
Time
Factor in time as some studios like Olan Mills or J C Penney take around two weeks to get the pictures back to you whereas others like the Picture People have them ready in around an hour.
And lastly, don't limit studio photography just to holidays and celebrations; because any time you can gather the family together for a picture is a special occasion.