FAQ

How do I pick a location?

There are so many options!  The Madison area abounds with beautiful natural areas.  Some of my favorites are Cherokee Marsh, the Burke Town Hall Park, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Owen Park,  Tenney Park, and the UW Arboretum.  I also love to photograph you and your family in your home or yard.

Aaakk!  What should we wear?

My guiding principle is that the clothing should accentuate the people.  In my mind, the  focus of the pictures should be on eyes, faces and interactions – not clothes.  So, whether bright or light or dark, patterned or striped or embroidered, look for clothing that is flattering and that highlights the wearer.  I recommend that clients stay away from clothes featuring a character or logos.

If the photos will include more than one person, I suggest taking a little time to consider how the outfits will go together.  I’m not personally a big fan of matching, but family photos look best if the clothing doesn’t compete. Having parents wear solid-colored shirts can be nice when they have young (probably more colorfully dressed) children they are holding in their arms.

If you’d like help picking out clothes, I’m happy to start our session by going through your closets or helping you decide between several options!

How should I prepare my children for the photo session?

Compared to studios at the mall where you have a short time-frame, my portrait sessions are low-stress and fun.  In order to keep kids from developing any sort of performance anxiety, I encourage parents to play down the event.  You can let them know that we’re going to play together and I’m going to be taking pictures, but I’d keep the tone pretty light.

I would also advise against talking about smiling for the camera.  My photography style is natural and free-flowing, and I’ll be acting silly to get natural smiles.  We all know what kinds of smiles kids tend to give when we say, “SAAYY CHEEESSE!”