Congrats! You are on my calendar and I'm just as excited as you are!

Here are a few helpful tips for your upcoming photo shoot to get you feeling confident and prepared. 

1. Location. Speak with me about what "look" you are going for. Here are some examples for southeastern NC, and Here are some from Savannah, GA.

2. Inspiration. Feel free to share images with me that inspire you. I want to be on the same page with you - keeping in mind, of course, that your shoot will naturally reflect the style of my photography portfolio.

3. What to wear. Choose something that you are comfortable in and feel attractive in no matter how you sit, walk or stand. Try to harmonize colors with others in your group. Avoid pin stripes, logos, busy patterns and matching each other too much. HERE are some examples if you need help!

4. Details. Accessories are great! Hats and jackets are easy to add or remove for variety. Hairspray (especially for the beach!), lip gloss, or tissues for touching up!

5. Fur Babies. Pets are definitely welcome! If you plan to bring a pet (or 2 or 3), make sure to let me know ahead of time and bring along a helper. Someone who can watch or walk them while we take pictures that don't include the pets.

For Families with children

Besides the tips above -  Here are a few extras for all the beautiful families!

• Prepare your kids by telling them this will be a fun experience! And it will be! We will be taking a few posed pictures (fewer depending on the children's ages), and we will be taking many more natural pictures. I love to bring snacks and treats to use as bribes, and bubbles or other fun props to use in the photos. Especially, during the second half of our shoot when most young children begin to lose interest.

• Bring a change of clothes for the small children. I love to capture kids in their natural state and I am happy to photograph them just being themselves! So, depending on our location there is always the possibility of jumping in puddles, chasing waves or rolling in the grass! (Don't worry, we will try to save any messy shots for the end of the shoot!)

• Posing. There will be a few posed photos, but I mainly love to capture the love! No need to coax the kids into fake smiles or "cheesing". I will direct everyone and ask for parents' help if necessary. So, just relax! Laugh, play and tickle! Let's capture some real moments!

After Your Session

• Turn around time. Your gallery is typically ready within 1-3 weeks, depending on the time of year.

• Delivery. All galleries are delivered through a temporary online gallery. It is password protected and you can share with whomever you wish. From your gallery you will be able to download and order prints and other photo products.

• Storage. It is VERY important that you save your files to a safe place. I recommend uploading them to a hard drive and/or a flash drive. Your photos are saved with me forever in a hard drive and a back-up hard drive, but it is still your responsibility to keep them safe once they are delivered to you. In the event that you can not find them or they were deleted/ corrupted, etc, I will gladly send them to you again. If it has been more than 12 months there may be a fee for resending them to you. (Online galleries are a business expense.)

• Enjoy your photos by printing! You are free to keep all of your images digital, but I HIGHLY recommend printing most or all of your photos in some way, shape or form! A printed photo has so much tangible value, especially when you see it everyday on your wall! Because you will have printing rights you can print your photos anywhere. But I recommend ordering prints through your online gallery! The quality is top notch! Please, don't do your images the injustice of printing from Walmart, Walgreens, etc. A pro photo lab is the way to go!