1. PRE-SESSION CONSULTATION
You’ve checked out my work. I’ve answered your questions. You like what you see and hear and have booked me for a documentary session or a lifestyle portrait session. Now the fun begins!
Your pre-session consultation is where we dream up your custom documentary or lifestyle portrait session. I’ll come to your home and help you select your session location, date, time, and any other details that will make the session a perfect fit for your family. We’ll also discuss what to expect during and after the session and what to wear.
Why do the consultation at your home?* It helps me get to know you and your style better all in the comfort of your own space. If you have kids I also love getting a chance to meet them ahead of time to pave the way for a smoother session.
*Pre-session consultations can also be done by phone if an in-person meeting is not possible for some reason.
While I’m at your home we’ll also discuss any areas where you are considering displaying wall art from your session. I’ll measure the spaces and take quick snapshots of the walls. (Just the walls, I promise! No need to clean up for this.) This information will give me a great starting point for making suggestions for wall art sizes and gallery wall arrangements.
2a. DOCUMENTARY SESSION
In our pre-session consultation we chose the time of your documentary session based on what activities or routines you want to capture. Maybe I’m coming to photograph a typical weekend morning, complete with homemade pancakes. (or Eggos. That’s fine, too.) Maybe your session will wrap up with the current bedtime routine. If your family’s favorite activity is to go to the batting cages and then out for ice cream afterwards, your session can revolve around that. Whatever I’m there to document, expect that I’ll show up with the camera already out of my bag.
My job will be to follow your family around and take beautiful photographs of your everyday life. Your job will be to ignore me. Well, kind of. We’ll probably talk a little but overall the goal is for your family to go about their day as if I wasn’t there. Don’t worry if things aren’t “perfect.” We want real life, which is perfectly imperfect. Mismatched clothes? No problem. Dishes in your sink? Mine, too. Pouting children? Awesome! I love photographing a good pouty face. By the time the documentary session ends my hope is that everyone has been acting just like they normally do when I’m not around.
2b. LIFESTYLE PORTRAIT SESSION
At the beginning of your lifestyle portrait session I’ll meet you at the session location and walk you to the areas I’ve selected with the ideal lighting and background in mind. We’ll do a little bit of relaxed posing for some of the images, but the rest of your session will be spent on real interaction among your family. Think hugs, dancing, giggles, even throwing rocks into a lake. We’ll do things you would normally do as a family, but this time you’ll also be wearing stylish outfits! At the end of the session I hope you go home thinking about how fun and stress free everything was.
3. ORDERING APPOINTMENT
It’s the day you’ve been waiting for! You get to see the images you had so much fun making! First, I’ll present the images to you in a slideshow. (I’ll bring the tissues, too.) Next, I’ll guide you through the process of narrowing down your favorites and selecting the images you want as wall art and in albums. I’ll bring mock-ups of the wall arrangements we discussed in our pre-session consultation, which will help make the decision making process even easier. Lastly, we’ll review and finalize your order.
4. PRODUCT DELIVERY
Once your order comes in I’ll schedule a time with you to deliver it directly to your home or office. After that all that’s left is for you to enjoy the final product. What an honor it is for me to be able to create artwork that will bring you joy every time you pass it.
Sharon Miller is a family documentary and portrait photographer specializing in capturing the extraordinary of the here and now for families in the north Texas area. Sharon Miller Photography is located in Lewisville and creates custom photography for clients in Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lewisville, Denton, Frisco, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, and the surrounding areas.
