What to Expect

In the past, Preparing for a photo session may have had you biting off all of your nails and feeling ill-prepared, or intimated. This should not at all be the case for a portrait session with SMP. I am here to guide you through the whole process, to make this an easy, enjoyable and fun experience. Initially after you book your session and the deposit has been paid, we will work together in choosing a location that brings together the feel and energy you want in your images. Not sure what to wear? Not a problem. One of my favorite things about portrait sessions is styling them to turn out just right. I would be happy to work together on outfit selections, colors that go together but not too matchy matchy, and accessories!

I generally like to shoot around sunset or an hour before, or early morning. These times of the day will provide the best lighting for your session. When we meet, depending on location I may bring along a few props not over the top just to accentuate the shoot just a tad. This could be a distressed children’s chair, an old quilt, some wooden crates, or bunting banners.  In the case of a newborn session I will be bringing along a large assortment of props but we will discuss our set up for that long before baby arrives!

Do you have a small child who may need to stop and be nursed or take a bottle, or kiddos that want to enjoy a quick snack to recharge, there will be time for that, if a parent has a not so normal work schedule, I can schedule around that. Don’t worry about being forced into stuffy poses, or asked to say cheese over and over again, that’s not how I work. I want to capture the raw emotion, genuine smiles, laughter and love in your family. This may be accomplished by me giving you space and just letting your family enjoy time together as the sun sets, you would be surprised what little gems I capture during this time!

After the session a preview shot or two will be up on the Facebook page for you to enjoy and share with friends while I work on all the rest. What exactly am I doing while I am “working on or editing” your images… I’m so glad you asked. I sort through them and choose the very best of the shoot and then lighten, and enhance as needed. Maybe a bit of smoothing here or there, but nothing that makes anyone look plastic or fake. Next I may choose a handful of images to work into imaginative, creative pieces of art. Many times at a session an idea comes to me, and I have somewhat of a vision but not all elements to execute that very vision are available at the shoot, and that is where Photoshop comes in handy to give the image those extra touches that make it exactly the piece of art I was dreaming up while I was capturing the shots at your session.

A few weeks later you will receive a gallery with the collection that you have chosen, ready to be printed into gorgeous wall art to display for all to enjoy!

Annapolis Newborn Photographer | Annapolis Family Photographer
Baltimore Newborn Photographer | Baltimore Family Photographer