Taking the time to invest in getting tangible memories of the life you're living right now as a family is a true gift for the future.
A professional photographer will facilitate these breathtaking MOMENTS, but it’s much more than taking photos. It’s a superpower that lets us do “portraits with a purpose” that might land a tear in your cheek as you look at your gallery.
But, what does a professional family photo session really entail? How much should it be? What's a fair price? To get to the answer, you first need to understand what an experience like this really entails. Let me walk you through the process with the photographer in the driver’s seat.
Estimated Reading Time: 10min
When people think about a photo session, they mostly imagine the “day of.” The day they dress up and show up for amazing portraits.
It’s true: session day is AMAZING and clients hopefully remember THAT DAY with the biggest smile. Yet, session day is not everything. A family photo session starts first with an inquiry and builds into a relationship. Here's is the whole process ❤️
First Contact
When an inquiry is received, we photographers follow up via e-mail, usually. As in any “deal,” it takes a couple of back and forth to close it. We need to understand what drives this desire to freeze time, what’s the prospect's biggest dream, and how/if we can help achieve those goals.
If we’re not a fit (it happens!) we’ll refer them to other fellow photographers and hold their hand in the process. If we’re a fit then, yay! We move down the funnel and the fun begins.
Session Planning
In this part of the process, the photographer puts on the ‘stylist’, ‘psychologist’, 'girl scout,' and ‘motherhood’ hats. We spend tons of time understanding who the family is; what makes them tick; what they like to do as a family; what's the best location and timing for kids; and, what wardrobe would make them feel both gorgeous and true to their individual souls. Make sure to follow this checklist to prepare for your family photo before, during, and after!
The photographer is the orchestra's director, managing many instruments depending on how many family members there are. Styling is what will help make or break how you feel about your gallery years from now, it's key and central to a photo session. Photographers like ATP do the work for you. What does that mean? we style your family! We spend time picking the perfect outfits for your family, we handhold or just guide depending on the client's needs.
Andre Toro Photography is a full-service studio, so these conversations take place in the comfort of your home. For styling we take into consideration the family's vibe,the location, AND the interior design of your home. If you're thinking about decorating your walls we'll make sure that the outfits match your home's color palette.
The location is also central and defines the style, during the session planning the expectations will be set. With Andre Toro Photography, we can shoot in our studio or on location, it all depends on what you're dreaming about!
Other photographers like me love the outdoors for family sessions. I'm ALL about POETIC locations! We'll scout big time, all year round. We love finding hidden gems that take your breath away to create THE most emotive memories.
Every season has its charm, it brings a different background with dream and signature colors. Sessions can also be in-home or indoors, all options are open for lifestyle sessions.
Session Day
As a full-service studio, ALL of my sessions include hair and makeup for mom (yay!!). If we're shooting in studio, you'll be pampered a the studio ahead of your session. If we're shooting outdoors, we'll send our styligs to your home. Happy mom = happy life! We want you to be the star of the day, feeling glamorous and pampered.
For a family photographer like myself, I am focused on human interaction, family bonds, and your family's LOVE language. I'm capturing the hugs, snuggles, kisses, and laughter. I want you to be able to FEEL the intense love and remember the beauty of these early parenthood years. The raw, messy, candid love.
If we're shooting outdoors, we meet “on location;” sometimes there is a drive to that magical place, and other times we meet in your backyard. During the session kids run wild, parents hug, we play, we talk, we have so much fun. It's all about capturing unexpected candid moments, the true essence of your family. Freezing the memories that your soul will crave years from now. The best part? you'll be in the frame, that's THE best gift you can give your kids :)
If we're shooting in studio, we'll meet at my studio in Lexington, MA. It's a luxury studio with the most magical light. We have everything you need, we'll pamper you and your family. Prompts are given to spark authentic moments. Magic happens and your heart melts. We achieve both classic and timeless portraits, in addition to candid moments. The perk of shooting in the studio is that your family can have multiple outfit changes! We get to capture your family's essence from casual to glam.
Ordering Appointment
At Andre Toro Photography as a full-service studio, we help you through the end. We have your back and we take the stress of selecting your photos.
For studio sessions, we do same-day gallery reveal! yes! That means you get to see the photos right after the photoshoot, within minutes. It's an empowering and heart-melting experience. We get to pick and choose the photos together, it's the best part of the day! You'll be smiling and happy tears always come down the cheek.
For outdoor sessions, the ordering appointment is within days of your photoshoot. It's the same process but this time we meet in the comfort of your home.
During the ordering appointment, we'll present you ideas for your walls. Yes!! your own walls. During the in-home consultation, we measure your walls and we take into consideration your home decor. The walls that you'll see have your interior design concept tied to them.
Editing
Once you select your favorite photos, wall art, and products... the magic begins. We do our master retouching as Fine Art. Every photo will be a piece of art.
We cherish every client photo and bring out its very best through editing, pouring our hearts into it.
Editing is usually the inflection point for professional photographers. Some will spend little time editing the selected photos in batches using Lightroom, enhancing the photos. Others, like me, will create masterpieces; we use both Lightroom and Photoshop to retouch each photo to make them a piece of art. I use Fine Art retouching tools that define my style, every photo is retouched with a purpose, it will tell a story. To achieve my unique signature look and feel, I spend many days working on a gallery.
Yay! Then the moment is here, the gallery is sent to the client. Professional photographers will use password-protected online galleries, with unique download pins. We value security above all. The client receives it — hopefully shed a tear as they look at their portraits. It makes our day when we hear back from happy clients! When they love our work our heart explodes and the hard work and long hours pay off.
Product and Wall Art Design
Once the gallery is delivered, we start designing your products and wall art. That's when the vision comes to life, and you get the most breathtaking tangible memories to enjoy every day of your life!
Another inflection point, not every photographer will offer print products. Yet professional ones have partnerships with Fine Art labs that offer outstanding quality. Early in the planning process, we work with the client to understand what they want their portraits for; when the gallery is ready it's a hands-on project.
We design wall art, albums, portfolio boxes, you name it. We work to create tangible memories to decorate walls, coffee tables, and everything in between. Therefore, we spend days working on this. It's a passion project, we want to serve our clients tailoring to their needs and dreams!
The best part? we INSTALL the Wall Art! Yes, we have an art installer who comes with me to our clients' homes. We put everything up on the walls. You don't have to move a finger. It's truly full-service!
Follow-ups
Many sessions end with either the final gallery or print products, yet the relationship stays on in my case. Every client becomes part of Andre Toro Photography's family. Multiple times a year I touch base with them; I love to send love on Mother's Day/Holidays/birthdays. I LOVE my clients, they become good friends! :)
So, How Much Should Professional Photographers Charge for All This?
As you can see, a “photo session” entitles many days of hard work from the photographer. Session day is just a piece of the big puzzle :)
In the industry, there are multiple ways of pricing a photo session. I'll go through the two most common models: volume vs. full-service studio.
Both of them have in common a retainer fee to book the photographer's calendar. Either a % of the total or a fixed fee, you pay to secure your date and in most cases it is non-refundable. The reason for this nonrefundable fee is that as in any professional service business, time is the photographer's biggest asset.
1. Volume photographers
These are photographers who do most of the communication via email, you can probably book online without ever talking to the person behind the camera. It's an in-and-out approach, with low to no touch points.
Most likely, you'll have to figure everything out on your own (or by reading a welcome email with instructions and guidance on what to wear, and what to expect).
Most of these photographers do not print for their clients and the relationship ends once the gallery is sent for download.
Some really good photographers run their business this way. It's just a personal choice. They are volume photographers. They take on many clients per week and busy season means crazy busy.
2. Full-Service Studio
These are studios like Andre Toro Photography. We run a luxury business, we take everything off your plate and we go above and beyond to give you an epic and stress-free experience. From session planning to styling and wardrobe to hair and makeup, to wall art design and installation. We have your back and hold your hand every step of the way.
We are the opposite of volume, we take on very few clients per month so we can pour our hearts out. Every client becomes our favorite client and we dedicate all the time required to provide an unforgettable and luxurious experience.
In a Nutshell: You Pay for What You Get
Full-service photography studios are not for everyone, and that's OK! We all value different things and are craving different experiences. There is a photographer out there PERFECT for your family's needs.
Reach out to those photographers who inspire you, have a candid conversation. Your heart will tell you once you've found THE one who is aligned with your taste and budget.
The industry is formalizing as years go by and more photographers start to realize that it's beyond worth studying, learning, and getting inspired. Photography IS a profession, not a hobby, with tons of costs associated with running this business.
As photographers grow their business and become more established, they usually transition to owning a studio. At that moment, there is an inflection point. Some like myself, decide to embrace the luxury world providing clients with the most epic experience! It's been fascinating to be able to pamper and delight every customer who trusts us with their most intimate memories!
The investment in professional photos is so worth it, these heirloom portraits are the best gift for you and your kids years from now. I believe with all my heart that the most valuable gift will be to have parents IN the frame with the kids! Those candid moments will have an unmeasurable value as years go by. Think about the comfort that these portraits will provide during hard times.
Decades from now, these memories will keep your kids' hearts warm. The investment is worth saving money for. Do you think this unimaginable value makes it worthy to avoid a few trips to Target? think about it. As with anything in life, what we have to work for it's valued much more.
What does photography mean to you? Where does it fit in your life? How much do you value it?
With love,
Andre
Love,
