Photographer’s own DIY Gender Reveal Photo Session

Don’t be so surprised about a blog post from me on a Monday! It’s just because I have some special news! 😉

Couples Maternity Photo Session, Hampshire (Sneak Peek)

Hi Folks

Only a *SNEAK PEEK*
Last week Friday I had the pleasure to do a ‘Couples Maternity Session’ for the lovely Deakins from Berkshire, 37 weeks pregnant with their first baby. (Just in time too, as their bundle of joy arrived two days later on Sunday!).
I will soon be doing their Newborn Session too, so look out for both their sessions coming to my blog soon!

Love,

yg

x

Couples Maternity Session, Hampshire 

Romantic Salsa Engagement Session

Hi Folks,

I’m very excited to share some of Deirdre & Ian’s engagement session with you!  This lovely, super fun couple met at Salsa class, so naturally I wanted to incorporate a bit of sexy Salsa into their session, but with a beautiful vintage-romance feel.

It was the perfect sunset one May evening in Wokingham, Berkshire.  The gorgeous couple (although I’m told they’ve never had a professional photo session) were naturals at this!  A session filled with dancing, laughter, more dancing and many special moments.  It was a beautiful session… Perfect!

I’m very much looking forward to being their wedding photographer in August!  So.Much.Fun.!

 

 

x

YG

Elegant Baby & Family Session in Hampshire

When little Antigone’s 6-month milestone session were planned for January, Mum Jennifer wanted to have something a bit different – a bit of a glam, celebratory feel to it.  As we usually have sessions at their family home or local woodlands, we decided to have a session at an elegant venue for a change of scenery.  (Now, those who know me will tell you that I’ve quite a relaxed style, as is the same with my photography, so of course this was completely out of my comfort zone, but I was of course quite excited to try this!)

We were lucky to be able to arrange to have the session at the oh-so-beautiful Oakley Hall Hotel, Basingstoke in Hampshire.  With their stylish function rooms and stunning gardens, this venue made the perfect backdrop for our session (and I’m sure for wedding photography too!).

Antigone’s session was done in 3 parts, with very different results;

The function room:

The Library:

The Garden:

I can honestly say that I had so much fun with this session, and it seemed the family did too!  Big sisters Ellie & Penelope loved dressing up, playing dress up with props and pretending to ‘raise a glass’ to celebrate their little sister’s milestone.  All three girls looked adorable in their pretty  party dresses, carefully co-ordinated by their Mum.  Mum Jen & Dad Paul looked very smart too!  Fantastic job done by Jen on styling – a mum with a vision!  😉

x

yg

Autumnal – Baby’s 3 month Session in Berkshire

Hello there,

After a month holiday to sunny South Africa, I am now back in the United Kingdom and looking forward to the arrival of Spring… Some time soon… I hope!  😉

Before my holiday, I had some sessions with gorgeous little Antigone, the youngest of my dearest clients, the King-family.   I’ve been meaning to share them whilst in South Africa, but unfortunately I did not always have the best connection for internet or access to a computer over there… but I’m back and ready to share!

First up on the blog, is from little Antigone’s 3 month session – back in October last year.  Mummy Jen asked for an image to be taken with Antigone wearing her Christening gown, as a present for grandma (hence not being able to share at the time).  But behold, this was no ordinary Christening gown, no!  It was genuinely the most gorgeous, fit-for-royalty gown I’ve seen!  Just so SO pretty!  And super special too, as it was handmade by Jen’s mum in America, using her wedding gown!  Love, love, LOVE!

The session took place in the family’s backyard, which was looking gorgeous with all the Autumn leaves, and we were lucky for it to be a pretty mild Autumn day too.

I’ll leave you with just a few images from the outdoor part of the session!

 

Next time I’ll bring you some more images from this little one’s stylish 6 month session in a beautiful country hotel in Hampshire!

x

yg

 

 

Styled Mini Photo Sessions : Pros & Cons – for clients

Hello,

A few weeks ago I did a post on mini sessions vs full sessions which was mainly from  My View on Styled Mini Sessions as a photographer.  Today I will jot down just a few Pros and Cons of Styled Mini Sessions as it may be perceived by clients.  Please note:  I am specifically referring to STYLED mini sessions and not just shorter versions of a usual session.

PREDETERMINED LOCATION & DATE(S):

Pro – The photographer will usually scout for and choose a location for the mini sessions.  This takes a bit of the stress away from clients who feel indecisive about where they would like their session to take place.  The photographer will have set dates for these sessions.

Con – You don’t have a say about location.  It will be predetermined by the photographer well in advance of the session date.  The photographer will also only set one or two days aside for these sessions to take place, and will probably not be able to rearrange these dates to suit individual needs.

TIME:

Pro –  A mini session is usually a lot shorter than a full session, typically lasting between 15-20mins.  This means that the husband will be happy as it won’t take up too much of his golfing or football time 😉  Toddlers may be happy to sit still for a few quick images (with a bit of a candy bribe sometimes) and will be free to run around to their heart’s desire in no time 😉

Con –  There are specific time slots, and this needs to be strictly adhered to for a mini session to run smoothly.  If you run late, you may have to wait for  another slot (subject to availability), or you may not get your full time allocated for your slot.

Also, if your child takes a while to warm up to the camera, then a mini session may not be ideal as the session will almost certainly end just as soon as your little one is happy to be photographed.

Finally, with mini sessions there will be no time for any outfit changes or snack breaks.

THEME:

Pro –   As shown in my examples above, mini sessions usually follow a theme e.g. Christmas/Autumn/Lavender Fields and will be setup accordingly prior to your arrival .   You may or may not be able to choose from a prop or two to incorporate into your photos, however the setup as a whole (backdrop etc.) will be the choice of the photographer to suit their vision for the sessions.  Having themes are great though, and is usually quite fun for the whole family and are great for holiday cards!

Con –  It’s themed, which means it may work great for your holiday cards, but it may not be the main family portrait to go over your fireplace.

VALUE:

Pro –  You will received maybe a few prints or digitals, even a small keepsake maybe for a fraction of the cost of a full photography session.

Con –  You will receive less of the photographer’s time.  Your session will not be tailored with just you and your family in mind, unlike a full photography session.

IMAGES & VARIETY:

Pro –  Your gallery will usually only have up to 10 images to choose from.  This makes it so much easier to select your favourite(s)!

Con –  Although there may be less images and less confusion as to which ones to pick, the majority of the images from your mini session will look quite similar and will probably lack variety.  Full sessions give a lot more variety with regards to outfits/props/location/backdrops and poses.

 

I hope you find this (non-extensive) list of pros & cons helpful in deciding on which type of session will suit you and your family the best!

 

x

 

 

 

Photographer’s view on Styled Mini Sessions : Pros and Cons

Today was sitting faced with one of those ‘Photographer’s Dilemmas’ – to Mini Session or not to Mini Session.

There is part of me that doesn’t like mini sessions, only because I love giving each of my clients the time and attention to have an enjoyable, relaxed & bespoke photo session experience and to produce a product/products of superior quality… I put my heart and soul into each of my full sessions… spend hours perfecting the post-processing and get really excited to upload a full gallery of beautiful images of their babies, children and family, and to hear how much they adore what I’ve created!

Which brings me to Confess: Yes, Mini Sessions scare me a little.   Although ‘everybody is doing them’, I don’t necessarily feel that I need to… In fact, I usually like doing things my way and to not always follow the crowds.  BUT,  there is an element of Mini Sessions which I DO enjoy –  that I am able to style the session to a specific theme,  relevant to the time of the year, which makes it special and fun for myself and my clients!  And best of all, it is a chance for any client or potential client to book me at a much more affordable price than normal, a much shorter session time (those with very young children will sing for joy!) and it usually includes a product/digital file(s)/print!   And there is of course the small chance I will have a client for life too after *smiley wink*

Here are a few of my favourites from last year’s Christmas Mini Sessions

So, what have I decided – do I, or don’t I?  Well, after listing to myself the pros and cons of offering (theme specific) photography mini sessions, I have decided to give it a few more ‘goes’ to see if it is worth my while in the long-run.  Whilst you keep your fingers crossed for me (thanks!), please have a read through my list of thoughts, and if I’ve missed something you think I should add, please let me know, or if you want to prove to me otherwise, please message me – I’m sure there are many photographers out there way more experienced with Mini Sessions than me 😉  I really only offer them less than a handful of times a year.    Please bear in mind that these are based on my experiences, what I’ve heard and read over time from others in the industry, and meant to be aimed at THEMED mini sessions!

CONS:

•  Little profit/potential for upselling:  Even though it still takes a lot of prep & planning of location, theme, props etc., same post-processing time per image to ensure consistency with your usual quality and style,  there is not much profit to be made from Mini Sessions as,    a) to make it appealing to potential customers, you may have to cut your own hourly rate as well as cut into your usual profit per product offered – this is the part that I struggle with most, as I want to give a competitive, affordable deal, but at the same time I wonder if it is worth it when you are making next to nothing then?  Probably not, but some photographers swear that it brings them new clients, so I’m not giving up on these sessions completely just yet!     b) as these sessions are usually seasonal/ at certain festive or celebratory times of the year, styled accordingly with props, clients may be after just that one or two images offered.  There is not much room for upselling on these sessions, apart from a few small products or cards maybe – it is highly unlikely that the client will ask for a USB with all the images from the session (who needs ten Christmas images on USB anyway?), and it is even more unlikely that, due to a theme based on a specific time of the year e.g. Christmas/Easter is going to be blown up to take the main spot above the fireplace.   Be prepared – not many mini session bookers will actually purchase any other products over and above what is included in the offer!
• Not attracting your ideal client:   if priced too cheaply, or too many products included, it may only attract ‘deal seekers’ – those who want all for nothing, those who won’t be loyal customers but only out to find the cheapest deal regardless of quality.  (Beware, this type of client is usually the one who will threaten or manipulate you to get further discounts or even freebies, the type of client who will give you a bad rating or slander you if you don’t.)  These are not the clients I want.  Nor you.   We want people who value the art of photography, the time and effort that goes into creating each image… a client who appreciates quality over quantity.
• It may feel rushed:  As an artist, I like to take my time to create my vision, to provide the client with images that I am proud of.   I find it hard to ‘work with a timer’, which you NEED to if you have several bookings in one day…so yes, a 15-20 minute session freaks me out a little!  But this is probably just me, and I usually manage to get over it as soon as I start the session, when the adrenalin really kicks in and I do realise that mini sessions are actually fun too! haha

PROS:

•  Discounted rates:  This may not seem like the best news for you as the photographer, but there may be some positivity in this if you look at it another way;  Not everyone who waits for an offer on your services is a ‘bargain hunter’ or goes for price over quality… There are customers or potential customers out there who loves your work, who would love a session with you, but they just simply cannot afford to pay full price.  Mini Sessions give these clients a chance to book you at a much more affordable price (my mini sessions are between 40-50% off my normal session fee) plus there is usually the added bonus that there will be a product or some digitals included in the price!  Even if this customer who loves your work but struggles to afford your normal prices are unable to book a future full session with you, chances are, they will be return customers for mini sessions (or maybe even special occasions), and they may also be doing some word of mouth advertising for you!
• Styled Session:  It means a fun, different-from-your-usual set-up with some pretty theme specific props!  This is what should make mini sessions different from your normal sessions – it has to be something they cannot book at other times of the year… something ‘special’ for Father’s Day/Mother’s Day/Christmas…because if it is just a mini version of your typical full session, then clients will rather wait for your mini sessions offer instead of having to pay for a full session.  If it is styled specifically to the theme or time of year, your full sessions will still be the ones being booked for the portrait to go up on the entrance hall 🙂
• Specific Date(s) and Location:  You can have specific dates set aside specifically for these sessions, at a time most convenient for you, and to make sure there will be no crazy rush during peak times at your chosen photography labs/printers.
• Shorter Session Times:  Means less images per client, which means you will have the gallery up sooner than your usual timeframe.  Less images in gallery also makes it easier for your client to choose from, which means you won’t need to have the gallery up for weeks and your client’s order will probably be placed within only a few days.
• It’s all in the spirit of fun & festivities:  And this is probably the one reason why I may keep offering these sessions.  Apart from being completely different from my usual sessions, they are fun – lots of fun!  My favourite being Christmas time!  I offer my Christmas Mini Sessions in November – this way everyone, including me, are starting to feel really Christmassy, happy, jolly and all round merry!

Here the blog links to two of my Christmas themed mini sessions from last year (2014) :

Mia’s Christmas Session 2014

Rose’s Christmas Session 2014

Last minute thought (and this should actually be added as a PRO) – one could always use these mini sessions to raise money for a good cause.  Instead of sulking over the little profits, why not just enjoy the magic of giving to a charity of your choice, even if just a percentage?  Customers may even spend more if they know that it is for a good cause!  Now, there is a thought that is actually getting me really excited about mini sessions!  *big smile*

This post was mainly from a photographer’s point of view. Next time I will post something similar aimed at clients – the PROS of taking advantage of styled mini sessions.  EDITED:  I previously said there are not cons here…but actually there are – oops – and I’m sharing them in the new post! 🙂

x