Frequently Asked Questions
"Watch me Grow" Sessions
Newborn | 3 months | 6 months | 9 months | 1st Birthday
What are “Grow With Me” Portraits?
“Grow With Me” portrait plans are our baby portrait plan, with four, five or six portrait sessions over the course of one year. Parents generally choose to document their baby’s growth every three months for their first year. Not everyone starts with newborn portraits. Many clients choose to start at three months, some at six months and some even later. You should never feel its “too late” to sign up for one of our plans.
What are the different “Grow With Me” packages?
Please note that all packages are nonrefundable. For descriptions of these package please visit the GROW WITH ME page.
Standard Studio Session: $50
Single studio session for one child with order consultation and online proofing.
Additions to Grow With Me Portraits:
Additional subjects: $25 and added in only at end of session
When should we schedule the first session?
Ideally, we like to have newborns in the studio before they are two weeks old. Babies change so much in the first month and the first two weeks are when we have the chance to get all the snuggly, sweet sleeping baby images. After the two week mark, many babies get “baby acne” which can last 6-8 weeks. At that time they also start their first big growth spurt and it can be difficult to get them to settle down away from mom. If you can call the studio either from the hospital or as soon as you get home, we can get you on the calendar as soon as possible.
What should I expect from each of the sessions?
At the newborn session, they are generally asleep the entire time, we photograph them in simple clothing and often without clothes. At three months, most babies can lay on their tummies and push up on their elbows. At six months, most babies are sitting up on their own, smiling at everything, but not quite crawling yet. At nine months, most babies are crawling and pulling up to stand. At a year, most babies are walking or standing unassisted.
What if my baby is not doing those things when they turn that specific age?
We often “fudge” the timing of the sessions a bit so that we are hitting the milestones rather than the exact age. Babies often reach those milestones within a few weeks of that specific month.
How many different outfits can we do at the session?
Each session allows for two backgrounds and up to three outfits. We always start with the outfit that is the most important and go from there, as little ones don’t always let us change their clothes. We can also do two different backgrounds at each session, so you may want to choose two of the outfits that will go well with the same background.
Do you have clothing and props at the studio?
We have a limited amount of clothing– overalls, tutus, etc. but we do have a wide selection of props. You are always welcome to email to ask about a specific prop or idea, or you can also come hunt through our prop room to see what you like!
What time of day should we schedule the session?
Timing of your portrait session is critical to getting the best images possible. Location sessions are best early and later in the day, while studio sessions can be scheduled any time. The exact location can also play a part in this decision, so consult the studio about the best possible time for any location you have in mind. Also consider your subject’s schedule when booking your session– we STRONGLY encourage ALL children and baby sessions to be scheduled as early in the day as possible to ensure they are in the best mood! Scheduling a session late in the day or during a child’s nap time may be the most convenient, but it often leads to a less than ideal portrait session.
How far in advance should we schedule our session?
If you are looking for portraits on a specific date or time, it is best to contact the studio as soon as possible to ensure you can reserve that time before anyone else does. If you have a more flexible schedule, we can generally get you on the calendar within two weeks of you contacting the studio. In busier times of year such as Spring or Christmas, it is best to plan your session 4-5 weeks in advance.
How long does the session take?
This largely depends on the type of session. Newborn sessions in the studio can last 1 1/2 hours, while older baby sessions can take as little as 30 or 45 minutes. Location sessions generally last about an hour. We recommend blocking off 1 1/2 hours to ensure you are not rushed.
What should they wear for the session?
Clothing choice is a very personal decision, but we do have some general guidelines that can help. Solid colors photograph much better than patterns, but if you are looking to have a pattern, try to find a very simple design. Choose clothes that are well fitting and nothing that needs a lot of attention or fussing to lay properly. We strongly recommend that you try all the outfits on your child to ensure a proper fit.
What if they have a blemish?
Small blemishes, bruises and scratches should not be cause for worry. We retouch all of your images before you ever see them and these minor imperfections are not a problem. With more significant issues such as large scratches, black eyes, etc. you should contact the studio immediately to consult about rescheduling the session.
What if they are sick?
Sick children are not fun, they are not happy and they do not make for good photographs. They also expose us and our other clients to illness, so we ask that you reschedule your session if your child is not well. Please be courteous to both us and our other clients and notify us as soon as your child becomes ill, so that we may reschedule your session and offer the original time to another client.
How much are prints?
Prints are sold individually– gift prints start at $10 each for doubles of a 4x6 size image and wall portraits start at $50 for 11 x 14. Discounted packages are available at the order session starting at $125. Our detailed print pricing list may be viewed online at: PRINT PRICING
What do most clients purchase?
Most clients choose a wall portrait or wall collection along with a handful of small prints and some of the many products we have to offer. When you come to the studio for your order session, we will have our recommendations for what we think would be the best presentation of your images. Generally, clients choose to invest between $400 and $2,000 in prints and products from their session. We accept both cash, check or paypal and there are some no interest financing options available.
Can we purchase the digital images?
We do offer digital files for sale in two different ways. You can choose to purchase a single digital image for $50, or you may purchase 15 digital images from a session for $399.
When do we see the images?
About a week after your portrait session, we have an online proof gallery posted to the website. A link will be e-mailed to you for viewing. We will set up at time in the upcoming weeks for a phone or in person meeting. At this time we will have a discussion about all the final images and show you a variety of products including designed pieces, wall portraits, frames, canvases, storyboards, etc. It is best that anyone involved in making the purchase is present at this session, as many of the products are only available at this time and this meeting gives you the best pricing for all of our products.
How do we order?
The best time to order is at the order session– this is the time when you will have the greatest selection of products and the best prices for prints and products. We will give you guidance and advice on products and help you compare and select your favorite images at this time. Once all your selections are made, the purchase can be completed with paypal, cash or a check and your order is immediately submitted to the lab for printing.
How do we prepare for the order session?
Talk over with your spouse or other decision maker to decide what you are interested in, what products you like and what you would like your budget to be. If you are interested in wall portraits, it is recommended that you look around your home for possible placements and measure your walls. With measurements, we are able to ensure the proper size of your wall portrait. Also consider any gift prints you may need to order or any existing frames you would like to fill. Bringing a list of these items is the best way to ensure you order exactly what you need.
How long is the order session?
Order sessions generally last 1/2 to 1 hour. The length of the order session largely depends on how decisive you are and how quickly you can make your selections. If you are not able to reserve this amount of time for the order session, you should consider rescheduling the session so that you are not rushed in making your order.
What if my mom/grandma/third cousin wants to order?
Your entire gallery of images will be hosted online for 7 days for any friends and family to order. The online prices are slightly higher than the order session and only a few standard print sizes are available. If at all possible, you should ask these family members to come to the order session with you so they can make their orders at that time.
What if my question has not been answered here?
Please feel free to contact us by phone or email with any questions that you have. We are happy to help in any way that we can!
“Grow With Me” portrait plans are our baby portrait plan, with four, five or six portrait sessions over the course of one year. Parents generally choose to document their baby’s growth every three months for their first year. Not everyone starts with newborn portraits. Many clients choose to start at three months, some at six months and some even later. You should never feel its “too late” to sign up for one of our plans.
What are the different “Grow With Me” packages?
Please note that all packages are nonrefundable. For descriptions of these package please visit the GROW WITH ME page.
Standard Studio Session: $50
Single studio session for one child with order consultation and online proofing.
Additions to Grow With Me Portraits:
Additional subjects: $25 and added in only at end of session
When should we schedule the first session?
Ideally, we like to have newborns in the studio before they are two weeks old. Babies change so much in the first month and the first two weeks are when we have the chance to get all the snuggly, sweet sleeping baby images. After the two week mark, many babies get “baby acne” which can last 6-8 weeks. At that time they also start their first big growth spurt and it can be difficult to get them to settle down away from mom. If you can call the studio either from the hospital or as soon as you get home, we can get you on the calendar as soon as possible.
What should I expect from each of the sessions?
At the newborn session, they are generally asleep the entire time, we photograph them in simple clothing and often without clothes. At three months, most babies can lay on their tummies and push up on their elbows. At six months, most babies are sitting up on their own, smiling at everything, but not quite crawling yet. At nine months, most babies are crawling and pulling up to stand. At a year, most babies are walking or standing unassisted.
What if my baby is not doing those things when they turn that specific age?
We often “fudge” the timing of the sessions a bit so that we are hitting the milestones rather than the exact age. Babies often reach those milestones within a few weeks of that specific month.
How many different outfits can we do at the session?
Each session allows for two backgrounds and up to three outfits. We always start with the outfit that is the most important and go from there, as little ones don’t always let us change their clothes. We can also do two different backgrounds at each session, so you may want to choose two of the outfits that will go well with the same background.
Do you have clothing and props at the studio?
We have a limited amount of clothing– overalls, tutus, etc. but we do have a wide selection of props. You are always welcome to email to ask about a specific prop or idea, or you can also come hunt through our prop room to see what you like!
What time of day should we schedule the session?
Timing of your portrait session is critical to getting the best images possible. Location sessions are best early and later in the day, while studio sessions can be scheduled any time. The exact location can also play a part in this decision, so consult the studio about the best possible time for any location you have in mind. Also consider your subject’s schedule when booking your session– we STRONGLY encourage ALL children and baby sessions to be scheduled as early in the day as possible to ensure they are in the best mood! Scheduling a session late in the day or during a child’s nap time may be the most convenient, but it often leads to a less than ideal portrait session.
How far in advance should we schedule our session?
If you are looking for portraits on a specific date or time, it is best to contact the studio as soon as possible to ensure you can reserve that time before anyone else does. If you have a more flexible schedule, we can generally get you on the calendar within two weeks of you contacting the studio. In busier times of year such as Spring or Christmas, it is best to plan your session 4-5 weeks in advance.
How long does the session take?
This largely depends on the type of session. Newborn sessions in the studio can last 1 1/2 hours, while older baby sessions can take as little as 30 or 45 minutes. Location sessions generally last about an hour. We recommend blocking off 1 1/2 hours to ensure you are not rushed.
What should they wear for the session?
Clothing choice is a very personal decision, but we do have some general guidelines that can help. Solid colors photograph much better than patterns, but if you are looking to have a pattern, try to find a very simple design. Choose clothes that are well fitting and nothing that needs a lot of attention or fussing to lay properly. We strongly recommend that you try all the outfits on your child to ensure a proper fit.
What if they have a blemish?
Small blemishes, bruises and scratches should not be cause for worry. We retouch all of your images before you ever see them and these minor imperfections are not a problem. With more significant issues such as large scratches, black eyes, etc. you should contact the studio immediately to consult about rescheduling the session.
What if they are sick?
Sick children are not fun, they are not happy and they do not make for good photographs. They also expose us and our other clients to illness, so we ask that you reschedule your session if your child is not well. Please be courteous to both us and our other clients and notify us as soon as your child becomes ill, so that we may reschedule your session and offer the original time to another client.
How much are prints?
Prints are sold individually– gift prints start at $10 each for doubles of a 4x6 size image and wall portraits start at $50 for 11 x 14. Discounted packages are available at the order session starting at $125. Our detailed print pricing list may be viewed online at: PRINT PRICING
What do most clients purchase?
Most clients choose a wall portrait or wall collection along with a handful of small prints and some of the many products we have to offer. When you come to the studio for your order session, we will have our recommendations for what we think would be the best presentation of your images. Generally, clients choose to invest between $400 and $2,000 in prints and products from their session. We accept both cash, check or paypal and there are some no interest financing options available.
Can we purchase the digital images?
We do offer digital files for sale in two different ways. You can choose to purchase a single digital image for $50, or you may purchase 15 digital images from a session for $399.
When do we see the images?
About a week after your portrait session, we have an online proof gallery posted to the website. A link will be e-mailed to you for viewing. We will set up at time in the upcoming weeks for a phone or in person meeting. At this time we will have a discussion about all the final images and show you a variety of products including designed pieces, wall portraits, frames, canvases, storyboards, etc. It is best that anyone involved in making the purchase is present at this session, as many of the products are only available at this time and this meeting gives you the best pricing for all of our products.
How do we order?
The best time to order is at the order session– this is the time when you will have the greatest selection of products and the best prices for prints and products. We will give you guidance and advice on products and help you compare and select your favorite images at this time. Once all your selections are made, the purchase can be completed with paypal, cash or a check and your order is immediately submitted to the lab for printing.
How do we prepare for the order session?
Talk over with your spouse or other decision maker to decide what you are interested in, what products you like and what you would like your budget to be. If you are interested in wall portraits, it is recommended that you look around your home for possible placements and measure your walls. With measurements, we are able to ensure the proper size of your wall portrait. Also consider any gift prints you may need to order or any existing frames you would like to fill. Bringing a list of these items is the best way to ensure you order exactly what you need.
How long is the order session?
Order sessions generally last 1/2 to 1 hour. The length of the order session largely depends on how decisive you are and how quickly you can make your selections. If you are not able to reserve this amount of time for the order session, you should consider rescheduling the session so that you are not rushed in making your order.
What if my mom/grandma/third cousin wants to order?
Your entire gallery of images will be hosted online for 7 days for any friends and family to order. The online prices are slightly higher than the order session and only a few standard print sizes are available. If at all possible, you should ask these family members to come to the order session with you so they can make their orders at that time.
What if my question has not been answered here?
Please feel free to contact us by phone or email with any questions that you have. We are happy to help in any way that we can!
Lizabeth Carl Photography 2014 © all rights reserved.