Frequently Asked Questions

Q- Where should we be photographed?

A- What kind of look do you want in your portraits? Review the website portrait pages for ideas. Our studio can be formal or casual; outdoors can be dressy (i.e. slacks and sweaters) or casual (jeans). We usually don't recommend the "coat and tie" look for outdoor portraits.

Q- Can we be photographed at our home outdoors?

A- Yes. We look for full shade most of the time. Keep this in mind if you have a favorite spot at home and watch if a morning or late afternoon session would be better for shade. It is important that the background also be in shade. There shouldn't be any speckled sunlight filtering through trees, unevenly lighting the faces from camera position. Speckled sun falling on backs is OK.

Q- How about inside our home?

A- Indoor portraits at home are almost always made in your living room and include your natural home environment. If you have a plain background in mind, please arrange for a portrait at our studio. Choose an indoor home portrait because you love your living room, not for "convenience".

Q- Can we be photographed at our vacation home?

A- Sure we travel! If you have a special place in mind, let's talk about it. What better way to remember that special summer by the lake than with a family portrait?

Q- Do you do senior portraits?

A- Yes. Students should be photographed the summer before their senior year. We offer a variety of poses either in the studio or in a natural outdoor environment. Your yearbook photograph is e-mailed to your school.

Q- What should we wear?

A- Solid colors are best; avoid bold patterns, T-shirts, tight short skirts and sleeveless. Clothing should not compete with faces when viewing your portraits. See the website portrait pages for the style of portrait you like best and for additional clothing suggestions.

Q- How long will my portrait session last?

A- Most sessions last about 30 to 40 minutes. If we are photographing your entire family, we will probably also do portraits of your children as a group, children individually and parents as a couple. Grandparents are encourage to attend too. If you have time constraints, please let us know as soon as possible.

Q- Can we include our pet?

A- Your dog is welcome at the park or at our studio. Solid black dogs show up best against lighter clothing, and you might want to add a bandana for color. Your cat can be photographed at your home or our studio.

Q- What if it rains?

A- A heavy steady rain will obviously cancel an outdoor session. If it has been showering on and off we usually don't reschedule because it usually stops raining in a few minutes and the portraits turn out well. Overcast skies produce a soft light that is very flattering most of the time. Jim brings a waterproof blanket so you'll stay dry if seated.

Q- How far ahead can we schedule our portrait session?

A- No more than 5 weeks ahead. Please know everyone's schedule (i.e. soccer games, after school activities, etc.) so you can commit to your portrait session appointment. A special occasion portrait session (such as a family reunion, 50th anniversary, 80th birthday) where extended family members are totally committed to a specific date can be scheduled farther out than 5 weeks.

Q- How much notice do you need for us to reschedule our portrait session or sales appointment?

A- It is usually difficult for other families to fill in photography appointments that become available with just a few days notice. We realize people do get sick (please reschedule if someone has the flu!) and parents sometime get called out of town for work commitments. If you must reschedule, we appreciate as much notice as possible so your time slot can be filled in and not wasted. Even if our schedule is heavily booked several weeks out, you can sometimes be photographed immediately if you are flexible enough to take a last minute cancellation. The "jeans and solid tops" clothing scheme is simple to coordinate.

Q- What are your hours?

A- Appointments can be scheduled Tuesday - Saturday. We are closed Sundays and Mondays. Since we work on location much of the time and our studio is closed while we're gone, all client meetings are by appointment only.

Q- How soon can I see the proofs?

A- Digital images can be ordered immediately if we've scheduled extra time for you. With small children though, it's best to come back without them when you make your selections.

Q- How do we select our portraits?

A- Come into our studio to see all the possibilities such as various sizes, collages, finishes, retouching options, holiday cards, custom framing and albums. We have a large, high-resolution monitor where you can see all the subtle details of expression changes between similar images. This is especially appreciated when viewing a family group. The average appointment takes about 90 minutes. Since we don't have facilities for young children during your proof viewing, please make arrangements for child care.

Q- Can we see our images online?

A- Yes, you can see your images online. We ask that you prepay $400, which will be applied to your order. It may be more convenient to see them at home but there is much we can offer and show you at our office including digital retouching services, "head swaps", holiday cards and custom Larson-Juhl frames.

Q- Should the wall portraits be covered with glass?

A- All our photo collages and wall portraits 11x14 through 30x40 are protected by several coats of lacquer and do not need glass. For additional protection, glass may be used. Framed portraits can be dusted with a lamb's wool duster.

Q- Do you offer holiday cards?

A- We offer several styles of cards... the Trimline cards with a holiday logo and personalized name imprint, traditional cards that have a photograph attached to them and also cards where the photo is printed on card stock with printer's ink. Another option is to purchase quantity photographs and enclose them with your own cards.

Q- Do you do black & white portraits?

A- Yes, and there's no extra charge to make images B&W.

Q- How long before the finished portraits are ready?

A- Finished portraits usually are ready 3 to 4 weeks after you place your order. We box and ship 11x14 and smaller unframed portraits via UPS for $10.00. Since we are often out of the office doing on-location portraits, and we wouldn't want you to find our door locked, orders should be picked up with a scheduled time.