WHY JOIN?

The first year is so fleeting. It just is. The days feel so long and the sleepless nights seem to never end, but they do. Quickly. In a blink. Don’t let the first year slip by without getting in the frame, for real. I’m not talking about selfies here. You deserve more than a selfie. I’m talking about documenting the deep love & connection; taking authentic moments and turning them into your family legacy. Turning them into your legacy.

I created the First Year Club because I love getting to know families for a whole year (and because babies, of course). A year full of incredibly special moments. Joining the club means an amazing experience for you, and peace of mind that your big moments will be covered, and any smaller in between moments are able to be captured as easy mini milestone session add-ons.

STEP ONE: JOINING THE CLUB

In order to join the club, you will sign some paperwork and pay a club fee of $500. This fee covers the three full sessions that you will have during the course of your year. You can schedule all three sessions and pay in full, or schedule and pay the sessions separately (payments will be split evenly across the three sessions) as you get closer to the milestones you want to document throughout the year.

If we haven't already, the easiest way to compare calendars is for you to email or call me with a few dates that work for your family - I always try to be as flexible as possible, and once we find a date, booking is 100% online and takes just a few minutes. As you pull out your calendar, here are a few things to consider: 

• Babies come when they come. If you are wanting a newborn session or fresh 48 session as one of your three sessions, we will go off of your due date and I will be on call to do your session within 10 days of baby being born.

• Weekend dates are limited and popular, so schedule these well in advance. Many clients who work regular business hours find that by scheduling early in the morning or late in the afternoon, they're able to work a session in with almost no time lost at the office. 

• If you have a particular date or holiday by which you need prints or gifts (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.), be sure to book a date at least one month in advance of that date to ensure sufficient processing and printing time.

• Babies and young children are almost universally at their very best first thing in the morning, which just happens to also be a great time of day for beautiful light. If you have children under five years old, I encourage you to consider a session at or as close to sunrise as you can reasonably be ready. 

• If you have older children or have one of those rare babies that doesn't do mornings, the other time of day that gives us great light is late afternoon/early evening... usually around 1.5 hours before sunset. 

• Beautiful photographs can be made in any kind of weather, but I understand that there are some downsides to being photographed in the pouring rain or the freezing cold. I can and do reschedule sessions for inclement weather, but am also happy to use your home or one of my indoor or semi-indoor locations if sticking to the schedule is a priority. 

STEP TWO: THE SESSIONS

Once we've decided on a time and date for your first session and officially put it on the books, I'll send you a getting ready guide that will walk you through everything from choosing outfits to strategies for getting babies + kids to cooperate. That guide has been created and refined over years of experience, so it typically answers 90% of the questions that come up, but I'm always happy to set up a time to chat if you want additional help. 

A few days before our session is scheduled, I'll reach out to confirm our time and location... at that point, if the forecast is questionable or someone seems to be coming down with the flu, we can talk about our rescheduling options. Otherwise, that's the perfect time to ask any last-minute questions or let me know if you've come up with a fun idea we haven't discussed.

The day of the session, please block off 1 -2 hours. Typically we're done within 90 minutes or so, but I don't charge by the hour, so if there's some kind of wardrobe malfunction or child meltdown, I like to stay flexible. If a parent has to leave for an important business meeting but the rest of the family is still available, that's fine... just let me know ahead of time so I can focus on getting that parent in the frame more while they're still available. 

Finally, take a breath and relax... I promise to give the grown-ups (and kids) breaks throughout the session as needed, and to make it as painless as possible for everyone involved. If it would ease tensions to crack open a beer before I arrive - or better yet, serve mimosas with breakfast - well then I say go for it!

STEP THREE: THE FUN PART!

Within just a couple of weeks of each session, you'll receive an email from me letting you know that your photos are ready. Usually I will get a few sneak peeks up on my social media the same day (if approved by you), and for Newborn sessions I try to get the full gallery out to you with a few days to one week. I try to have a very quick turnaround time for my newborn sessions as I know you might want to use the photos for announcements. Maternity and Family sessions are generally returned between one and three weeks time post session. When your full gallery is ready, you will receive an email from me letting you know. After that you will have one year from the first birthday of your baby to use your print credit to order the products you would like. I know, a year right?! Seems like WAY too long, but I also know how overwhelming the first year can be and I like to give my clients the time they need to order their products and not feel like they’re rushed or failing.

A PEEK AT THE PRODUCTS…

What you're going to do with your images is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when you're planning for a photo session, but it's all too often the aspect that's overlooked... all that time and money invested deserve a better return than photos gathering dust on a hard drive somewhere. You'll never get the same feeling looking at your photos on a screen as you will seeing them on your wall or flipping through the pages of an album, so I include a substantial print credit with every collection. Below is a sample of some of the items you can choose among:

*prices subject to change