FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!

WHAT KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHY DO YOU SPECIALISE IN?

I SPECIALISE IN FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY, THIS INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHING IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS, MATERNITY, COUPLES, LIFESTYLE NEWBORN, MOTHERHOOD AND CAKE SMASHES.

what does the process involve?

THE PROCESS WHEN YOU BOOK IN WITH ME INVOLVES QUITE A FEW STEPS. FIRST WE DISCUSS THE DATE AND TO LOCK THAT IN I REQUIRE A $100 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. THEN WE TALK LOCATION AND OUTFITS, ONCE WE HAVE THAT ALL SORTED WE WAIT FOR YOUR SESSION DATE TO ARRIVE, 7 DAYS BEFORE I WILL CHECK IN TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PAID THE REMAINING BALANCE AND THEN I WILL CHECK IN A FEW DAYS BEFORE OR THE DAY OF TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALL SET TO GO! I MEET YOU AT THE LOCATION, HAVE SOME FUN CAPTURING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND THEN ONCE THE SESSION IS FINISHED, I UPLOAD ALL OF THE PHOTOS TO MY COMPUTER. I GO THROUGH AND CULL THEM DOWN TO ANYWHERE BETWEEN 100-250 PHOTOS AND DO A BATCH EDIT ON ALL OF THEM - THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THEY WILL LOOK BUT IT’S NOT THE FINAL RESULT. I UPLOAD THEM TO A PROOF GALLERY AND YOU GO THROUGH AND SELECT YOUR FAVOURITES. I THEN EDIT THOSE ONES PROPERLY AND RE-UPLOAD TO THE FINAL GALLERY. FROM THERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND I SEND THE HIGH RES ONES VIA AN EXTERNAL LINK TO DOWNLOAD.

HOW DO I LOCK IN THE PREFERRED DATE?

I REQUIRE A $100 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT TO SECURE YOUR SESSION DATE. YOU HAVE 3 DAYS TO PAY YOUR DEPOSIT. FAILURE TO PAY WILL RESULT IN THE DATE BEING OPEN FOR AVAILABILITY AGAIN. final payment of the remaining balance must be paid 7 days prior to your shoot. failure to pay the remaining balance will result in the session being forfeited and you will not receive your payment back.

WHAT TIME DO THE SESSIONS TAKE PLACE?

SESSIONS TAKE PLACE DURING GOLDEN HOUR WHICH IS THE HOUR BEFORE SUNSET. ANY EARLIER WILL CREATE HARSH SHADOWS AS THE SUN IS STILL AT IT’S PEAK. GOLDEN HOUR CREATES A BEAUTIFUL DREAMY VIBE TO PHOTOS AND IS THE MOST RECOMMENDED TIME FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS TO SHOOT DURING. YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT DURING SUMMER, THE SUN SETS MUCH LATER SO SESSIONS WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM 6PM - 7;30PM DEPENDING ON THE MONTH OF YOUR BOOKING AND DURING WINTER, THE SUN SETS MUCH EARLIER SO SESSIONS WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM 4PM-5:30PM.

HOW DO I PICK A LOCATION?

I HAVE A LIST OF SPOTS THAT I RECOMMEND, THERE IS A A PAGE ON MY WEBSITE WITH ALL OF THE LOCATIONS I TRAVEL TO - BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE RIVER - TAKE A LOOK HERE. your preference may be more coastal or it may be more inland. whatever you prefer, there will be a spot to suit your taste and we will discuss this as we chat. ANY NOR LOCATIONS WILL INCUR A $25 TRAVEL FEE.

WHAT DO I WEAR?

your outfit is what has the biggest impact for the final result of the photo. i recommend picking soft colours that compliment each other. start by selecting one colour and then incorporate another colour to see if they pair well and then maybe add a third colour. if you would like to add a little bit of dimension with pattern, try and stick to only 1 or 2 people wearing pattern and use colours from that pattern with everyone elses outfit, this will help blend everyones outfit together and create a more flattering look. pinterest will be your best friend when it comes to getting ideas, click here to view some inspo! I have a client wardrobe available for women, VIEW THEM HERE. You can pick up to 2 pieces to wear throughout the session (DEPENDING ON WHICH PACKAGE YOU CHOSE) at no extra cost. I also have a small basket of newborn clothes and blankets specifically for newborn sessions.

CAN I BRING MY FURBABY TO THE SESSION?

umm! of course you can! i love when i get to meet my client’s furbabies and it fills my heart with joy when people want to include their 4 legged family members in the session. i do recommend getting your furbaby a new collar and leash for the photos instead of using their daily lead as it makes a huge difference to the end result. to put it into perspective, picture a nice clean twisted white rope lead with a little touch of leather and gold with a matching collar and then picture a bright red/pink/blue lead that with an unmatched collar and make the decision on what looks best…

What is the turn around time?

during peak season which is summer, the turnAround time may take slightly longer but i aim to get your proof gallery to you within a week. then it’s up to you to choose your prints - the longer you take to do this, the longer you will wait for the gallery. once you have picked your photos, they are usually finished within 1-2 weeks. BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, I AM A MOTHER OF 3 LITTLES, THEREFORE THINGS MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER SOMETIMES.

HOW DO I PICK FROM THE PROOF GALLERY?

The great thing about the online gallery is that you can create your very own favourites list by simply clicking the love heart on the image, entering your email (just once) and that’s pretty much it! you can create multiple lists and also go back and remove certain photos from any of your lists too.

WHAT IF I DON’T WAN’T ANY BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS?

When i do my batch edit for your proof gallery, i select some images to be black and white. black and white images aren’t everyones cup of tea and that’s completely okay. You can either let me know prior to session that you don’t want any black and white photos or if you forget and find a photo that you love, but its greyscale, i am more than happy to change it to colour for you. if there’s only one or two photos in black and white that you want in colour but you’ve also selected more black and white images that you’re happy with, simply leave a note on the image when you favourite it and let me know that you would prefer it in colour.

CAN I UPGRADE MY GALLERY?

When you select one of my packages, they each come with a set amount of photos. when you are selecting your favourites in the proof gallery, you may go over the set amount and struggle to cull it down to your chosen limit. Don’t stress! i offer package upgrades where you can buy more images. my minimum upgrade is 10 photos for $100. please ask for my pricing if you want more than 10.

HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY PHOTOS?

Your final gallery will be uploaded to pixieset which is my online gallery. From there, you will be able to download your photos using the link i provide you and a download code so only you can download your images. These images will be suitable for web such as posting on your social medias. the hgih res images will be sent to you via an external link straight to your email. you will have 3 days to download these before the link expires but don’t stress, if you forget, i will resend.

WHAT IF I NEED to CANCEL/RESCHEDULE THE SESSIOn?

life is full of unexpected things that pop up out of the blue, so i completely understand if you need to reschedule your session due to sickness or something out of our control. you must give me 7 days notice in order to be able to apply your deposit to a rescheduled date or at my own discretion. the rescheduled date must be within 2 weeks of the original date and is subject to my availability. rescheduling due to something within your control will incur a $20 fee. if the weather is poor and we are unable to proceed with the session, we will reschedule to a later date within two weeks of the original date at no extra cost.

if you choose to cancel your session, giving less than 24 hours notice, all payments made will be forfeited. if you give more than 24 hours notice, the remaining balance excluding the deposit will be refunded.

Do you keep a backup copy if I lose my photos?

Yes, all images remain on multiple hard drives, but you do have the option to purchase a usb (one off payment of $10) or provide your own for your own back up. the usb will be used for any other session you have with me as long as you bring it to the current session to pass it on, and then it will be delivered back to you once your prints are done.

CAN I GET THE RAW FILES?

no, unfortunately i do not offer the raw files as these are not edited to reflect my style of work. the only images you receive are the ones you choose and the rest that don’t get picked will be deleted within 2 months.

DO I GET thE COPYRIGHT/OWNERSHIP OF MY PHOTOS?

no, elem photography remains the copyright holder of all images. you do not have the permission to alter the images in any way and must credit elem photography if you choose to share on social media. you will receive print release as per my contract which gives you the permission to get your photos printed for personal use, but you must not use the images for business or marketing material.

Where should i get photos printed?

i recommend going through a professional lab for prints as you will get the highest quality. i understand if you choose to get them printed through a kiosk as it’s more affordable but elem photography is not liable for decrease in quality or colour change.