Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Family Portrait Session cost?

The session fee is $295. You’ll pay this when you book your session. This payment retains my services for the date and time you’ve requested. About one week after your session, we’ll meet (either virtually or in person) and view your edited photos. Together we’ll go through each of your photos and you’ll choose your favorites. Then we’ll look at the Digital Photo Packages I offer and decide which package is best for you. Digital Photo Packages start at $695.

How soon should I book my session?

During my busy months (September - November) the weekends fill up very fast. So I recommend reserving your session as soon as you can if you know you’d like to shoot in the fall. Otherwise, I usually book out 2 weeks in advance. You can check my booking calendar for the most up to date availability.

What exactly is it you do?

I’m a photographer and filmmaker for families. My sessions are a combination of photography and video.  During our session I capture several still photos and edit them to create a beautiful collection of photos from our time together.  For films, I take short clips of the same situations that we’re photographing. After our session, I edit the clips together and combine them with music to tell your family's story of love. You can see some examples of my Family Films HERE.

What types of sessions do you offer?

I offer three types of sessions: In-home, In-Studio and Outdoor.  Outdoor sessions take place in one of my personally scouted locations.  In-home sessions take place in your own home.  Or I have a beautiful natural light studio in Lakewood, CO that is available as well.

What can we expect during our session?

I do a little traditional posing. But for the most part we are creating natural moments that are beautiful and real and worth documenting. Don’t worry that you might feel uncomfortable because you won’t know what to do, how to stand, or how to look. I will give you instructions throughout our whole time together.

What kind of equipment do you use?

I shoot with my DSLR camera for both photography and filming. I try to avoid using any other equipment, lights, or flashes, so as not to distract your kids and family interaction.  Sometimes I will bring along an external flash to use as a fill light if necessary.

How long does a session take?

We’ll plan to spend an hour together and most likely we’ll finish sooner than that. Sessions with newborns can sometimes take and hour to 90 minutes, while outdoor and in-studio sessions can sometimes be done in under an hour (especially with older children that don’t need as much time to warm up).

Do we have to follow your style guide?

Nope! Everything I mention in my style guide is simply a suggestion.  Ultimately, these photos are going to be your memories, so it is absolutely up to you what you decide to wear. However, if you like the vibe and atmosphere of the images you saw on my website or my Instagram profile, I would suggest to follow the style guide. Wardrobe choices play such an important role in the overall feel of your images. So if you book me because you like the style of my images, you can make sure to get that same feel in your images by following my wardrobe suggestions.

What do we need to do to prepare for our session?

You can read all about how to prepare yourself, your children, and (in case of an in-home session) your house in my session guide that I will send to you after booking.

How many images will we receive?

You’ll be able to choose how many photos you’d like to purchase when we meet about one week after your session. I’ll present 30+ edited images and you’ll pick your favorite shots from there. You can purchase the Basic Package with 5 photos up to the All Inclusive Package with 20+ photos. You are then free to print your purchased images in any size you like, as often as you want.  As well as share on social media or with family.

How long will our film be?

Session films will last anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes. View some of my favorite films that I’ve made recently HERE.

Can we choose the music for the film?

No, unfortunately not. All music needs to be individually licensed for the use in my films.  However, if you have a specific song that you absolutely NEED to have for your family film, let me know and I will check the licensing options. Be prepared that these licenses will usually be VERY expensive.

I have another question!

Great! Send me an email any time of the day and I will get back to you as soon as possible! kellie@kelliephoto.com