What to Expect

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
~Dr Seuss

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Thank you for contacting us, for loving art, and for valuing photography as an art form that not only pleases the eye, inspires the spirit and soothes the soul, but also fulfills the role of visual memory keeper and inter-generational storyteller.
Pictures are a way for us to speak to the future, and to hold dear the present moment.
We, as artists are beyond honored to be here, witnessing this moment in time, and helping you gift the memory of these fleeting, beauty-filled days, to your children as they grow.

Will you be the one shooting our session?

Yes! I will be your photographer for all the sessions you book with Oana Hogrefe Photography.

Where will the session take place?

Most of our sessions are done on location. We will discuss the possibilities in advance and choose the best place: either at your home, one of your favorite locations, or one of my favorite locations.  It depends on the type of session and the weather. Your home might work well in some cases (especially for newborn, and sometimes maternity photography). In most other situations, parks work well, as do town square type of places, for an urban flair. We will suggest locations and we will make the choice together.

How do you describe your photography?

I would describe my images as insightful, genuine and memorable, and my style as fresh, warm and personable.

What is your take on Family Photography?

I love capturing the special dynamic that makes your family unique. Many of the images are of the children by themselves and interacting with each other. Some are of a various groupings of your family members as they play, hug and show their bond. A few are of all the family members, if you would like that. Usually these are best captured in the beginning of the session, and then again later in another setting, after everyone warms up.
The majority of the session is spent following the lead of the children, with me guiding you towards the better light and the fun backgrounds, as we play and explore the location of choice.

What should I expect?

Expect to be yourselves, and enjoy your time together! Piggy-back rides, hugs and tickles, free play, blowing bubbles, singing, shy times, silly times, and just being who each of you are. Just let your children be, and trust that I will anticipate the moment to capture the kind of images that drew you to my work.

How do you get the kind of images you have on your site? Will you be able to photograph my child that way?

My style flows from the unique relationship resulting from my interaction with each child. The most important factor in getting these fresh, authentic images is to have the children feel at ease and not pressured. They should be physically comfortable, rested and nourished. And, most importantly, they need to feel free to have fun and be themselves, so that I can capture those unique expressions that make such wonderful keepsakes.
With regular sessions, I will take the time I need to create great images of your little one. Some children are more reserved, and they might take a bit longer to warm up. I ask parents to grant me the chance of being silly along with the kids, and to have some time in which I interact with them without direction from Mom and Dad. Often children relax better when they are not striving to meet the expectations they feel are placed on them for a photo-shoot. Please do not prompt the children to sit still, pose or say cheese during the session. However, I welcome your contribution in getting those genuine smiles with special tricks, songs and silly faces you know are irresistible to your little ones.

What should I wear?

Clothing is a very important factor in how the final image looks and feels. I recommend wearing lots of color, and layer clothes as much as possible to add interest. Especially if the weather is cooler, layers can provide the needed warmth, while giving some flexibility for a few different looking images.  I recommend clothing with fun texture, such as chunky sweaters, clothing with ruffles, buttons, ribbons, embroidery, dresses and tops with a quilted appearance.
I absolutely love bright, fun and unique accessories. Knitted/crocheted hats, scarves, fun necklaces, funky boots, tights, leg warmers and blankets can add to the interest of the image I create.

Newborns look best photographed in their birthday suit, or just in a diaper with a diaper cover.  I might occasionally incorporate certain props in newborn photography, such as baskets, knitted cocoons, etc. I encourage you to provide objects of meaning to you, such as that hat knitted by grandma, colorful leg warmers or baby’s first blanket.

Families should not strive to wear the exact same color. A family uniform can appear too artificial, and would not result in an image that speaks about who you each are at this time in your lives.
You can choose clothing with hues that go well together without being identical, and allow each person to still be unique and true to their style.
Please avoid overly formal clothes (especially on children), and lots of white.

Allow your children to participate in picking their own clothes, when possible. I love seeing glimpses of their preferences and personality through the colors and patterns they favor. Does she love wearing her tutu and colorful tights? Let her! Is he in love with his rain boots, or his makeshift cape? Bring them along! Consider bringing more than one outfit, to achieve variety in the images. Often just adding a hat, or layering an extra shirt, will give a whole new mood to the pictures.

There are several boutiques where fun, bright, modern children’s clothing can be found. Stores such as Children’s Place, Gymboree, Old Navy, Gap, Target also have plenty of good styles to choose from.
Don’t forget etsy.com as well, for a great selection of handmade wonderful clothes and accessories.

What to bring?

– change of clothes and accessories (hats, scarves, etc) to allow for a variety of looks.
– a few objects of significance to the family members, if you wish. For children, we can include their favorite teddy, blanket or wooden toy, to add to the authenticity of the images.
– snack, warm jacket, change of underwear, anything that is needed to make the child physically comfortable
– balance of the session payment
– chapstick, barrettes, etc, if you feel there may be a need

What does the Basic Session fee include?

The Basic Session rate includes my time and talent during the photo session, digital editing and a minimum of 20 images to choose from. Also included is an in-person ordering session, where we go through the images together, decide which images and products best suit your needs, and place your order.
The Designer session rate also includes a generous print credit, as detailed in my price list.
Other session types are available; feel free to contact me for the complete price menu.

Do you offer packages?

We offer several choices of collections of wall art, gift prints, books, at significant discounts over the a la carte costs. Also, wall galleries (three or more wall sized art pieces) provide 20% savings off the cost of the individual wall art pieces.
All the wall art leaving our studio is entirely finished and ready to hang, either as custom framed pieces, or as gallery wrapped canvases. Wood and metal mounts are also available by request.

Can I get the images digitally?

There are some options if you would like to purchase the images digitally: as a slideshow DVD (not for printing),  medium resolution CD with several files (the CD with all the session files is included at no cost with all orders over $2,499), or individual high resolution files (a minimum purchase order may apply).  Additionally – and by request – , every image purchased in print is available as my complimentary gift to you, web-sized and watermarked, for online and electronic sharing.

What is a ‘polished’ file?

I strive to make each image the best it can be, both in camera and during post-process. A finished (or “polished”) file is an image I have optimized and brought to its highest potential in my digital lab, and is ready for you to see, purchase, and hang it on your wall.
Click here for details on the amount of editing, post-processing and design work included with your session fee. Additional custom changes can be done, at a per-30 minutes rate.

How much can I expect to spend?

There is no obligation to spend more than the session cost.
However, all my clients purchase art prints and products, and on average most choose to invest between $1,800 and 3,500.

I love ALL my images and cannot part with them — what are my options?

Many people love all the images they are shown, and they choose to keep many or all via the books and albums offered, the slideshow DVD or the medium resolution image disk.

What are some of the most popular/recommended products?

Baby, family  and child images make the best (in my unbiased opinion) wall decor for your home, and several of my clients choose to decorate their walls with gallery canvases, or framed wall collections, the ultimate custom reminder of the beauty and love in their family.
Specific prices for all these and more are in our current price menu (available by request). You can also contact me at any time and I will be happy to consult you at no cost during or before the ordering session, concerning what might work best with your wall space and your preferences.

Another popular purchase are storyboards/collages of multiple images. I design these for you with your favorite images, and can show you some examples at our ordering session.

Beginning in 2011, with our regular sessions we include a mini electronic (sometimes phone) consultation before we meet for the actual photography session. We will send you a questionnaire to learn more about what you are looking for, what are some of your family’s traditions you would like remembered, clothing suggestions, and what type of final products you are considering: albums, table top prints, wall collections, canvases, storyboards, art cards, etc.

When is the best time to schedule a newborn session?

Newborns are best photographed within the first ten days of life (ideally day 5 or 6), to get that fleeting and so special new baby look. You should book your newborn session before your baby is born to make sure I reserve time in my schedule that would allow for flexibility, given that actual birth rarely takes place on the due date.

Do you travel?

Yes, I am available for travel. You can commission me for a one-day or two-day portrait session. Contact me for details.

Do you require a retainer?

Yes, half of the session cost, paid in advance, will reserve your time slot. This amount is applied toward the session fee, and is non-refundable in the event of a cancellation.

What if it rains or we are sick at the time of our scheduled session?

We will find an alternate location or time slot. Please let me know as soon as possible, should you need to reschedule.

How soon can I expect to have my images ready?

I show my clients images of the highest quality, and these take time to polish and finalize.
Images will be ready for viewing at our ordering session, in approximately 4 weeks.

Once the ordering session is completed and the order is placed, you can expect the final products and prints to arrive in less than 6 weeks. This allows me to inspect every image and reprint if necessary, to ensure its quality before it reaches you.
If a rush order is necessary, please mention this at the time the order is placed and if our workload allows we can strive to deliver your order in 2 weeks, for an additional 25% of the order total.

Are your sessions during both weekends and weekdays?

We photograph most sessions during weekdays, primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Multi-session plan members have priority when scheduling our handful of available weekend spots.

We delight in giving each of our clients the utmost customized service, and to that end we schedule a limited number of private portrait sessions per month. Our schedule is usually booked 3-5 weeks in advance, so we encourage you to contact us to reserve a date as soon as you know our work is the perfect match for your family!

Thank you!

connect with us on Facebook here: fb/OanaHogrefePhotography

read Oana’s photography mission here: What I believe about love, time and presence

 

Mother and daughter