Well, where shall I begin? I'll start off first by letting you know (if you don't know already) that I am a natural-light photographer. I personally don't like using a flash. Never have & probably never will. Call me old fashioned, but there's just something about natural lighting that can do wonders for a photo shoot. Of course, if I'm shooting a wedding or an event and the timing and venue calls for a flash, I will obviously use a flash. BUT - for all of my other sessions I schedule, I do not. These include senior portraits, bridals, family sessions, boudoirs & etc.
I am a working gal. I work a full-time job and love doing photography as a second job. I have yet to make the leap to making it my full time career - EEEEK - SOON THOUGH! (Can't wait) but besides that, getting back to my point - having another full-time job, going to school to obtain my Master's Degree in Business Administration, planning my wedding that's happening on November 9th, doing shoots out the wah-zoo, and somewhere in between it all, I try to fit in a little special time in for my fiancé & I - my time is spread thin.
Sooooo, when you schedule a shoot with me, please be ON TIME. Not an hour late. Not 15 minutes late. I have never grasped the importance of punctuality until I started my photography business. If I am not personally 10 minutes early, I always consider myself late. It is one of my biggest pet peeves under the sun & I feel completely unprepared and off my rocker when I am running even a smidgen late.
Getting to my point (promise) ----> It is essential to being on time to your shoot!!! Can I stress it enough? Probably so. But let me make sure just incase ---- if you want to schedule a shoot for sunset - and you leisurely arrive 45 minutes late to your shoot right when the sun is about to completely fall, not only does it make your pictures not turn out the best that they possibly can (due to lighting and the adjustments that I have to make to my camera settings) but you don't get the full experience. We will literally have to RUSH through your entire session like chickens with our heads cut off in order to get the shots. Shooting with natural light is extremely time-sensitive & I always schedule your session for the best time possible.
That is why I am making an adjustment to my contract & policy. So, in other words, if you are 15 minutes late to your session, that will be 15 minutes deducted from your session time to shoot.
This also means, PLEASE come to your shoot ready & prepared. If you are purchasing a package with makeup & hair included, of course this does not apply to you. But if you are doing a shoot that includes a few outfit changes & show up in your pajamas & try to decide for 20 minutes which outfit you are going to wear first, & then you have to get changed & etc etc - your hour long session somehow turns into a 3-hour escapade.
I hope this is not coming across as rude or insincere to anyone, because I love ALL of my clients. Every single one of them. And yes, being late to a shoot can sometimes get a little nerve-wracking & frustrating for my team & I, (and I think anyone would feel the same) but that doesn't mean that I don't heart you. It has just lead me to making some changes in how I work.
I used to be really, REALLY lenient about time - not really caring if someone was 15-30 minutes late. As I have gotten busier & busier though, I've noticed that an hours time to me is immensely precious time that I could be spending with my family or catching up on work that needs to be done or whatever the case may be.
So, from this day forward, if you are more than 30 minutes late to your scheduled session, we will have to reschedule for another time. This will mean that you will be paying another deposit & complete your payment at our newly scheduled session.
It has taken me a while to really "enforce" this policy, but I have realized that it's not fair to me nor to my clients to rush through a session & not give you the best quality of pictures possible. You deserve the best darn pictures you have ever seen! So, in turn - there will be a change in policy & it will be clearly stated & included in my contract. I think we can all agree when saying that time is a precious thing & this will be best for myself & all of my clients.
Happy Wednesday! I hope you all have a fabulous night! xoxo
