Things to help:

These are a few guidelines to help coordinate the clothing. These are not rules you are required to follow, think of them as helpful tips to make your portraits look better.

#1 - Please no cameras other than the photographers… There is a reason you hired a professional, show respect and leave your camera in a safe place back at the house. Please help me create a beautiful portrait as well as a fun experience for your family. If you have family members that want to bring cameras please tell them there is no need, that is why you hired a seasoned professional. I would be happy to answer photography questions. Should a visual reference be needed I can use my camera as an example. No personal cameras please. Detailed reasons can be found on this link Click Here

Clothing: "Conservative" = better wall portraits!

Clothing should be kept simple meaning no patterns or logos. Solid colors work best. Some shots will be sitting down or jumping/active so skirts may not be the best choice. Sun dresses are generally ok if past the knees. If skirts are preferred a skort would be best especially on young children. Babies with short dresses will most likely render a variety of images showing the diaper which is not good for wall portraits. For something different than the standard white and kaki you can use pastel colors or any color you find in the beach environment. This does not mean Tie-die, bright pink or shirts with beer bottles, those are examples of what not to wear. Some families like to put the girls in one color and guys in another or each family group can be in a different color. Families in different colors works very well as long as the colors are all the same brightness such as green pastel, orange pastel and yellow pastel. To avoid frustration with coordinating white and kaki, or a black shirt with blue jeans would be the way to go. However I do encourage creative energy whenever possible. For shoes, if one person is without all should be without and vice versa. Shirts showing cleavage will limit the number of usable images. Feel free to bring props for a "Personality Portrait"!!

Session Length and times:

I schedule sessions for 2 hours at sunset or sunrise incase it's cloudy. Clouds are good for photography if the light is bright enough. Clear days I can shoot right up until 15 minutes after the sun has passed. Cloudy days have a stopping point of about 30 minutes before the sunsets. The morning is reversed but with morning if it's cloudy we do not run out of light, we simply wait until the clouds clear. I do not put a limit on creative ideas, groupings or clothing changes. On a cold day we can shoot earlier in the day with studio strobes (lights) to balance shadows. Using strobes generally means the images will need to be planed and posed. For natural light relaxed images in the middle of the day a shaded spot is the best location or I can bring a canopy. When using a canopy the images will all need to be posed directly under the canopy and lit with strobe lighting I will bring with me. The options for using a canopy is not valid on windy days. When shooting in harsh light the canopy is wonderful however you do not get the wide range of photography you would during a sunset portrait session.

What to expect:

My approach to photography is very relaxed with my main focus on creating natural expressions with a clean, artistic perspective and a high quality product.

Ideas:

If you want to receive fun photos you'll need to plan on having fun. You are welcome to bring props such as things people use for hobbies.   I call these personality portraits because the props should say something about the people holding them.  With older people are usually things they did when they were younger that they cannot do any longer.  Bringing the two together again in a photograph can be a very powerful keepsake portrait.  Just a thought, props are not required but encouraged.   
 

What's Next?

For printing I use Millers Professional Imaging. They have been voted best lab in the country in many publications. They have a verify of presentation options to choose from. I have a basic price list online however specialty items like photo canvas or oil canvas prints require an ordering consultation via phone or in person before the order can be placed to ensure the print will meet your expectations before going into production.

Proofing is done in my studio or online through my lab. I upload the images to Millers Lab where they color correct and host the images on their easy online ordering system. When ordering, prints come directly from the lab and are at your door in 2-5 business days. The orders do not come to me before printing to ensure a faster delivery. This means you need to be very certain what you are ordering is what you want before you submit your order. Canvas artwrap prints can take up to 2 weeks. Custom orders with manipulation can be ordered though me. Large prints 16x20 or larger have manipulation and retouching fees included in the price listed on the above link if ordered directly from Tom Sapp Photography by email. When ordering by email through Tom Sapp Photography and not online there is a $25 fee for all orders under $150. To avoid this fee simply order online.

Shipping!!

Shipping is key if you care about your prints. Fedex and UPS are nutorious for being rough with packages. The lab offers several shipping methods. All orders by email through Tom Sapp Photography are shipped priority in a thick card board box to ensure the security of your investment. Online you will be given a choice, the choice is yours.

The extra mile:

My photography comes with a risk free guarantee meaning if you are not happy at any point I will return the session fee and buy back any prints you have received. If you are not happy with the color in the print you receive let us know and we can have the lab print another for you. If several prints or multiple orders need to be reprinted the lab or I may ask to see the prints first to verify your request. The lab may or may not agree to cover the cost of shipping to get the prints to the lab for verification, however there will be no charge to reprint and ship the prints back to you.

Thank you for showing interest in my photography. I'm looking forward to the session!