What to expect during your session

Hello and welcome to the first blog post of the new and improved Inside the Apple Photography blog page. Firstly, thank you so so much for taking the time to click onto this blog and read my ramblings. I want to use this platform for us to get to know each other a bit. If you managed to get through the "About" tab on the home page then you probably already know far too much about my crazy self, but I hope what you took from it is my love of fun and adventure. So that brings me to the theme of my first blog..."what to expect during your session..."

I want to use this space here today to help you understand a little bit about the process, my passion for the craft and some suggestions to make sure your session is EVERYTHING it should be.

Truth be told, no two sessions are ever the same, which as an artist, fills my heart with the good feelies. No two people are the same, so I promise you one thing, the cookie cutters are at home in my baking drawer. One of a kind is my gig. We all have styles, personalities and preferences that need to be celebrated for their uniqueness. So this is how your time with me will begin:

A phone call. An email. A warm how are you. A chat. A coffee. A creative design session.

Any or all of the above.

My goal os to plan the session WITH you, not FOR you. As I said, no two people are alike and that goes well beyond one's style. If you haven't guessed by now, I am kind of an extrovert. Kind of? Who am I kidding, I walk around with unstoppable jazz hands! That said, not everyone is the same. Uniqueness, remember? This is the fun part. This is where I get to help you celebrate YOU! If you are very shy and have never had a photo shoot, we will work together to ensure that we have fun while respecting your comfort levels. If you have children who never allow anyone to take a picture without making silly faces or showing you how displeased they are that you made them wear those uncomfortable outfits while being told to "smile for the camera"... don't worry. I've got this! Just so you know, the child is ALWAYS the boss during one of my sessions. We work with their energy. It is my job to make sure they are having fun and are engaged during our time together. Because no two people, no two children, no two sessions ever EVER go the same way, I do not watch the clock.

A FEW THINGS I GUARANTEE

• I never book back to back sessions where I will not be able to run longer than planned due to unforeseen circumstances or challenges 
• I will respect your time above all, however if I feel I have not quite captured the story as well as I would have liked, I will always ask for a little more of your time so I am able to provide you with the best imagery I can
• We will create a detailed plan of what it is you would like for your session. The style and staging for your final fine art pieces will be agreed upon in advance so I meet your expectations and create your vision
• I do NOT take hundreds of images, run them through a quick edit and provide them all to you on a disc. I find the best of the day's shoot and only those images are edited. Each image is personally edited by myself and crafted in my signature style. (to give you an idea of what NE shoot results in, please click on the Showcase tab)
• When it comes time to choose your imagery, you will have a handful of different poses and styles to choose from, not 200 of the same snap shot. I NEVER post or send proofs of unedited work as my signature style is fine art. I will NEVER post an image and tell you to "imagine" what it could look like after I finish it for you. You will ALWAYS see the finished piece as I am proud to call myself an artist, therefore anything less would be the equivalent of me offering you my rough sketches.
• You will have my utmost attention and care before, during and after your session.  

NOW LET'S TALK WARDROBE

I am not going to tell you what you should and shouldn't wear, but some helpful tips might make it easier for you to decide. 

• If your session contains 2 or more people, then please keep patterns to a minimum. Imagine if you will, one child wearing psychedelic starbursts and abstract designs and the other wearing a neon coloured flower pattern. It could take away from the overall image.
• Soft to mid tone shades of matching or complementary colours are best. For example, jeans with various tomes of blue, or red etc etc, tops. 
• We will discuss location options during the consultation, but footwear is also important. The general rule of thumb is, unless we are on a fixed surface like concrete, heals are not recommended for comfort and safety. By all means, bring them with you if you would like them on for the image, but have comfortable walking shoes as we trek around the location(s)
• Makeup (if you wear makeup) should be a little heavier than your daytime makeup to allow for the lighting, but unless we are doing something dramatic or themed, we want the imagery to feel as natural as possible.
• Fairytale or Themed sessions- This will be planned for in advance as we will need you to try on dresses and plan the exact set design for your session

I WILL PROVIDE/PREPARE

• Chilled water at each session
• adequate ground covering options (blankets etc) should I ask you sit on the ground for some of your imagery
• an assortment of props will be on hand for all sessions
• pre-staging for the more elaborate sessions
• Umbrellas should the weather begin to turn
• All the lighting and equipment to create your masterpiece with
• An endless smile and boundless energy!
• You will see your proofs within 2 weeks of the session and once ordered you will receive your USB or disc of the high resolution printable images within one week

WHAT I ASK FROM YOU

• Please be at your session no less than 5 minutes in advance so we can do a final run through of your session plan
• If you would like to make changes to our session plans/design, please let me know no later than 48 hours prior to your session unless it is a fairytale or themed session, in which case I would require no less than 7 days notice to ensure I am still able to provide everything for this specialized session
• I am incredibly accommodating so if you do wish to make changes, please please PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Wow! That was a LOT of info for the first blog on my new site. I promise they won't all be so info heavy going forward. We all need more silly in our day so there will be some fun stories, session sharing and randomness to look forward to.