Summer and Fall Booking 2020 – everything you need to know
It’s the middle of summer and a lot of people are starting to think about their Fall pictures – so like every year I am putting all my booking information and links in this blog post.
But first we need to talk about the obvious – the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging across our country and none of us know how the next few months will look like. Here is what I will do to ensure your and my safety and conform to state set regulations:
- I wear a mask to every photoshoot. I do this to protect you and your kids. I also try to stay 6ft away at all times. Unfortunately I also can’t bring my own props for safety reason right now but you are welcome to bring your own.
- I am drastically reducing the number of sessions I offer this Fall. This should give us some leeway should we have to reschedule due to sickness.
- Which leads me to the next point: if you or anybody in your surroundings – or myself or anybody in my surrounding – feels sick or is sick or is running a fever, we will postpone. Safety first.
- Photographers received permission to shoot portrait sessions outside when we started Phase 2 on May 1st. Should we have to go back to Phase 1 for the rest of Fall, you can carry over your deposit and you will have first choice for booking for any future date (your price will also be locked in at whichever rate you originally booked). I will also issue a refund if you think you won’t be able to do a session with me in the future (for example if you’re moving abroad).
- I’ve done lots of photoshoots with my mask on now and I guarantee you it’s not an issue and I am still able to make toddlers laugh.
- Since my studio is in my home, I have made the decision to close my studio until it is completely safe again. I will still do in home newborn sessions and lifestyle outdoor newborn sessions – however I will not pose the baby. If you’d like to book one of those just book a full session and send me a separate email letting me know that you’d like to do it as a newborn session since I need to plan in the extra time. Price is the same as a regular family session.
- Since my studio is closed I will not be doing studio-Christmas mini sessions this year. I will be hosting something outside instead. I will either do a mini session outside your (maybe decorated) home or at a festive location like Lincoln Square. But more about this in October!
Now for booking :
Before you decide on when to book – every month has it’s advantages. August and September have warm weather and beautiful flowers but may not be great if you’re afraid of sweat or if your hair gets frizzy in humid weather.
Mid to late October usually has the best Fall foliage but it also rains more, so if you’re looking for a golden sunset you may want to book in September instead.
November has gorgeous colors – a mix of Fall colors with beautiful long wild grass and usually empty parks for photos – but it can be cold (make sure to dress yourself and the kids accordingly) – if you have little kids under 4, I recommend booking in the warmer months.
Mini Sessions
$340 in September/October or $290 in August
Do you need an updated family picture? Do you just want some nice pictures of you and your kids but you don’t want anything time consuming? Then the Mini may be a good option for you.
Outdoor Mini sessions are 20 to 30 minutes long. I shoot most of my outdoor Mini sessions at Winnemac Park. It’s the perfect place for Minis because we can get a good variety of pictures in a short amount of time and the foliage there is gorgeous. I sometimes shoot Minis in other places if I have a Full session before or after.
Included in the price of a Mini are ten edited photos in both color and black-and-white. You may purchase extra pictures for $25 or upgrade to a full gallery. You will receive an online gallery with your photos to download as high-resolution files and an option to order prints.
I am only offering one mini session a week right now. I know these are popular sessions and I may decide to offer more in October but currently this is all I am going to offer.
Full Sessions
$490 on weekdays $550 on weekends
In the Full sessions we take our time and try to capture moments and emotion. We spend 40 to 60 minutes together. We start out with the sort of pictures we’d do during a Mini session – smile in the camera, the perfect family portrait. After we get those shots, we play, we laugh, we run around. I’m going to make this experience as relaxed and positive and fun as possible for you and your kids. My goal is to get everybody out of their shell and to just capture love and personality.
With a Full session you receive at least 60 pictures, usually more, in both color and black-and-white versions. You will receive an online gallery with your photos to download as high-resolution files and an option to order prints.
Below you find the links to book your session. I generally plan to shoot one weekday – mostly that will be Wednesday but if you can never make a Wednesday, please send me an email and I will try and be flexible! On weekends I only shoot on Saturday – I reserve Sundays as backup days in case the weather is bad or we have to postpone for other reasons. Also the best time to to take pictures is within two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset, so I generally try and schedule my sessions then. Of course at the end of October the sun sets as early as 5pm, so please keep that in mind. These links are only to pay to reserve your spot – the rest of the payment is due on or before your photo session. Since November can be quite chilly I am only scheduling mini sessions for November right now – I will re-evaluate should we have a very warm Fall!
September/October Mini Sessions
September/October Full Sessions Weekdays
September/October Full Sessions Weekends
Thank you for your trust and support! I hope to see you all this Fall – happy and healthy!
For any questions please send me an email at info@alinesternphotography.com
