A.Start with one person — usually whoever is hardest to dress — and build everyone else around them. Coordinate rather than match: two or three colors that live in the same family, mixed textures, nothing with a big logo across the front. Softer, muted tones tend to age better than whatever is trending this season.
And if you're stuck, send me photos of what you're considering. I'd rather spend ten minutes on it with you now than have you worrying about it all week.

A.No. That's the whole session.
I don't need anyone to sit still — I need them to be themselves while I follow them around. The frame where your three-year-old is mid-escape and everyone else is laughing about it is almost always the one that ends up on the wall. Toddlers are not a complication; they're the reason you booked.

A.After a discussion, I'll suggest places that suit your family and your hopes for the session. A session with a newly walking one-year-old wants a different location than one with three teenagers. I may suggest, parks, open fields, tree-lined streets, the beach — or in your own home if you want something quieter and more everyday.

A.For fall, earlier than most people expect. September through early November is the busiest stretch of my year, and because we're shooting in the last hour of daylight, there are only so many usable slots in a week — that number shrinks as the season goes on. I recommend a 4 weeks for fall
The rest of the year is more flexible. But, never hesitate to reach out.

A.The golden hour, just before sunset, is preferable. That light does more for a photograph than anything I can do in editing.
It's worth knowing that this window moves through the year. In summer it's late enough that we can shoot after dinner; by late fall it arrives before some people have left work, which is part of why the calendar gets tight in October and November.

A.I advise checking your son or daughter's school calendar for key dates when photos are due. The next thing is understanding their calendar and a date that works best.

A.Nobody thinks they are. It's the single most common thing people tell me before a session, and it's almost never true — what people usually mean is that they don't know what to do with themselves.
So I'll tell you. Where to stand, what to do with your hands, who to look at. And then I talk, a lot, until everyone forgets the camera exists. I got you.

A.A mix of both. My visual storytelling style leans toward a candid, documentary approach. Your images are inclusive of lightly directed posed family photographs, where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, are also treasured keepsakes.

A.Pets are part of the family. When I provide possible locations, these areas will be noted.

A.Typically, 1 week after your session. You'll get a private gallery you can view, download, and share with family.

I'll also send a small preview within a few days, because waiting is hard.

A.We reschedule, and there's no fee for it.
Worth saying: overcast is not rain. A soft grey sky is some of the best light there is, and I'd rather shoot in it than in hard sun. I'll only move a session for actual weather.