What to Expect
Planning & Booking
How do I book?
Booking is easy! Simply use the booking link on my website to select your session type and preferred date.
Once your inquiry is submitted, I'll send over a contract and questionnaire. Your session date is not officially reserved until the contract is signed and the retainer has been paid.
How far in advance should I book?
I recommend booking as soon as you've finalized your vacation dates, especially if you're hoping for a sunset session.
Sunset sessions are my most requested time slots and often book up a month or more in advance during busy seasons. While I occasionally have last-minute availability, booking early gives you the best chance of securing your preferred date and time.
What is the best time for pictures?
I only schedule sessions at sunrise or sunset because that's when the light is the most beautiful and flattering.
For sunset sessions, I typically start about 30–45 minutes before the actual sunset time. This allows us to capture the soft golden light, beautiful colors in the sky, and those dreamy cotton candy sunsets you see throughout my portfolio!
For sunrise sessions, I typically start about 30 minutes before the actual sunrise time. This is often when the sky is filled with gorgeous pink, purple, and blue tones before the sun even comes up. Sunrise sessions also offer calm water, cooler temperatures, and fewer people on the beach.
HOW long are your sessions?
Most sessions last around 30–45 minutes for couples and smaller families. Larger family sessions may take closer to an hour depending on the group size and dynamics.
However, I always allow up to one hour for every session. I never want anyone to feel rushed, and this gives us plenty of time for a variety of poses, candid moments, and anything else we may want to capture along the way!
Where do sessions take place?
I typically travel to you and meet you at your beach access. This makes things easier for families and allows us to use a location that's convenient for your vacation!
I regularly serve areas from Destin through 30A. Sessions outside of those areas may require a travel fee depending on the location.
If you're unsure where you'd like your session to take place, I'm always happy to help recommend a location!
Preparing for Your Session
What should we wear?
The beach is already beautiful, so your outfits should complement the landscape rather than compete with it!
I recommend soft, neutral colors such as creams, tans, light blues, sage greens, and other coastal tones. These colors tend to photograph best with the sand, water, and sky and help create the look you see throughout my portfolio.
I also suggest coordinating rather than matching! Having everyone wear the exact same color can make it harder for each person to stand out in photos! Mixing colors, textures, and layers adds more dimension and helps everything flow together naturally.
When it comes to patterns, less is usually more! Busy patterns, large logos, and graphics can be distracting and can sometimes compete with the people in the photo.
If you're stuck between a few outfit options or just aren't sure what will photograph best, send them my way! I am always happy to help and give my thoughts!
What if my kids don't cooperate?
Don't worry, I promise you're not the first family to wonder about this!
I actually love when kids are allowed to be kids! Some of my favorite images come from the in-between moments: running down the beach, playing in the sand, snuggling with mom and dad, laughing, exploring, and simply being themselves.
Rather than expecting children to sit perfectly still and smile for an entire session, I typically let them lead the way and build the session around their personalities and energy levels.
Of course, we'll still make time for those smiling-at-the-camera photos, but I also encourage lots of interaction between family members!
I may ask you to walk together, play with your little ones, tickle them, cuddle them, tell jokes, or simply enjoy being together. Those genuine interactions often create the most meaningful and memorable images!
At the end of the day, my goal isn't perfection. It's capturing your family exactly as you are in this season of life!
What happens if the weather is bad?
The weather on the Emerald Coast can be unpredictable, so I typically like to play it by ear!
I try not to cancel sessions until we know for sure that the weather won't cooperate. Many times, rain moves through quickly and we are still able to shoot as planned!
If weather does become an issue, we'll discuss the best option together. Depending on conditions, we may be able to adjust the session time, move it earlier in the day, or reschedule for another date if available.
AFTER YOUR SESSION
What is your turnaround time?
My current turnaround time is approximately 3 weeks.
I always work hard to deliver your gallery as quickly as possible while ensuring every image receives the attention it deserves!
How many images will I receive?
Every session includes a guaranteed minimum of 50 edited high-resolution images delivered in an online gallery.
That said, I typically deliver well over 60 images! The final number often depends on family size, session type, and how much variety we capture during our time together!
Can I order prints?
Absolutely! Your gallery will include access to a professional print store through White House Custom Colour (WHCC), one of the industry's leading professional photography labs. From your gallery, you can easily order prints, canvases, framed artwork, albums, holiday cards, and more!
The biggest difference between professional labs and standard consumer print stores is quality. Professional labs are calibrated specifically for photography, meaning the colors, skin tones, sharpness, and overall image quality will look much closer to what you see in your delivered gallery. This helps ensure your prints look true to the images you fell in love with when viewing your gallery online!
Ordering directly through your gallery is the easiest way to ensure your images are printed exactly as they were edited and meant to be enjoyed for years to come.