Do You Offer Mini Sessions?
What's Included with the Session Fee?
What Days and Times are Sessions Scheduled?
What Locations Do You Use for Sessions?
What Do I Wear for My Session?
What Should I Bring to My Session?
When Will I Receive My Gallery?
What Can I Do with the Digital Files I Receive in My Gallery?
What Is Your Editing Style?
Are you able to do custom touch ups on photos for blemishes, etc.?
How Long Do Your Sessions Last?
What If I'm Not Very Photogenic?
What If My Child Acts Out During the Session?
How Do I Reserve My Session Date?
What is Your Cancellation Policy?
How Will You Use My Images?
How Long Will You Store My Images?
What Safety Precautions Do You Take Regarding Covid-19?
Why I Don't Offer Traditional Mini Sessions for Families
At first glance, a 15- to 20-minute mini session seems ideal - especially for families with small kids or anyone who feels they only need a handful of photos. However, in my experience, rushing through back-to-back sessions on a strict timer isn't the best fit for my clients or the quality of art I want to deliver.
When you invest time, effort, care, and money into outfits, planning, and booking, I believe you deserve a stress-free experience and a complete, beautiful gallery.
No Race Against the Clock: Back-to-back mini sessions leave zero margin for error. If traffic happens, a toddler skips a nap, or a shy child needs extra time to warm up, a 15-minute window can quickly become stressful and will likely not be enough time to capture a variety of family, couple, sibling, and individual poses. I want families, and myself, to breathe and enjoy, not watch the clock.
Wiggle Room Built In: Instead of rigid time slots, I schedule one family per evening during peak golden hour light. Sessions typically range from 30 to 90 minutes depending on family size, outfit changes, and pacing. If we nail everything in 30 relaxed minutes, fantastic! If the little ones need a snack break or a few minutes to explore, we have the flexibility without cutting your gallery short.
Prioritizing Experience and Quality over Income: While offering rapid-fire mini sessions could be lucrative to my business, switching through families every 20 minutes doesn't align with why and how I create portraits. My priority is a calm, enjoyable evening that allows smiles and interactions to unfold naturally without rush or pressure.
A Budget-Friendly Alternative: Shared Sessions!
If you love the idea of a shorter session or want to be mindful of your budget, you can split an extended family session with friends or relatives for $400 ($200 per family). We meet at the same location and alternate time if needed so the kids stay fresh and happy, and each family get their own complete gallery.
Your session fee includes the sitting as well as all of the custom edited, high resolution digital files! During your session I will guide you through a variety of fun and natural poses and combinations and make sure everyone has fun and looks their best :) The files will be delivered to your email through a private online gallery within 30 business days following your session.
The photos in the gallery can be used for viewing, downloading, and sharing with family and friends. You also receive a print and post release. Professional prints, canvas, and custom layflat albums can be ordered directly through the online gallery.
I schedule sessions on Monday through Saturday. I reserve Sundays for family and church, so I am not able to schedule client sessions on that day. Saturdays fill up fast so if you are available on a week day I will have more options! If you have a specific date(s) in mind please let me know and I can tell you if I am available or not. If you are flexible with your date I will send you my next available date!
Most outdoor sessions will start 2 hours before sunset in the evening or within the 2 hours after sunrise in the morning. These times are referred to as "golden hour" when the lighting is soft, glowing, and most flattering to all skin tones. Keep in mind that sunset times change month to month, so start times will be earlier in the late fall and winter. For reference, see sunrise/sunset times calendar here: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/tulsa.
Morning Sessions are great for families with young children so that we avoid the afternoon/evening witching hours :) Plus, you are done early and have the rest of the day to enjoy!
Indoor sessions for newborns, some toddler milestones, and family lifestyle sessions will be scheduled during peak daylight hours for the most abundant window light. These sessions usually start between 10am and 2pm.
If you need to do an outdoor session during the middle of the day because of scheduling reasons, our location will be limited to one that has a lot of shade (from buildings, etc.)
For portrait sessions I primarily shoot outdoors in natural light. For some sessions, such as newborns, and young children, I use indoor natural light spaces. I also have access to an indoor natural light setting for sessions that need to be scheduled during high winds or extreme temperatures, or if you want a "studio style" setting. Newborn lifestyle sessions will be held in the client's home. Some indoor sessions may incur an additional fee.
If you don't have a specific location in mind, please take a look at my LOCATION GUIDE, under the SESSION INFO tab at www.kristibrayphotography.com/location-guide, and my Blog for locations I have used in previous sessions. If the location is a private residence, I have permission to photograph other clients there as well. I have a few favorite locations in Bartlesville that I love and have consistent beautiful light, so I can provide advice over email or the phone on choosing the best location for the look that you want.
What you wear for your session will make a BIG IMPACT on your experience and how your pictures turn out! For that reason I want you to look your best and I'm here to advise and help :)
When you schedule your session date I will send you a custom style guide with tips for choosing pieces to wear for your session. After reading the guide, if you need any help or advice, please send me a picture of what you have in mind and I can offer feedback on choosing the perfect outfits for your session!
IN ADDITION, I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WILL NOW BE OFFERING A CLIENT CLOSET!!! This special bonus will allow you to borrow timeless pieces that are already proven to look great on camera and all skin tones, and add them to your session. No need worry about spending extra money and time to find a new shirt, dress, or extra sweater for you child that will coordinate with items you already own! I will have an online collection for you to choose from and will bring your chosen pieces, laundered and pressed, right to the session! CHECK OUT ALL THE ITEMS AVAILABLE on my website at https://www.kristibrayphotography.com/client-closet/
In general you will just need to bring any non messy snacks for the kiddos, water bottles, and bug repellent if needed. I have a variety of blankets, stools, chairs, benches, and baskets that I will bring to the session when needed. If there are specific poses, props, or ideas that you are wanting please let me know before the session so I can plan ahead and let you know if there is something I won't be able to do!
I work quickly and I want you to get your photos as soon as possible! Most portrait sessions are delivered within 2-3 weeks. Most weddings are delivered within 3-4 weeks!
The photos in the gallery can be used for viewing, downloading, and sharing with family and friends. You also receive a print and post release. Professional prints, canvas, and custom layflat albums can be ordered directly through the online gallery (min $12 order). More information about my professional print products can be found under the Investment Tab within my website's menu.
My editing style is natural, bright, and true to life! Your images will be beautiful, fun, and timeless :) Just take a look at the pictures on my homepage and the view my work tab for numerous examples of what types of images to expect in your gallery!
All files will be custom edited for color, brightness, shadows, etc., in accordance with the style you see in the images on my website and past sessions posted on my website blog. Individual touch ups for items such as blemishes, fly away hairs, etc. will be included and performed at my discretion. Some custom touch ups may be limited to a select number of photos or incur additional fees.
Most family sessions last 45-90 minutes, depending on family size, etc. Most senior session last up to 90 minutes. Individual kid sessions usually last about 30 minutes. Newborn Session usually last 1-2 hours. In all sessions I will guide you through a variety of natural and fun poses and multiple family member combinations. See my pricing page for more details.
Don't worry about how you look on camera because I will have all of that taken care of for you! That is my job ;) I come equipped with all of the tips and tricks to flatter every body and make sure everyone looks awesome in front of the camera and in your final images :) I will guide you through a variety of fun and natural poses that ensure you will look amazing in front of the camera! I will lead you through the entire session as we do a variety of camera aware and candid type pictures including sitting, standing, walking, etc.
If your child acts out during the session it’s best to stay calm and respond in a positive manner. My experience has shown that kids respond well to this attitude and we can quickly redirect and get back to capturing your images! I come prepared to every session with multiple tricks up my sleeve to make it fun and easy for children of all ages :)
I will also bring some small bribe treats along for the kids and use them if needed!
I’ve seen it all and will make sure to get you great photos, regardless of their moods :) My goal is to make this as fun and stress-free as it possibly can be for you and your family!
Once we find a date that works for the both of us, I send an invoice to your email. Full Payment is required within 48 hours of scheduling in order to secure and reserve your session date. Payments can be made with cash, check, or a credit card online.
If you cancel at least 7 days prior to the scheduled session, and do not wish to reschedule, you can request a full refund.
If you cancel or need to reschedule less than 7 days prior to the session date, a $30 fee will be charged.
In the case of bad weather (rain, high winds, or lightning), I will reschedule your session to the next earliest date possible. If I need to cancel for any reason, you can choose to reschedule or receive a full refund!
Using and sharing highlighted images from my sessions is a critical part of running my photography business! It is how I build my portfolio, how people can see examples of my work when deciding to hire me, and how I attract new and continuing clients.
After sessions I usually post some highlights on my website blog, a few images on my social media (including my business Facebook and/or my business Instagram page), and occasionally I use images for digital ads on my Facebook page or emails or in print for flyers, marketing displays, etc. I DO NOT tag people within the posts on Facebook or Instagram. See examples here: https://www.kristibrayphotography.com/blog or https://www.facebook.com/kristibrayphotography or https://www.instagram.com/kristibray_photography Please reach out if you have any questions!
I backup all image files to physical and professional cloud storage and plan to keep them indefinitely, but I cannot guarantee long term availability due to any circumstances beyond my control. Once the gallery is delivered, it is your responsibility to download the images to your own computer and secure them with your own personal backup storage. You gallery will remain live as long as my online storage storage is available. It may be taken down at some point due to storage restrictions and the need to open space for new galleries. However, the gallery can always be reuploaded if needed.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, additional safety precautions will be required. Anyone who attends the session MUST BE FREE OF ANY SYMPTOMS OF ANY ILLNESS! If you experience ANY symptoms between now and your session arrival, please contact me and we will gladly reschedule! As the photographer, I will be wearing a mask during the session. All persons, ages 3 and up, who will be attending the session, whether being photographed or not, are required to wear a face covering as well. Those being photographed will remove their face covering once we start taking pictures. If you need a face covering I have disposable ones I can provide. Just let me know!