What to expect when you book with SVB Photography.

One thing I’ve come across while running my business is that clients often know they want photos, but they don’t always know exactly how to get the photos they really want.

The booking process itself is easy.

Find the website. Fill out the forms. Click the link. Book your session. Boom.. you’re locked in. It’s a relatively straightforward process regardless of who you’re booking with.

But after that…

What’s next?

What can a client actually expect once they’ve booked? And more importantly, what should your photographer be doing to bridge the gap between “I want some photos” and “These are exactly the photos I was hoping for”?

Because I don’t think booking a photographer should mean you’re suddenly responsible for figuring everything else out yourself.

You shouldn’t necessarily have to know where you want to shoot, what to wear, how to pose, what will photograph well, or how to turn a vague idea into an actual concept.

That’s where I come in.

It Starts Before We Ever Pick Up a Camera

Once your session is booked, we schedule a consultation (whether that just means email or texting back and forth or meeting for coffee) & start figuring out what you actually want from your photos.

Maybe you already have a very specific vision.

Maybe you have a Pinterest board with 47 screenshots and a dream.

Or maybe your someone who is thinking:

“I don’t know exactly what I want, but I want it to feel… magical?”

All three are completely valid.

My job is to help take that idea (however fully formed or completely chaotic it may be) and turn it into something we can actually create together.

We’ll Talk About the Vision

Before your session, we’ll talk about what you’re hoping to get out of it.

That might mean discussing:

    •    the overall mood or aesthetic

    •    location ideas

    •    outfits (don't worry, i have a cheat code aka styling guide)

    •    props or meaningful details

    •    inspiration you’ve saved

    •    poses or types of images you love

    •    things you’re nervous about

    •    things you absolutely don’t want

You don’t have to arrive with all of the answers.

That’s part of what you’re hiring me for.

Choosing the Right Location

Location can completely change the feeling of an image.

Do you want lush PNW greenery? Water? Urban architecture? Open fields? Something cozy and intimate? Something a little weird?

We’ll choose a location based on the story we’re trying to tell, not simply because it’s a pretty place to take pictures.

And if you have no idea where you want to go?

That’s okay too.

I’ve got ideas.

What About Posing?

You do not need to know how to pose.

Seriously.

You are not expected to show up knowing what to do with your hands, where to put your feet, or how to magically look natural while someone points a camera at you.

I’ll guide you through it.

Some people need a little direction.

Some people want to move around and play.

Some people need me to demonstrate what the hell I’m asking them to do.

And some people just need me to say, “Okay, that was great. Let’s do that again, but this time…”

We’ll figure out what works for you.

Your Session Should Feel Like You

This is probably the most important part.

I’m not interested in creating a gallery where every person looks like they walked out of the same photography template.

Your session should reflect you.

That might mean keeping things soft and romantic.

It might mean something bold and dramatic.

It might mean running through the woods, dressing up like a goddess, having a cozy in-home session, or coming up with something completely unhinged that somehow makes perfect sense once we actually do it.

I’m here for all of it.

After the Session

Once we’ve finished shooting, your job isn’t suddenly over.

I’ll take care of the editing process and prepare your proof gallery so you can see what we’ve created.

You’ll have the opportunity to select your favorites, and from there I’ll complete the final edits and prepare your finished gallery.

The goal isn’t just to hand you a folder full of pictures.

It’s to create images that make you think:

“Yep. That’s me.”

So… What Should You Expect From SVB?

You can expect me to do more than simply show up, point a camera at you, and send you a gallery afterward.

I want to collaborate with you.

I want to hear your ideas.

I want to help when you don’t have any ideas.

I want to tell you when something isn’t going to photograph the way you’re imagining it & help us find a better solution.

And I want you to feel like you had someone in your corner throughout the entire process.

Because sometimes you don’t need a photographer who simply knows how to take a good picture.

Sometimes you need someone who can help you figure out what picture you actually want in the first place.

And that’s a big part of what I want MY clients experience to be