Here are some frequently asked questions and my answers.
I've been asked a lot of questions before a photography session. Below are a few that I get asked most often. If you have any questions, or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me so we can discuss them openly and honestly.
E-Mail: lisamendezphotography@gmail.com
01
Why do photographers charge a session fee?
The session fee helps compensate the photographer for his or her time, effort, expenses, and artistic abilities. Session fees allow the photographer to be compensated even if a family decides not to purchase printed photographs or digital images. To help you understand, think about when you get your car serviced. You pay for the parts and labor separately. The labor for the photographer is the photography session, and the parts are the photographs, either printed or digital.
02
What to wear, what to wear, what to wear?!?!?
For some, this is an easy answer. They look like they just stepped off a magazine cover photo every day. For the rest of us, it’s a little more complicated and sometimes frustrating. My rule of thumb is to wear something comfortable that you like. If you like the way you look in it, and you can move around comfortably, wear it!
03
What about everyone else in the picture? What should they wear?
Same rule of thumb. Comfortable clothes that they think they look good in. There used to be all these “rules” for what to wear and what not to wear. For the most part, photographers can adapt the photographs to what you are wearing. It also shows a little bit of your personality. If you like to wear converse high tops with your skirts, do it! If you like to wear scarfs with every outfit, do it! The more you are comfortable being who you are, the easier time the photographer will have to capture your true personality. This is especially true for children! Don’t worry about matching each other. Wear what you want. Provide your children with a few outfits that you and they like, too.
04
What about my kids? What if they don't sit still?
Your kids will probably not stay still and that’s okay with me. I love photographing kids as they are…wild, carefree, shy, silly, whatever. Do you want to remember your kids sitting still with a posed, fake smile? Or would you rather see them in a photograph smiling and laughing? If your expectation of a good picture of your child is one with a forced smile, straining to sit still next to his sibling, in a tie that is cutting off his circulation, then I’m probably not the photographer for your children. Now, is that to say I won’t strive to get a picture where all of you are looking naturally at the camera and look like you are having a great time? Absolutely not! That is exactly what I, or rather we, will strive for, and hope in the process we capture some wonderful moments of you and your family.
05
What is your "photography style"?
My photography style is relaxed, laid-back, and natural. I prefer to create photographs of people being their natural selves in natural light. I love very informal pictures where people are just being themselves, but I also enjoy photographing brides in their bridal gowns, young adults in their prom dresses and suits, and women’s sensuality in boudoir photography. I also love doing senior and graduation portraits. Milestone images are fun because it is a celebration of a person’s life. I prefer not to photograph in a portrait studio unless it lends itself to the picture, such as a dancer in her recital costume.