Studio Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

How long will the session take?

All of our portrait sittings are allowed one hour.  Our senior sittings may take longer, depending on the number of clothing changes.  We will allow longer than an hour for newborn sessions to allow for feeding, changing, etc.  Specials that we do during the year are allotted 30 minutes for each sitting unless there are clothing changes or lots of different groupings.

What should we wear?

Clothing can make or break a portrait.  Memorable portraits can take some planning.  You want the people to be featured and not the clothes, so stay away from large stripes, plaids and flowers.  For best results, solid colors are always better.  In a family portrait please don’t let everyone wear their favorite outfit!!  Have all family members dress in the same tones.  Not everyone has to be identical, (and it is really better if they don’t), but simple coordination is necessary.  For outdoor portraits, good options are earth tones in blues, grays, tans, browns, rusts and burgundy.  We also see a lot of people in khaki and white, khaki and black, denim and black and denim and white or a mixture of some of these colors which also looks great.  Remember that ¾ length and long sleeves as well as darker colors are the most slimming on men and women.  Indoor portraits can have any colors as long as they are solids or a very tiny print.   If you want a large portrait for your home, think about what colors are in that room and dress accordingly.  For Seniors or children, really anything goes!   Please call if you have more questions.

How long will it take before I see proofs and how long until my order is ready?

It will take 1-2 weeks before proofs are ready.  Once they are ready, they will be mailed to you . There is a $150 deposit due to us, which will be applied to your order when you place your order.  You will need to mail the proofs back to us to place your order, or we would be glad to meet up with you in Victoria or Edna .  Once you order, it will take 2-3 weeks for your portrait order to be completed.  You will need to pay in full and we will mail your order to you.

Can we bring our horse, dog or cat for our appointment?

Yes, you can, but there is an extra charge for each animal.

Can I get my photos in black and white?

All photos will be taken in color, however, it is no problem for us to print them in black and white or sepia.  You just need to let us know!!

What scenes and props do you have?

Since we moved and had a huge estate sale, our props are limited.  We no longer have a studio for you to come to but we can meet anywhere you would like to be photographed.   It could be Riverside Park, downtown area, your home or yard or another place to be determined.  We also love it when our customers bring things that are important to them or their child to use in the portrait.  This could be a special chair, toy or stuffed animal.

Can I look at the proofs online or can I get all of the photos that were taken on a CD?

We don’t do either of these.   When images are posted online, the photos are small and it is hard to really see what they look like and which ones are best.  We have found that it is best to see 4X6 proofs to order from.  During our specials, you will be emailed the chosen images to look at within a couple of days and will order from them.  We don’t put our images on a cd for you to keep or to print from.  When we print something for you, each image is hand cropped the way they need to be and then printed by a professional portrait lab.  If you take it to your favorite discount store to have printed, the photos usually look horrible and then that makes us look bad!

Do you sell gift certificates?

Yes, or course!   What a perfect gift for an anniversary, Christmas, birthday, new baby, Mother's Day, or Father's Day.  They are available in any amount you would like.