- Can I purchase digital images of my gallery?
Any print orders over $500 will receive digital copies of the photos ordered. This only applies to prints and lockets. Books, digital paintings, or color conversions will NOT receive digital copies. Digital copies will be emailed within a week of the order. Orders from other family members DO go towards the $500 total. If you think we've missed putting a family member's order under your name, please email us to let us know.
- Why are heirlooms so expensive?
Prints > digitals. Heirloom photos are different from regular photo sessions in that we want there to be physical prints and items to pass on. This isn’t something you do every year like a family mini session. This is a once-in-a-lifetime investment. Your child will never look just like he or she does right now.
We switched gears from weddings to heirlooms a couple of years ago. When doing our CODB for this new subset of our business, even I experienced sticker shock. We charge what we do because we want to have a happy and sustainable business. Traveling is risky, and we never know if we will have 7 kids whose parents might spend $100 each or 28 kids whose parents might spend $600 each. Outside of the price-risk involved, we also have a "borrow closet" that we curate so people don’t have to spend money on a special outfit that would only be seen from the sleeves up. It costs quite a bit to purchase enough items in each size to keep this up and travel with these items.
Outside of normal business expenses and small business taxes, there are also two of us in the business, so we split everything. Most people don’t question why a sandwich costs as much as it does or why football tickets cost what they do because those prices are set by a corporation, not a small business. But I promise, we are worth it!
If you’d like to reserve a spot, use the booking system below . Just make sure you double check the date and time that best suits your needs.
- I don’t see a date that works for us. How can I host?
We would love for you to host us! We ask that hosts promote the event on social media and in local forums, be friendly to clients, answering the door and greeting them if we cannot. We will need a 10’ x 10’ space with an outlet. It doesn’t have to be beautiful or even have a window. We’ve been in basements, workout rooms, closets, and office buildings. We need a restroom for the clients to use and change in. In exchange , the host receives sitting fee coverage for their child plus an 11”x14” fine art print and digital image. For heirloom sessions where we have to travel, we need at least 7 sittings (outside of the hosts’ child) to cover our costs. In the event that we don’t have enough bookings and have to cancel , we would refund all bookings for that date. If you would like to host, shoot us an email with some dates that work for you!
The host receives sitting fee coverage for their child plus an 11”x14” fine art print and digital image.
Siblings need their own session time.
- What should my child wear?
Light colored heirloom-style clothing works well. I like smocking or peter pan collars - something with detail near the neck. If you don’t have anything that works, browse our collection, and let us know what you’d like to borrow. We have tons of options, so that you don't have to spend money on a one-time outfit. Alternatively, we have had people wear plain white tee shirts and babies to go shirtless.
- What is the best age for heirloom portraits?
Children should be able to sit upright on their parents’ knee. 6 months+ is strongly recommended. We cannot be held responsible for babies who do not have core or neck control.
- What if my child is scared of new situations?
Listen, stranger danger is real ! Especially in those 1-2 year babies! I recommend coming very early, sitting away from the current session, but close enough that the child is aware of what is going on. Just spend time with the child. Tickle, laugh, play, but don’t bring attention to us or the current session. Kids are more curious if *they* discover us. If they’re still nervous we will deploy our many *many* child silliness tactics.
- What if I want an image in color?
If you see an image that you would love to have a print in color, we will color it for $20.
- My child has a blemish on his face, can you remove it?
Absolutely! We tend to remove anything that isn’t permanent (pimples , scratches, etc) and leave anything that lives on your kiddo (moles, scars, birth marks). Sometimes, we can't tell what is a boo boo and what is permanent, so let us know if you think we will miss it! Things that require extensive restoration work, like black eyes, hair in eyes or busted lips, will be left on for proofing, but removed for any photos ordered. Braces removal or extensive editing is a $20 per image fee.
- How early should I arrive?
15-20 minutes before your appointment time, depending on if you need to change and prep your kiddo. Earlier if you'd like to browse our clothing and bow selections.
- How should I prepare my child for the session?
Talk to your child about their session to get them excited. Tell them about our bright lights and silly attitudes. Tell them, if they do a great job, we have a secret treasure chest that they can pick a prize from. Also, please wipe any food , boogers, dried yogurt, etc. from their sweet little faces. Noses (nostrils -what a weird word) are especially hard to edit, so if you could de-crust your kids nostrils they won't look funky.
- When will my images be ready?
Images are usually ready in 3-4 weeks. All galleries have a week to order. This helps us keep up with multiple orders per gallery (such as if aunts and grandparents order from your gallery and their total goes towards your digital photo amount). We absolutely understand extenuating circumstances, so please let us know if you need a gallery extension due to vacation, work, or general life *gestures vaguely* stuff.
- Where should I get my images framed?
For framing, we always recommend visiting your local framing shop first. If you can’t find what you like there, try Williams-Sonoma, Addison Ross, Pottery Barn, Hobby Lobby, Crate and Barrel, and Target .