THE STUDIO
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where are you located?
We are located at
3440 Okanagan St. Armstrong, BC
What services do you offer?
We offer portrait photography for everyone from 1 to 100 years old, and pets are part of your family so they are included. We also serve business people with personal brand photography, and product photography.
Other services include photo restoration, scanning, professional photo editing and legacy wall design.
What is the sitting fee/session fee?
We do not have a sitting fee.
When you book your session, you will pay a nonrefundable retainer. Your retainer is due at the time of booking your photo session date, so that date and time is guaranteed just for you. It will be applied 100% to your product purchase, and it also includes your first image.
If you are a no-show, you will forfeit this amount.
The retainer is $500.
Do you retouch my photos?
Yes. Professional editing includes removing skin blemishes that are not permanent, softening lines and wrinkles, light body contouring, removing stray hairs and lint or pet hair from clothing.
We aim to present you on your photos as real as possible. We don’t want to create someone that you do not recognize. We want you to love yourself on your photos.
I can remove 20 lbs just with light and posing.
Extensive editing like extreme body contouring, correcting sun tans natural or spayed on, compositing people in or out of the image will cost extra $50/image.
What is your process?
First we talk about what type of photo session you need and available dates. If you decide to book your session on that call, your retainer payment is due to book your session. We will book 2 dates. The first one is your intended photo day, the second one is the backup day usually the next day after your original date.
I know things come up, emergencies happen, and I don’t want to leave you hanging in the last minute. I also work with a team and they need to be available for you, so this also helps with scheduling staff. There is no extra charge for rescheduling to the backup date. (Any subsequent rescheduling will cost a new $500 retainer fee.)
After we booked your photo day, we will have a consultation to plan your photo session. We can do this on a Zoom call or in person in studio. A consultation is required before your photo session.
On your photo day you will be prepared, hair and make up if requested will be done by a qualified make up artist, and then you will be styled, you will change into the outfit you want to wear. Hair and makeup takes about 2 hours. Your photo session will take about 2 hours so plan to spend 4 hours with my team.
A videographer will record your session.
Within 2 weeks of your session you will come back to see your beautiful images and select what you want to buy. Your payment for the product you select is due at this appointment. 50% of the total is required, but you can also pay in full if you prefer. Don’t forget that you already have $500 paid in advance for anything you purchase, in the form of the retainer.
In 2-4 weeks your images will be ready for pick up. You will come back to the studio to receive your package and inspect it. At this time you will receive the warranty and the print release. I will ask you to sign the model release so I can share your images on social media. I do not post sneak peeks without your approval. I believe you should see your images first before anything is put on social media, since these are your images to do what you want with them.
If 50% payment is still outstanding, it is due at this time. Product cannot leave the studio without payment. Once they leave the premises, they are yours and considered final sale, and given that they are custom made products, there is no refund once they leave the studio.
We hope that you will give us a rave review at the end of this process.
How much does it cost?
When you decide to work with us, you will get a complimentary hair and makeup, wardrobe styling, guided posing, consultation, image selection.
The nonrefundable retainer is $500. It is applied 100% toward your product and package purchase and it includes one image. A single image a la carte is $500 printed, matted and ready for the frame. Packages start at $2500 and go up from there, of which your first $500 is paid via the retainer. Every package includes $1000 gift voucher, which you can use in your current session purchase, you can keep for your next session, or you can gift to someone else as a birthday or Christmas present.
Most people select one of the packages because that’s where the images cost less the more you buy.
If you need a detailed princing, please let me know and I will send you the complete price list.
Do you have a studio policy?
Yes. Please read:
1. Session Fee
We do not charge a session fee. You will get a complimentary makeup & hair, styling and guided posing, consultation and image selection appointment.
We collect a retainer at the time of booking. The retainer is non-refundable if you are a no show. However if you come to your session, this fee will be applied 100% toward your purchase.
2. Cancellation
We make it easy to not have to cancel so we always book 2 dates; one for your intended session and one backup date in case something comes up and someone needs to cancel and reschedule. So you are allowed to cancel the first date without penalty. After the backup date cancellation, the retainer is forfeited and cannot be used to reschedule for another session. You will need to rebook a new session with a new retainer in the booking page.
Serial ‘cancellations’ and ‘no shows’ will be removed from our database and we kindly ask that you look for another photographer.
3. Personal Cameras
Personal cameras including cell phone cameras are not allowed in studio during your session. Please refrain from taking phone images or video recording during the photo session. I will let you know when it is OK to take a picture.
4. Reveal and Ordering Appointment
You will view your portraits at a personally attended reveal session. You will have a chance to order at this time. Please make sure all decision makers are present. Clients who cannot make a decision about products or images during their viewing appointment or wish to order more images at a later date, may schedule an additional ordering appointment for a $50 fee. Once your order is placed in person, your ordered digital images will be retouched within 14 days.
Once products leave the studio, the sale is final and non-refundable. We do NOT offer online galleries for ordering.
Products cannot be released outside the studio until FULL payment is made.
5. Payments
Due to the custom nature of the work, a minimum 50% of payment is due at the time or ordering. It is non refundable should you change your mind about an order after it is placed. Once an order is sent to the lab, the order is deemed non-refundable.
Payments may be made in cash, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and e-transfer.
6. In-House Payments Plans
In-house payment plans can be arranged upon request. A 25% of your total order will be required as a down payment on the day of your reveal and ordering appointment. The remainder can be spread over a maximum of 6 months in flexible weekly or monthly instalments.
Client’s debit or credit card details will be required on file (card authorisation form will need to be filled in and signed by the client). The card will be charged according to the agreed payment schedule.
7. Product Delivery
Products will require up to 14 days for production and shipping after selection. Please allow 3 – 4 weeks for any wall art orders to be completed. Shipping is from Europe from the finest lab that prepares your products. Your portraits are an investment and an heirloom that takes time to complate.
All ordered images are kept on file for a period of 5 years. Unordered images, due to their size, are deleted after 1 year.
8. Use of Independent Contractors
In the event that Photographer furnishes a hair and/or makeup artist, the Photographer is not liable for any application or services by this Independent Contractor. This includes, but is not limited to, allergies as a result of use of the products by the Independent Contractor. It is the Client’s responsibility to convey all allergies to the Independent Contractor.
9. Use of Alcohol
At the Photographer’s discretion, alcohol may be provided by the photographer on special occasions. Otherwise, the use of alcohol is not permitted on the Photographer’s premises. The Client understands that consumption of alcohol prior to and/or during the session may negatively impact the results of the images. If alcohol is brought onto the premises by Client and consumed during the course of the session the Photographer may cease work and retain all deposits.
10. 100% Guarantee
We pride ourselves in delivering beautiful portraits, but if for whatever reason you do not like any of the images, you are entitled to a free re-shoot within 30 days from your reveal & ordering appointment. This is our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
11. Artistic Rights
We capture many images during your session. Any images with eyes closed, heads turned, duplicates, blurred, light test shots etc. will not be shown and are removed from our archives permanently after the session.
12. Creative Control
The Photographer retains creative control of the session. This control is including, but not limited to, the adjustment of hair, makeup, jewellery, clothing, and posing.
The Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 assign the copyright of the images to the photographer.
It means that photographer owns the images that were taken and you the client is allowed to make and use copies for personal enjoyment, not to derive income from them. Eg. We don’t own the Mona Lisa as the work belongs to Leonardo, and we can buy and own the copies of his work.
13. Insurance and Liability
The Photographer(s) will maintain Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance at all times. However, in the unlikely event of a total photographic failure or cancellation of this Contract by either party or in any other circumstance, the liability of one party to the other shall be limited to the total value of the Contract.
Neither party shall be liable for any indirect or consequential loss.
14. Complaints
All complaints should be raised by the Client directly to the Photographer in writing within 14 days of the occurrence which gives rise to the complaint. The Photographer will consider the complaint and shall provide a response to the Client within 14 days of receipt of the Complaint. In the unlikelyevent of an unresolved complaint the Client may request the Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators to mediate but only on the basis that its decision shall be final and binding upon both parties.
15. Covid policy
Please go here to read it.
What can I expect when I book with you?
Once you have booked your session, we will spend some time planning your experience. We will talk about how you want to be photographed, who you want to be photographed with, and what you need.
We will not take pictures without a consultation and a plan. I want to make sure that you get the most out of your session and at the end you will love your images. The more effort you put into your preparation, the better your images will be.
In a few weeks after the consultation you will have your photo session. When you come to my studio, you will be treated like a celebrity. You will get hair and makeup, you will wear beautiful dresses. My team and I will make you look gorgeous and relaxed. When you are ready, we will take your photos. Plan to spend up to 4 hours with us on your photo day.
After your session in a few weeks you will come back to see your beautiful images. It is now that you will make the decision about what you want to buy. Please have everyone present who will help you make the final decision on payment. Once you selected your images, we will send the files to the lab for printing. Your payment for the images is due at this time.
Your images will be ready to be picked up in 2-4 weeks after your image selection.
Do you sell digital photos?
I do not sell just the digital files. I give you more. With every image purchased, you will get the matching digital file in the same size that you purchased.
For some time now we have been living in a digital world and I have offered digital images. Then I found out that people were losing them on broken hard drives, USB pen drives that are so small it’s hard to find them, they were not printing them, not framing them, and certainly do not value them.
I know when you are asking for digitals, you don’t want just the digitals. You are asking for cheaper. Nobody wants just the digitals.
I offer legacy product that will last beyond my lifetime and people will admire it for the rest of the life of their family who receive them.
Sure you can get just the digital file, but it’s the same price as the print.
Work With Us
Let’s chat about how you always dreamed of being photographed.
Send us a message to request more info, and your phone number and best time to call you back.
Services
Contact Us
Studio
3440 Okanagan St.
Armstrong, BC V0E 1B1