SERENDIPITY PORTRAITS | 2014
WWW.SERENDIPITYPHOTO.COM
Alice and Bun-bun on a rainy day
Working with Serendipity Photography Our goal is to create art for your home that will remain displayed for generations. We tell a story of relationships and life. We document and immortalize. We guide more than “pose.� Using a combination of natural and artificial lighting, we make the most naturally flattering portraits, and catch the sparkle in your eyes. Your images will be a combination of beautiful color and timeless black & white. Warm, antique toning, custom cropping and retouching are included on all professionally finished products that we deliver. Serendipity is a full service boutique studio, which means that we guide you through every step of the process, from planning your session style, to helping you choose your images, to making recommendations for your home and gift giving. We then perfect and retouch the chosen images and create heirloom pieces for you and your family. You will not be abandoned with a folder of image files and left to figure out what to do with them. We hope to create meaningful and long standing relationships with our clients. This guide will give you tips on how to get the best photo session possible. We look forward to getting to know you and your family!
Shown here: 10x10 coffee table book with leather embellished photo cover
the Milestones Album Our albums are designed in-house, completely retouched and professionally printed on archival, fine art gallery paper. The result is a book that is richer in depth than you ever imagined. The best feature of this particular album is the lay-flat binding, which means each spread can be laid out as a full canvas, with no interruption of the image in the middle. Your best images can be gloriously displayed across the entire spread. The value of your album will be based on your choices; size, quantity of images, and cover style. 11x14 with 60 images $1995 9x12 with 50 images: $1795 8x8 with 30 images $1195 You will also receive a copy of each retouched album image in a FULLRES digital jpeg for gift printing and safe keeping.* Duplicate books of the same size are 50% off when ordered together.
Additional images may be added at $35 each. *This makes the album practically free!
What to Wear Contrast and coordinate.
Good contrast
Low contrast
Plan your colors around the colors in the shooting location and/or seasons. You want to choose the OPPOSITE COLOR of your backgrounds, in general, IF they look good on you. Warm tones and bright colors are going to look great against water and greenery, and cool tones will look best with fall colors. Coordinate, rather than exactly matching, your outfits.
Avoid white. Solids are better than patterns and logos. Make sure they are comfortable in their outfits. If they don’t like the ruffly thing or the headband...we have to accept that. Comfort is key! Matching or complementing the eyes with color always photographs well. White can easily get washed out,and will lead the viewer’s eye away from the faces, so keep the white to one piece, or just an accent, at most. WHITE MAKES THINGS LOOK BIGGER.
The Treasure Box
It looks like an album. But you can frame the images inside. Or, put them on stands. You can add to your box as your family grows. You can switch out the pictures in your frames. And when it’s full, you will have up to 25 of your very favorite images of your family’s life, protected in a beautiful, custom made, archival box. THIS is the ultimate heirloom for growing families. These are what I have for MY family. Photo or material/leather covers available. Inner photo panel is optional, text may be added.
Album or prints... How about both ? 8x10 or 11x14 art gallery-style matted images in hardcover presentation box. Prints may be displayed on a stand, in a frame, or kept in the box. Canvas (photo) or fabric covers available. 25 images come in a box.
8x10 mats with 5x7 images
1400
8x10 images mounted on black styrene
1400
11x14 mats with 8x12 images
2200
11x14 images mounted on black styrene
2200
Choose black or off-white for mat color. CD of all retouched image files is included. Frames are not included.
Shown here: 8x10 Treasure Box with black matted prints and custom designed canvas cover
What to Bring
DO Bring props!
We have had great sessions with balloons, wagons, costumes, favorite toys, pinwheels, bubbles, balls, fishing poles (if we’re on a lake) tea sets, etc. The less focused they are on the “picture taking,” the better. However, DON’T let this stress you out. It can be as simple as a ball, picking flowers, blowing bubbles...no panicked shopping sprees necessary.
DO bring snacks along, as well
as water. Minimize candy and sugar snacks. A buzzed child is a hard-to-catch child. Plus, candy can take a while to eat and it will get sticky. Goldfish or fruit snacks may be better options. Depending on location, you may want to bring a change of clothes, a hairbrush and spray, and a towel.
STORYBOARDS
Storyboards are a great way to display several favorites on one piece., printed on a canvas gallery wrap. Due to the custom nature of storyboards, the pricing varies. Starting at $435
GIFTS & ADD-ONS
PHOTO GIFT PRINTS up to 8x10 size loose 40 | matted 45 DIGITAL FILES with unlimited personal print rights 125 per image 75 per image if you have ordered a print/canvas vIncluded in price on albums and Treasure Boxes SLIDESHOW set to music, viewable on your mobile device or web 150 ACCORDION MINI-BRAG BOOKS Wallet Sized Add-on only; using already ordered images 125 Set of 3 DUPLICATES of anything on the price list are 1/2 price when ordered at the same time.
Interact. DO interact. You will like the
photos where you’re smiling at the camera, but you will LOVE the photos that show your relationships.
Small Children Don’t tell them to smile.
Please, I beg of you, please
Don’t prepare your child(ren) by telling them
we are going to take pictures, they have to smile & be good, and there will be a treat afterwards. This is the surest way to create rebellion. Why? It tells them they are in for an ordeal, it won’t be fun, and they will have to endure it with smiles on their faces. Instead, tell them you’re going to visit a friend, and you are going to go play at a park/field/beach/whatever you have planned for location.
Don’t tell them to smile.
Trust us to get the smiles. We know the value of images of a joyful childhood. We will invoke natural smiles, as well as introspective wonder. Please let them explore, it really makes the best images.
Don’t disrupt their schedules.
Make sure this shoot is not during nap time, dinner time, etc. It is good to have full bellies and be well rested!
If a “war of the wills” starts to happen, I will be sending someone to time out.
And it won’t be the kids.
WALL ART
CANVAS GALLERY WRAPS MEDIUM )16X20 TO 20X30
399
SHOWCASE ) 24X36 TO 32X48
499
CUSTOM SIZES UP TO 40X60
INQUIRE
Canvas “cluster” groupings are 20% off regular price, when ordered together.
FRAMED FINE ART PRINTS SMALL ) UP TO 12X18
175
MEDIUM )16X20 TO 20X30
399
SHOWCASE ) 24X36 TO 32X48
499
CUSTOM SIZES UP TO 40X60
INQUIRE
Museum type fine art print. Has 1 inch border & photographer’s signature. Add framing for 200 + up.
Our most popular wall display is the Canvas Gallery Wrap. Your retouched image is professionally printed and stretched onto a wood frame. It comes with hanging hardware installed, and does not need to be framed. Canvas gallery wraps are ideal for large statement or mantle pieces, or for a collage of favorites in a series. 16x20 and larger.
Psssst: these won’t warp like the one you bought from*roupon.
Babies
SHHHH.... FOR A SUCCESSFUL SHOOT... Do not disrupt the baby’s schedule, if you can help it. If the baby is a newborn, we are likely to get both sleeping and awake images during your session. It is best not to alter their current state; if you visualized sleepy, snuggling pictures of baby with parents and baby is awake...just go with it. Feed, feed, feed! Feed the baby just before the shoot, and have more prepared. Babies are always starving during shoots. We don’t know why, but it is just one of those mysteries of the universe that is very consistent. We are very likely to take at least one break during your session for a full feeding.
This is normal.
It’s normal. Expect that they he/she may be fussier than usual. It may be a lot of stimulation, with the posing and outfit changes, and possible new atmosphere...even new smells. Don’t worry, we know how to catch the right “split second.” Allow about two hours for the shoot, so I can catch approximately 30 good split seconds. (wink!) We also know that your baby will pee on our props. NO biggie. We have laundry.
MILESTONES SESSIONS differ from regular family sessions, in that your baby is the “star of the show.” I will take some photos of baby with parents, and siblings if applicable, but the focus is mainly on the baby and his/her development; documenting his/her first year.
Let them go. You want genuine joy in your photographs, right? Then, Let them run and play. Know that they (and you) may (will) get wet and dirty. Trust us to get pictures of their faces with REAL smiles, along with all of their other expressions. The photos you treasure may not show their faces at all.
Would you hang this on your wall? I sure would....and I would never take it down. Because it will be better in a year. And better than that, in two. Priceless when she goes out on her own, and ABSOLUTE TREASURE when she brings her own babies to visit.
After your session Your session images will be edited and presented to you in person, in the studio. We can sometimes accommodate same-day proofing, or you can make an appointment any time after your shoot. Canvas gallery wraps and session albums are the most popular products. Everything we produce is custom designed and tailored to you, as well as being retouched. Orders take 2-3 weeks to deliver.
Finished (ordered) images include: removing undereye circles, smoothing skin, fixing stray hairs, removing lint and bugs, light body contouring, balancing skin tones, removing shine and bruises, detailed attention to color and contrast, and all other necessary finishing touches.
And, finally.. 2 words:
FART.
JOKES.
I’m just sayin.’
WARNING:
You are going to like a lot of the photos. That’s good, right? YES! But, it can be overwhelming. This is why you will have HELP. After each session, you are welcome to an in-person ordering consultation in the studio, where you will receive guidance on choosing the best images, ideas for display, and options for customization. Orders received within 2 weeks of each session will be discounted by 10%, so don’t procrastinate!
SERENDIPITY PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO: WWW.SERENDIPITYPHOTO.COM BOOKINGS: WWW.BOOKAPHOTOSESSION.COM Sessions start at $375 EMAIL: INFO@SERENDIPITYPHOTO.COM 2354 WILSHIRE BLVD., MOUND, MN 55364 | 952-472-9819 All images and text are the copyrighted property of Serendipity Photography, LLC.