Prepping for your Photo Session

What to do before hand...

  1. Please be prepared with an idea of what poses you would like to do. Example, if you are having a family photo session, you may want individual portraits of each person.

  2. What should I wear?

  3. We recommend going on Pinterest to find portrait styles that would best suit you. Feel free to send sample pictures beforehand, so we will have an idea of how to help achieve what you are looking for in your own unique way.

  4. Please have any props ready that you wish to have in your photos.

      • Note: We have battery operated fairy lights, a letterboard, and chalkboard signs with chalk available, upon request. We also have a limited amount of seasonal decorative props available, upon request.

  5. If you have young children or pets that you want photographed, please have a snack, treat, or toy on hand to get their attention with so they will be looking at the camera.

  6. If you are doing outdoor photos, please plan accordingly to the weather (precipitation, temperature, cloud coverage, and wind) and time of day that would do best for the pictures you would like to do.

  7. If you plan on changing outfits to provide more variety in your photos, please make sure there is a place to do so safely and legally.

  8. Please begin scheduling your photo session at least one week in advance.

  9. If you schedule an appointment and need to reschedule, do so at least 12 hours in advance.

Choosing an outdoor location...

This is probably either the hardest or easiest part of planning a photo session. Some people have the perfect location planned out with exactly what they want to do. Other people... not so much. I hope this list of tips and outdoor locations will help you out.

When choosing an outdoor location...

  1. Avoid areas of water for a few days after a rain. Most moving bodies of water will become muddy and murky following a rain. Areas around water will most likely be slicker than away from water.

  2. Choose a well lit area. Caves and dense woods are not ideal.

  3. Pick a day that is clear or partly cloudy with lots of sunshine. Pictures on these days will turn out best. If you need to reschedule due to impending weather, it is completely understandable.

    • It is recommended to avoid the hours around solar noon on bright, clear, sunny days as this time of day has the harshest light.

  4. Wind might seem glorious for pictures, but not all the time. A constant, strong, cold wind is probably the worst obstacle for picture taking. Studying weather and outdoor photography goes hand-in-hand, so, if we notice any weather that may make for an unpleasant photo session, we will warn you.

  5. Random, unpredicted weather is always possible at any time. We are willing to pause a photo session and reschedule when weather is favorable.

A few local outdoor locations:

  • Grayson County Recreation Park (on Powerhouse Road in Independence, VA)

  • Peach Bottom Falls (on Powerhouse Road in Independence, VA)

  • Scenic overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Waterfalls on Clito Road (Fries/Providence, VA area)

  • New River Trail (Fries or Galax, VA area)

  • Comer's Rock Lookout (Elk Creek/Comers Rock, VA area)

  • Hale Lake (Elk Creek/Comers Rock, VA area)

  • Grayson Highlands State Park/Mt. Rogers area (Grayson County VA)

    • There are wild ponies here in a certain location.

  • My family owned land (Sparta/Piney Creek, NC area)

    • A rustic red cabin just off of the road. A large hay field with a small hay barn, a small creek, and woods makes this an ideal location if you would like photos in this genre.