Hello and welcome!
My name is Amy and I’m the lead photographer of Amy Elizabeth Photography and I am so excited you are considering a family session! Let me tell you a little about me as well as give you some information to get you started.
- My husband and I are high school sweethearts from a tiny town in Western Iowa.
- We have a 7 children, after doctors told me that I may never be able to have kids!
- We moved to St. Louis for my husband’s post doctoral work and have been here 22 years.
- I started the photography business in 2016.
- While I began with photographing families, my business has expanded to include weddings, seniors, newborns, and milestone sessions.
- When not behind the camera, snuggled up with a kiddo and a favorite blanket made by my grandma is where you will likely find me.
- Coffee? Yes, of course!
- I love creating artistic and emotive images, but more importantly, I love photographing the souls in front of my camera. Your family has a uniquely beautiful story, and I will love capturing it
Now that you know a little about me, lets get to the information and details…
The Session Experience
MY PHILOSOPHY | Connection
Whether it is connection with each other or connection with my camera, I am ALL about authentic and emotive connection. Add in a beautiful setting and I have no doubt we can tell a beautiful story. I get involved right away with the planning details as soon as your session date is booked because I want to create as stress-free of an experience as possible. Wardrobe? I help with that. Location? I have great options! What I want from you is to bring your people and relax and enjoy the experience.
These galleries tend to be huge galleries because we have PLENTY of time to get comfortable and get all those personalities to shine through. In fact, if you have kids coming with you, I want them to leave feeling like they had a great time, not that they were at a photo session! Will I get those posed images where everyone is looking at the camera? Yes, of course. But that won’t be the majority of the session. Because the most beautiful images of all will be the ones where you aren’t looking at me, but that you are interacting with each other.
Sounds like something you are interested in? If so, keep reading..
THE PROCESS
If after looking through my information you decide you’d like to book a session, let me know and I will email you a contract and an invoice with the session retainer fee to book your date. As soon as I have those things back from you, I send over my wardrobe styling information and we discuss what location might work best. Wardrobe does play a big role in how your session looks and feels, and I love to get in the details of the planning from the very beginning. So don’t hesitate to ask questions and we will work together to style your session in a way you love and creates beautiful results. On the actual day of the session, I will send you some last minute information and confirm our session start time. Your job is to show up and have a great time! After the session, my work has only begun, as I then start the process artistically editing your final gallery images. This process takes me about three or four weeks. Once I am finished editing, we will set up a time to get together and go over all your beautiful portraits. I have a fabulous artwork software that I can’t wait to show you, it let’s me put examples of your portraits in different sizes on your very own walls so you can see what might look best in your home before you even make a purchase decision! As far as the digital images, I upload those to an online gallery once this appointment is finished and you can download them from there.
THE LOCATION
For me, location begins with light. In still photographs, what seems pretty to the naked eye may not always be the most beautiful for pictures. If there is a place that is special to you, let’s chat to see how it might work for your session. But usually, most people go with my suggestions based on the overall feel to the session they would like to see. During both the spring and fall, I often choose the exact spot (even though we’ve already decided the location) very close to the session date, as foliage can quickly change from day to day.
RETAINER FEES TO BOOK A SESSION
FAMILY, SENIOR, AND MATERNITY SESSIONS: $150 RETAINER FEE TO BOOK
(This retainer fee is not applied to final purchases.)
EXTENDED FAMILY SESSIONS: $250 RETAINER FEE TO BOOK (A minimum purchase required for these sessions, to learn more about extended family sessions, click HERE. )
THE RETAINER FEE COVERS A PORTION OF MY UP FRONT COSTS OF PLANNING AND PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR SESSION, INCLUDING:
FAMILY SESSION PLANNING GUIDE & ACCESS TO MY WARDROBE STYLING SERVICE PRE-SESSION CONSULTATION 1 HOUR CUSTOMIZED SESSION IN-PERSON VIEWING & ORDERING APPOINTMENT ABOUT THREE WEEKS AFTER SESSION
****DIGITAL COLLECTIONS****
ALL ARTISTICALLY EDITED SESSION IMAGES IN THE FINAL GALLERY: $700
IF YOU PURCHASE $250 OR MORE IN PRINTED ART DURING THE ORDERING APPOINTMENT, THE DIGITAL COLLECTION PRICE IS REDUCED TO $550.
ARTWORK
Does professionally finished artwork look that different than printing yourself? YES. Yes, it does! While that doesn’t mean you have to purchase professional products, it is something to really consider as you think about how to display your beautiful images in your home. I will show you the possibilities at your ordering appointment so you can see for yourself!
SIZE FINE ART PRINTS CANVAS/METAL
30×40 $525 $725
24×36 $475 $675
20×30 $400 $525
20×24 $325 $450
16×20 $275 $375
DESK SIZED PRINTS (8×10, 5×7 and smaller) & Custom Cards begin at $75. Collection pricing is available when you want to order more than one desk sized print.
ALBUMS
So many clients leave their sessions with several portraits they love…more images than they can possibly put on their walls. And because each session often tells a story, an album is a beautiful way to display a large number of your family portraits. Don’t leave those digital images on a flash drive in a desk drawer. Give yourself and the generations that follow you the gift of a stunning legacy to look through again and again.
HERITAGE & SIGNATURE ALBUMS
12X12 20 PAGE ALBUM $1400/$975 10X10 20 PAGE ALBUM $1200/$850 8X8 20 PAGE ALBUM $1000/$675
ADDITIONAL ALBUM SPREAD (2 PAGES) $75/$50 PER SPREAD
ACCORDIAN ALBUM $125
VIDEO
I can’t think of a more beautiful way to capture your family in action than a family film. Whether you add video to your family session or choose video a la carte, you will cherish these memories for years to come. When you add video onto your session, I will take both still images AND video of your family. When you choose a la carte family video, I will join your family for 2-3 hours and document your everyday moments. With both the add on option and the a la carte, I create a 3-4 minute long video with beautiful licensed music for you to enjoy. You will receive a Vimeo link to download the video, as well as share with family and friends.
$850 a la carte $650 add on
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TRAVEL
I am more than willing to travel for sessions! I actually love it when I’m asked ask to photograph in a location that means something special to the family. Travel fees do apply to anything outside of a 60-mile radius of 63049. Ask me for more details!
DIGITAL FILES
I love delivering our client’s final galleries via an online gallery so you will have the ability to print, share and download your images. Most full session final galleries contain 50 images or more and come with a print release.
ARTWORK
Is there really much difference between printing yourself at a consumer lab vs. printing professionally through a photographer and their professional lab? Yes, actually there is. I realize there can be quite a price difference to pair with the difference in quality of prints, so I’d love to visit with you more on when it’s wise to invest in professionally finished products and when printing at your regular box store or online lab is the way to go. When you order artwork through me, I guarantee the color and quality of the final product and you can expect most professionally products to be in your hands about two to three weeks after ordering.
RESCHEDULING
If an unavoidable circumstance arises, I am willing to reschedule your session date if I’m given enough notice. Also, if weather presents dangerous circumstances, we will reschedule.
BEHAVIOR
As a mom of 7, I certainly know that kids’ behavior can change the mood of everything! Please don’t stress about this. In fact, the more you stress out, the more kids will pick up on that stress and then mirror it in their own way. It is better to keep things as light-hearted as possible, then let me handle the rest. Of course, a little bribery of ice cream or a special treat after the session can go a long way! If behavior issues are a big concern for you, let’s talk it through before the day of the session.
STYLE
If you haven’t had a chance to see much of my style, I’d love for you to go check out my website! I have a gallery on my website for each of the different types of sessions I offer. That way you can see many examples of my work to determine if my style is a good for what you would like for your session. Click HERE to go to the homepage of my website.
TO SUMMARIZE
Ater reading all of this it would be helpful to have a quick summary, here it is:
- To book your session, pay the retainer fee ($150) and sign the contract.
- Discuss session details as far as styling and location.
- Show up at your session and have a fabulous time!
- About 3 or 4 weeks after your session, I will schedule a date to get together for your ordering appointment.
- At ordering appointment, make your purchase selections–this is where you choose what you’d like (digital images, prints, metals, albums, etc.) and pay for it. You are welcome to pay with cash, check or credit card, whatever works best for you!
Thank You
I’m so glad you contacted me! I would love to visit with you more if you have any further questions or would like to book a session. Please don’t hesitate to email or call me at 314-239-2075.
Blessings, Amy
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