What to expect

What to wear

Choose clothes you'd happily be caught living in. Soft, textured fabrics and quiet, harmonious colors photograph beautifully; tight logos, bright neons, and busy graphics tend to pull the eye away from you. Coordinate your group without matching exactly — think one palette, gently varied. Bring a second option if you're torn, and layers if the light might turn cool.

Timing & light

The most tender light of the day arrives in the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset — what photographers call golden hour. I schedule most sessions there for a reason. Midday sessions are absolutely possible (open shade is our friend), but if your image is soft, glowing, and warm, it was almost certainly made near the edges of the day. I'll suggest a start time when we plan; please give yourself a buffer so no one arrives frazzled.

When it rains

Weather has opinions, and I respect them. If the forecast turns genuinely unworkable — heavy rain, unsafe heat, storms — we'll simply reschedule to the next good window at no cost. A little overcast, though, is a gift: clouds are the world's softest softbox. I'll reach out the day before if I think we should move, and you're always welcome to as well.

When you arrive

Find me at our meeting spot a few minutes early and then — this is the important part — let it be easy. There's no rigid shot list to march through. We'll walk a little, talk a little, and I'll photograph the real moments as they surface: the in-jokes, the hand-holding, the kid who will not stop spinning. If little ones are along, bring snacks, a favorite toy, and zero expectations of perfection. Some of my favorite frames come from the beautiful chaos.

After the session

Within a couple of weeks you'll receive a private online gallery — your photographs to view, favorite, download, and keep. Prints and licensing are available too; just ask. If anything at all is on your mind before we shoot, email me. I reply within 2 days.

— Amanda