How it works

If you’re interested in scheduling a photo portrait session with your child or baby, give me a call (505 216-6750) or drop me an email (david@clearingthevision.com) with an enquiry and some dates you have in mind, and we can take it from there.

I’ll normally schedule a pre-shoot consultation (either in person or over the phone) to talk through what you’d like and wouldn’t like, and make sure we’ve got the practicalities squared away.

I’m based in Santa Fe, but can travel to north and central New Mexico (including Albuquerque) with no bother. And I’m in Los Angeles more than a little, so a shoot there is also a possibility.

Questions I’m likely to ask:

How many children are we shooting? What ages are they?

Do you want family group shots as well as portraits of the kid(s)?

Do you have a yard or outdoor area, or a park nearby ?
I’ve done children’s portraits shoots solely indoors, but it can good to get some variety by going outside (and the kids like it too). In Santa Fe, the bright New Mexico day means that no-one looks good in full sun at noon, so if there’s a shady yard available, that works best, or we can pick a time early or late in the day. Failing that, I can suggest some good outdoor locations where we can meet.

What time works best for you (and your child)?
Early morning is great for nice soft light, and children tend to be in good moods early in the day, but later times can also work well. We’ll need to avoid naps (unless you’ve a very little baby and would like shots of them asleep), and make sure our subjects are fed and happy – you tell me which parts of the day would work best.

What are you planning to use the photos for?

Are there particular types of shot you’re looking to get?

Shoot day and afterwards

When we’re all clear on the details,  I’ll arrive at the shoot with my bag of tricks and we’ll take some photos. The session can take 1 – 2 hours, and you’ll be fully involved in the shoot – doing everything keeping your little one amused (if my droll banter isn’t working) to helping me out by holding a reflector to project some nice light into the children’s faces.

A note on clothes

I prefer to see kids in clothes that they’re comfortable in and can happily run around in, rather than their Sunday best that they’re not allowed to get dirty. It makes my job easier, and I think it ends up with a better set of shots, as the kids are free to be themselves. I don’t bring a wardrobe of angel or cowboy costumes for the same reason, but if the kids have some dress-up gear of their own they really like we can probably incorporate it.

Overall, lots of busy patterns don’t tend to photograph well, nor do all white or all black outfits (which is why wedding photographers really earn their money – if it was up to them, every bride and groom would wear a nice safe mid-blue).

Review and Printing

Back at the office, I’ll pick the best shots, and process and adjust each one individually. Unlike a point and shoot digital camera that doesn’t really allow much room for improving the image it captures, high-end digital SLRs such as the one I use allow for a wide range of processing, adjustment and tweaking – white balance, exposure, contrast, sharpness can all be manipulated to produce a better final image.

A week to ten days after the shoot, I’ll put up a slideshow and online gallery of 20-30 of these images.

You choose the ones you’d like prints made from. There are no minimum orders or pre-set bundles of sizes for prints – you order as many or few of whatever sizes you need. I can also make low-resolution digital versions of images available (for use online – your Facebook page for example), and high-resolution digital files for your own use. The price list is here.

I also offer a wide range of cards, gallery canvas wraps and other variations to meet your needs. If you’ve time, it can be worth coming into my office to review samples of different paper types, sizes and products to help you get the idea of what’s possible with the images.