FAMILY SESSION DETAILS & FAQs

family portraits • maternity • newborn • 6-month • first birthday • adult family portraits

Most frequently asked questions and concerns before, during, and after the session! It looks a little long, but I promise I'll answer any lingering questions you may have.  Here's what you need to know...

PRIOR TO YOUR SESSION
Location
We’ll set the location in our first emails. If you’ve already got a spot in mind - terrific! I’m all ears. If not, I know lots of beautiful spots around DC for family photos. Just describe how you envision your session - any description will do - and I’ll make some suggestions based on what you want.

You can also check out my blog - blog.RLincoln.com - and use the dropdown menu “Categories” in the right side (or verrrrry bottom of the page if you’re on your phone) to select different locations around DC like “Lincoln Memorial”, “Georgetown Canal”, “Bishop’s Garden”, “National Portrait Gallery”, etc.

What should we wear? What should we bring?
I will be in touch via email soon after you book with details on what to wear, what to bring, etc. You'll be very well prepared :)

DURING YOUR SESSION
What do we do? We don’t know how to pose.
You’re not required to know that...that’s why I’m here!
I will guide you through poses, tell you when to smile, where to look, etc.

The most important thing is having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Don’t feel like you have to get the “poses” exactly right, and definitely go ahead and interact with your kids as if I weren’t there! I’ll take photos and give you directions the entire time.

My husband hates having his photo taken and I can’t get him to smile.
No worries! I’m here to help.
You’ll both spend most of the session interacting with your kids and each other. It should be a pretty fun time, and I can’t imagine he won’t crack a smile or burst out laughing at some point! The poses and “action shots” I will guide you through are sure to provoke loving smiles and laughter from both of you. We’ll get a nice combination of happy candid photos and classic family photos with everyone looking at the camera.

My toddler won’t stop screaming.
Please make sure you’ve taken into consideration nap times, feeding, snacks and a juice box, a couple favorite toys, weather (we don’t want your little one miserably cold on a brisk fall afternoon), and health. Lack of sleep, need of a snack, or illness are the usual culprits of a tear-streaked face.

We’ll do everything in our power to bring out his or her beautiful little smile. And not to worry, even if it lasts a split second in between tears, chances are I’ve caught it on camera :)

Our kids don’t listen to anyone.
Our goal during the session is to have fun! Most kids (of all ages) like to run around together, read, play with toy trucks, color, roll in the grass, play catch, sit on tree branches, wear a stylish hat, tease their parents, etc. All of these and more make for beautiful family photos, and that’s just what we’ll do!

Feel free to bring a tote bag of a few of your kids’ favorite activities for us to use for a few photos here and there during the session.

The most important thing for parents to keep in mind: do not get angry or frustrated if you think your toddler or small child “won’t cooperate”. You may see him or her as running around uncontrollably, constantly looking away from the camera, and fighting against being held. I see an adventurous, maybe even mischievous, playful little kid who laughs when tickled, likes to explore the flowers, is fascinated by bubbles, has fun playing catch, just has to show me her favorite toy, or wants to play peekaboo behind his little hat. While I’m catching all these fun moments, it’d be a shame to have the parents frowning because they feel like their session is not working out. Trust me, it is.  :)

Babies usually cry off and on throughout the session. That’s ok! If we’re working with a newborn, we’ll take time to comfort and calm your little one. You can read more about it in my newborn session preparation info sheet you’ll be getting in your inbox.

If we’re working with a baby age 4-18 months, he or she will most likely be curious and look everywhere, including directly at and completely away from the camera. That’s ok too! You can read more about it in my family session preparation info sheet you’ll be getting in your inbox.

AFTER YOUR SESSION

HOW do we get our photos?
I will email you a link and password. For turnaround time, please refer to the next question.

In that email, I will include instructions on accessing, viewing, downloading, ordering prints, and sharing your photos. It’s really easy! You can share the link + password with your friends and family for them to view, download, and order prints, too.

WHEN do we get our photos?
Your gallery will be ready within 14-16 days after your session date. Please schedule your session accordingly.

I know you’ll be excited and full of anticipation to see your photos - I will send a preview within the week following your session. That means at some point in the 7 days after your session, you’ll receive 2-3 photos for immediate sharing.

For 2-hour sessions, the turnaround time is 18 days, and you’ll receive a preview within the week after your session

WHAT will be in the gallery?
The high resolution, retouched (edited) images will be in your online gallery.
You can download the full, high res size, or smaller sizes for easy uploading and sharing.

Can you send the photos to my Dropbox?
No, because I use a high res, archival quality, easy to use online gallery that is password-protected, so only the people with the password can view your photos. I cannot guarantee the quality preservation when transferring files through Dropbox, and I want you to have the highest quality images possible.
lus, my galleries work on your computer, tablet or iPad, even your phone. Just click the link, enter the password, and you’re all set! You can even download the photos on each.
Your gallery never expires, so you have a safe place to store your photos in case something happens to your computer!

RETOUCHING
What does that include?
All sessions include sharpening, color correction, toning, cropping, and light blemish removal on close-ups. You're in good hands, I won't let any annoying little blemishes intrude on your gorgeous photos.  ;)

What if I absolutely know I'm going to need extra retouching?
No worries! Check out my retouching info page (www.RLincoln.com/retouching).

My toddler scraped his forehead the other day, can you just Photoshop that out?
Yes, I can usually minimize the effect of a minor scrape, and will do so when possible at no charge for any close up photos (head + shoulders only). If you'd like it removed from all of your images, please inquire in advance, there may be an additional retouching fee.

My arms always look fat in photos, can you fix that?
For sure! I always do my best to avoid poses that may cause that, but sometimes in the midst of an amazing candid moment, you end up occasionally needing a little finessing.

In photos where may be super-duper obvious, I will make that modification before delivering your final gallery, so you will never even see the “before” photo.

Of course, I understand that your point of view may differ from mine, and in photos when I think you look stunning, you may feel you need a little more work. I’m happy to help out. I offer three (3) complimentary “slimming” requests per session (no matter the session length). That means I can slim down your arms, and trim a tiny bit off the middle if you like, for three different photos. If you find a fourth photo, or even 50 more photos, you’d like the slimming applied to, let me know, and I can do the extra modifications for $7 per photo, and you can mail a check or send a Venmo payment to @Rachel-Lincoln-DC. I will begin work on the changes as soon as the payment comes through.

PRINTING
You can easily order prints through your gallery (they ship right to you!), or you can download your photos and print them at the vendor of your choice.
I have partnered with one of the country’s leading professional photo print labs to provide color accurate, sharp, high quality images to all my clients. Please note that if you choose to print your photos elsewhere, I cannot guarantee high quality, or color loss.