booked. Now what?

Here are some of the most important resources and readings you can do to prepare for your family & newborn sessions. The most important thing to take care of is the contracts. Once those are done (and remind your partner please!) we are set and ready to start planning.  

Let's get to it...

Expect more contracts to secure your booking

Make sure you read it over and talk to your partner about the contracts. Ask any questions you might have. Don't miss out on the complimentary 10 4x6" heirloom prints (worth $60) that you will get if your contracts are signed within 2 business days of receipt. I need all contracts including partner's contracts signed, so make sure you follow up with them to qualify for the gifted prints. Unfortunately, your session will not be held without all of the necessary signed contracts.

In order to secure your booking, you will need to sign additional contracts that will be sent to you by the next business day. Please expect the following additional links:

- safety release (to both you and any other participating adult)
- adult model release (to both you and any other participating adult)
- minor release (if applicable)


Partners tend to ignore my emails, so please help me!  If you do not receive additional links, please reach out to Jess or I via email at info@bellawangphotography.com. Please also check spam.

frequently asked questions

There is no simple answer. There are two articles above that explain how to determine the start of your session. If things go to plan and it's your typical sunny/cloudy day, then your session will begin at sunrise (or within 1 hr of sunrise for urban locations with shade) or 1hr from what google says is sunset (or up to 2 hrs prior to sunset for urban locations with shade). 

So if  book sunset, and google says sunset is 8:00pm, your session will start around 7pm to allow for a fully hour of sunlight before sunset and then up to 10-20 min for some last light photos. Articles to read are HERE and HERE. I have written these detailed posts to help you understand, so please read them and don't just ask me the start time. I can't predict if it will be cloudy a month in advance.  Your start time will be confirmed during our chat.
If you have a sunrise session, the reverse happens, so if you can do first light, we will start about 10 minutes before sunrise and shoot about an hour or so. If you can't do first light, the session will be about an hour long. I know what light I can work optimally in.

The best way to be flexible is to not leave haircuts, shopping, appointments to the last minute. Also no needles for kids as sometimes they feel under the weather for a couple of days after.

01.WHAT TIME IS MY SUNSET SESSION? SIMILARLY, WHAT TIME IS MY SUNRISE SESSION?

I will tell you my availability for the video chat 1-2 days in advance of our session. This is so that I can get a better handle on the weather and also remember important details from our chat to act on during our session. I wish I could remember nuances and answers to questionnaires of  6-10 different couples and families if I scheduled my chats randomly 1-2 weeks in advance! But realistically, I want to have impressions fresh for our session.

I photograph 4-8 times a week outdoors, so please understand that I will not schedule your video session earlier as the weather/health can change at the last minute.  I will automate this booking system for chats soon so that you'll get a link 1-2 days before your session to choose a time. For now, we're doing this lo-fi. Our video chat will take place the day of our session or up to 2 days in advance.

Chats are scheduled 10-5 M-F. Weekends and evenings are reserved for photography and family.

If you have any scheduling restrictions for our chat, please tell me a few days prior to our session.

02. how do i scheudle my facetime chat?

Email is always best. I have hundreds of families and couples that I see each year, and email is the best way for me to sort through past conversations. If your session is that day, you can definitely feel free to text or call me.   info@bellawangphotography.com

Please do not text me on weekends if your session is not that weekend. Thank you for understanding. Being a small business owner, we're basically working nonstop, so it's hard to separate work from life.   

For weekend correspondence, please email me  and I will get back to you within 2-3 business days. If I don't respond within 3 business days, please follow up. I get buried in email and admin sometimes so I might have missed your email.

03. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT YOU?

Look at the temperature during the hours of your session. Sunrise/sunset are the coldest parts of the day, so planning for the high of the day won't help you.

Layers are important and use handwarmers for the little ones to help them keep warm (put them inside pockets and against their long johns to keep them warm! Be practical with kids. A frozen child is an unhappy child.

Look at wind speeds as well to figure out hair plans. We live in New England and unfortunately, the weather is very unpredictable!

04.  HOW DO I CHECK THE WEATHER?

We reschedule- not to worry! If it rains, or if you're sick, we reschedule. This flexibility is what I offer my couples and families so they have a great experience. This is purposely why I don't schedule the chats to occur earlier than the day of/day before a session! 

If I have my scheduler packed with pre-planned chats, I will spend too many hours rescheduling chats when I am already spending much of my time rescheduling for weather and health.  I am only one person, but hopefully will hire on some help soon!

05. WHAT IF WE WE GET SICK? What if bad weather?

Yay! We have finally met in person and had a hopefully fantastic session no doubt!  What's next?

A teaser will come in about 4 business days via slideshow format. I think this is a better storytelling method than sending 3-5 photos.

If you would like the teasers immediately for social media usage, I can upload them for download in low-res watermarked JPEG format. If you want them in high res for immediate usage, just tag me on social media with your images and I'll upload the high res unwatermarked teasers to your gallery :). 

Once they are fully edited and ready to be printed, I will upload the retouched gallery to the same online gallery for you to download in all of its unwatermarked glory!!! Images will be done in about 3 weeks during slow season (Jan-April) and up to 5 weeks during busy season .  Please check contract for deadlines and the mailed card for an updated tunraround time. Once your images are done being edited, if you signed your contracts on time then my choice of prints will be ordered.  The prints will then arrive to me about 7 days later and the entire package will go in the mail  (sometimes sooner!).  Read more HERE

06.  WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SESSION/WEDDING DAY?

Preparing for an outdoor newborn session

It's here! 

Why I ask for 5 inspo photos

Same as preparing for an outdoor newborn session link

Why I ask for photos of outfits and home/yard

This will help me identify areas of your home to focus on and spots to avoid. 

How to dress for a newborn session

Oldie but a goodie. Why I recommend wraps and not clothes for newborns

Weather + Rescheduling

Weather policy. When is sunset? Please read me for all of the answers.

How to use snacks properly

And other session tips if all hell breaks loose. Coming soon.

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Top readings to help you prepare

more

Follow me on social media

Check out the latest work. It could inspire your family's outfits or location! I post regularly on stories (daily). Feel free to DM me there too. This is where your teasers will be posted as well!

I want your kids to "misbehave"

Kids can do no wrong during my sessions.

Personal Faves

My blog is full of helpful planning tips to get us off on the right foot. The main thing to remember is that my session is about play. Try imagining life BEFORE photography and just do that.

my studio

Branding. Headshots. Motherhood. Fashion. 

Parties

How to prepare. Coming soon.

multi-generational shoots

Offered only to the super-easy-going families. 

Tips for pets

coming soon.

prompts for play

30 prompts for play to get you started. Coming soon.

Learn more
Learn more
Learn more
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Learn more

tips for beautiful maternity photos

Coming soon

how outfits set the tone of your session

Coming soon

planning for snow

Interested in a snow session? 

Learn more
Learn more
Learn more

Get in the right mindset

After the session

- Your teasers will be posted on IG stories within 4 days of your shoot (often within 24 hours!!). 
Your images will be ready in about 3 weeks (sometimes sooner!). Contractually it'll be done in 4 weeks.

- Family film will take longer as editing that is a monster.

- You'll get an online gallery that's password protected via a program called Pic-Time. If you already have a Pic-Time account, then you already have a password (use that). 

- Please watch the slideshow for the reveal. Sit down with your family. Have it widescreen on the TV. 

- Then once your prints arrive (if you and your partner have signed all contracts within 4 business days) you'll get tracking for your USB + Prints via USPS.

Wedding planning tips

Browse My Wedding Tips

GET tips

Click into this blog to see what your package will look like.

How do I receive my wedding photos?

MORE FAVORITES

Couples always ask what rooms photograph well, or what to look for when booking a suite. Click here to read tips.

Places to get ready/ family to stay

Things to consider to minimize risk in 2021 weddings during Coronavirus.

Weddings & Coronavirus 2021

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