Fairy Art
Does my daughter have to be present, or can I send you an image?
Yes, our fairies need to be present in studio. We photograph our Fairies in our magical woodland scene, then create unique artwork from their images we capture.
Will my image be the exact same as the examples shown?
No, Every image is a unique piece of artwork. All artwork is done by hand, and any differences are what make them their own unique artwork. They are not always the exact same, as we evaluate each image and fairy magic art to make each image the best possible.
Can I buy negatives to reprint?
Mulhollan Portrait Design does not offer digital images with copyright release on our limited art fairy series.How long do you keep the negatives on file for reorder?
Mulhollan Portrait Design archives images that are ordered for one year. All other images are purged.
What should my daughter wear?
Have your daughter in something that is easy for her to change out of, as we will provide her with a fairy costume. Something that goes over her hairdo or unbuttons, to not mess up her hair.Please have your daughters nails and toes either cleaned of any old polish or painted freshly. All 20 nails will show in the portraits.
Please have your daughters hair styled how you want it. We will add flowers to her hair. Some mom's put their daughter's hair in an updo, and some simply braid the front sides and pull up to the crown of the head and curl the back. It is your choice of how you want your daughters hair, but we recommend to have the sides up out of their face.
A little lip gloss, mascara and a touch of blush looks wonderful on the Fairies, please either apply before your session or bring with you. We do not provide makeup.
What sizes of costumes do you offer?
We offer custom fairy costumes in a variety of sizes, from infant all the way up to adult. We also offer a fairy queen costume for moms that want to be in the portrait with their little fairy.
Cake Smash 1 year old Birthday Sessions
Do I bring a cake?
Mulhollan Portrait Design provides a custom boutique cake for the cake smash session. We will arrange with you during the booking what colors you would like on the cake. We also will provide a diaper cover and a matching birthday hat.
Can I have normal pictures during the session?
YES!!! Bring 1 to 2 outfits that you would like the typical 1 year portrait in! We will do these studio session portraits first. Then we will bring out the cake and the mess begins!!Cake Smash Advice
Mulhollan Portrait Design makes the 1 year old cake smash a breeze! But here are some key factors to consider...
* Schedule appointment time around your toddlers schedule, when he/she is the happiest. (usually after a nap!)
* Feed your little one before the session, so they aren't cranky, but don't feed them immediately before or have them stuffed when they show up. We want them to eat cake! :)
*You will get messy! We all will.. so wear clothing that you don't mind having cake and icing all over
* We provide wipes and wet towels for clean up of your toddler. They will need a bath when they get home.
Infant Session Advice
Mulhollan Portrait Design schedules infant sessions on weekdays, when the studio is less hectic, and has less older children running around. We understand that infants immune systems are still developing, and don't want to expose your infant to any other children. We provide the much needed time it takes for an infant, with diaper changing, and feedings.
We suggest you call before your due date to let us know when you are due. We will reserve time for you based on your due date. (yes we know it's just an estimate )
Infants are best photographed in the first 10 days, while they are still new, sleepy and before they grow and loose that newborn look. It happens really fast!
Presentation Appointment
Mulhollan Portrait Design strives to help our customers through the ordering process. We have years of experience and have samples to help you understand what you are ordering. We help you design a wall collection, plus you get to see your images large and projected. (much better than trying to see them on a tiny computer screen) I believe the in person presentation appointment is the best way to have my customers order their portraits. We offer so much customization as well, that in person is the best way to answer all your questions and really customize your order. Sending you a link to an ordering gallery, for you to figure out packages and sizes all on your own, would be such a disservice to my customers.The appointment is an hour long, most people take the full hour to decide and make their order. We will go through all your images, for Fairies I will explain what artwork will be added. (Fairies have minimal editing done before ordering, all magical art is added after ordering)
The presentation appointment is your time to order your images. It is the time I have dedicated to you to answer all your questions and help you design your order. We will create your package during this time. Payment for your order is due at the presentation appointment.
Reorders
Yes, we take reorders. If you find you did not order enough of a print, you can reorder. You can do this with an email or via phone. You do not have to come in for another appointment to reorder. But remember, we only archive images that were ordered. So you reorder needs to be from an ordered image. If your family sees an image on Facebook, and would like to order one, I am more than happy to take an order from them. I just need to hear from you that it is okay that they are ordering from your session. They can email me or call me to place an order.Why Does Custom Photography Cost So Much
I get this question a lot. Although I think as far as custom photographers I am very reasonably priced. I know of many custom photographers that charge $150 a sheet, and have minimum orders over $1,000. I try to keep my prices so anyone that truly wants my work can find a way to pay for a package. So you ask "Why does it cost this?" I couldn't say it any better than another photographer Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography. SO here is her article:Why Does Custom Photography Cost More?
The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its' lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen's and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print. Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:
"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?"
The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted. Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let's imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love. This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session. Here is an example of a time break down:
booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time + paperwork)
pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client's home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer's level of service. This is time dedicated only to ONE session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.
The COSTS of Maintaining a Custom Photography Business:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run from $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer. Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows their professional lab is an integral part of their success. These labs often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for the discerning client.
Discussion on other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we'll skip many of the intricate details. An overview: the costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.
APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 "sheet" or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation. The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).
A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the "loss leader". Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child's life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you're there "anyway" you buy.
Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don't have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience.
REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER: There is an old story about a ship that cost a company millions of dollars. Something went wrong in the engine room and the ship was stuck in dock. They called various "experts" who spent weeks trying to fix the issue to no avail and at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Finally a older gentleman was called in who simply brought in his small tool bag and a hammer. He set about pinging on various parts of the vast engine with his hammer, finally settling on one area. He spent a few minutes pinging in that area, took out a few tools and fixed whatever what was wrong. After a few moments the man straightened up, looked at the captain and instructed him to "start her up." The captain disbelievingly went to get the engines started while the man sat in the engine room listening as the engine roared to life. The man tipped his hat as he exited the ship to the staff who sat dumbfounded because they had seen all the experts come on board for days with their expensive equipment only to have the ship not fixed. This man did it in a few minutes with a few pings of his hammer!
A few days passed and the man sent the shipping company a bill for $10,000. The accounting department contacted him immediately. Why all the rumors mentioned that this man had only spent "a few minutes" fixing the ship "with his hammer and a few other random tools". When questioned about why his bill was for $10,000 – did he accidentally leave an extra zero on the bill? The man confidently responded: "In fact the time was worth the $1,000. The other $9,000 was for the years of experience and the ability to discern the issue as quickly as possible for the company."
Now I'm not saying that photographers fix large ships but being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer's part (years of practice, study, experience, etc). A photographer's expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? These photographers often undervalue what they do because they have the realization that they do not have experience or expertise but are very adept at pushing the shutter on the camera. Many times these casual "professionals" neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc.. When you hire a photographer of sound reputation, you are hiring an expert, one that knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work a photographer possesses not only sound knowledge in the technical and creative aspects of photography but also good, reliable equipment and back up equipment.
The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.
I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family's memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family's most precious investment.
http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?page_id=16
Policies (the boring mumbo jumbo that makes a business run)
-Calls are returned within 36 hours. I pretty much do it all here, Shoot sessions, presentation appointments, artwork, labwork , customer service, marketing, web and blogging and answering the phone... As much as I try I can't always answer the phone. If you call during normal business hours and you get the machine I am probably standing on my head trying to get a 2 year old to smile..lol or something of the sort. I will try to call you back as soon as possible, but if it's the busy time of year it will probably be the next day.
- Session fees must be paid at time of scheduling. This fee holds your appointment time for you. Without it, we will not schedule your appointment. If you need to reschedule your appointment due to a sick child or mayhem, let us know as soon as possible. I'm a mom, I understand kids get sick and don't have a problem rescheduling. If you are a no show with no contact, your session fee will be lost and a new session fee will be required for a new session.
- I spend a lot of quality time with my customers, I devote a 30 minute to hour session to you, then I spend time with a first edit of your images so they are ready for your presentation. I then spend an hour with you helping you decide which images are your favorites, and what sizes will work for you. I then spend about an hour per image in fairy art to add all the artwork. Plus lots of time getting your images to our professional lab and packaging your images.
- All orders are considered final. Your order goes into production right away, there are no cancellations.
- Payment for portraits must be made before your order goes into production. This is done at your presentation appointment. If you require the sum to be made in payments, we will offer a layaway payment plan. Portraits will not be placed to the lab until the balance is paid.
- Fairy Orders take up to 5 weeks for finished portraits. Themed sessions and regular studio/beach sessions take up to 4 weeks for finished products. I know you are super excited to see them all done. I get them done as quickly as possible.
- Ordered images are archived for 1 year. ALL other images are purged from our system.
- Facebook Thumbs are available of all ordered images. I do this as a courtesy to my customers so they can share their images on Facebook with their friends and family. These images are downsized thumbnail size images with watermarking and logo. I post them on Facebook, you may tag yourself in the album/images and share the album. Customers may also use as their profile pic. Cropping out the logo, or printing these thumbs in any manner is not allowed(and it's plain just not nice, please respect the effort and work of Michaelle). You may save these thumbs to your phone and computer for viewing.
