You've Finished Your Photo Session, Now What? | Seattle WA Photographer
You just finished your family Photo session…
So you booked Katie Niemer Photography for your senior or family portrait session. You finished your session and you’ve seen a couple sneak peeks. You’re so excited to get your hands on your full gallery, right? So what should you expect? Don’t worry. In this blog post, I will go over what happens after we say goodbye at the end of a session.
Waiting is the hardest part.
I know from experience that waiting for the email with a gallery link to your family or senior photos is hard. So much anticipation is built leading up to a session, and then when the session is over, you have to hurry up and wait again. The average wait time for gallery delivery is three to four weeks. Any longer than that, and my clients get antsy and my editing workload makes me dizzy. I try to get galleries into the hands of my clients as soon as possible. I know how hard waiting can be, and in order for me to provide my families with the best service possible, I rarely push delivery out any longer than a month.
Now, as in all things, the time of year can severely impact delivery time. Busy season for all photographers starts in the summer, but really launches into full gear during the late summer/fall months of August, September, and October. With each new client or mini session event, the editing can stack up pushing that delivery date right up to the four-week mark. No sooner. But in the winter and spring, when outdoor sessions take a hiatus, turn around time can be very quick. It all depends on timing. When I am satisfied that your gallery contains only the best images and the editing is consistent across the board, I deliver the gallery to you.
Want to see a full gallery? Check out the links below:
The Next step - Gallery Delivery!
What should you expect when you receive your gallery? Great question. I provide all my clients with their own, custom gallery page. My proofing site is called Shootproof, and it’s a beautifully designed site with a great end-user experience. As long as you know how to navigate your gallery, ordering and downloading is a piece of cake! (See video below.)
The galleries are meticulously arranged and contain only the best images. You can compare photos to each other, favorite the ones you like the best, and order print products right from the gallery homepage. On your page, you will find at least 50 photos in vivid color and black and white.
Full Session Gallery
When you purchase a full session, you get all the photos. They’re yours. No extra charge. That’s a pretty sweet deal.
You get a high-quality, full-resolution gallery with 50+ images in rich color and black and white.
Your photos will not be watermarked, so you can just download your images as is. A “Download All” button will be displayed at the top of your gallery.
You can purchase prints, fine art prints, canvases, and metal art directly from your gallery by hovering over a photo and clicking the shopping cart.
Prints from your gallery come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That’s because the professional printer that I use, Miller’s Professional Imaging, is color-calibrated to my computer, so images look exactly the way they are supposed to when printed.
Shipping is fast and products are shipped directly to your door.
Mini Session Gallery
When you purchase a mini session, you will still get a large gallery. It’s amazing how much goodness can be captured in 20 minutes. Mini session galleries range in size from 30-50 photos. With your mini, you get:
The same high-quality gallery page as a full session.
10 high-resolution files are included in the price of your mini session.
Your photos will be watermarked, but the watermark will be removed when you download your photos.
You have the option to purchase more files for $25/file or the entire gallery for $400.
You can purchase prints, fine art prints, canvases, and framed art directly from your gallery by hovering over a photo and clicking the shopping cart.
Prints from your gallery come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That’s because the professional printer that I use is color-calibrated to my computer, so images look exactly the way they are supposed to.
Shipping is fast and products are shipped directly to your door.
Take a Video Tour of a ShootProof Gallery
Print your Work!
I cannot stress enough how important it is to print the photos you receive whether it’s through a trusted printing vendor that you use or the recommended vendors that I suggest, the end goal is to hang those beautiful images on your walls for everyone to enjoy. As a photographer, pictures of my family adorn every corner of my house. When I hire a photographer for my family’s needs, I always opt for a book and an updated canvas for my living room. I love seeing the world that I have created with my family through the lens of another talented artist.
So who do I trust to print my work?
I have one trusted vendor that has both a professional printing lab and a consumer printing lab. The company I choose to print with is Miller’s Professional Imaging. Miller’s Pro Imaging is just for the pros, but you can access their exceptional printing services through my galleries. The consumer end of Miller’s is MPix. MPix is far and away the best consumer printing lab that I have found. When I need a job quickly and inexpensively printed, MPix is my go-to.
When it comes to printing, not all services are equal. Box store printing services such as Costco, Walgreen’s, and Target run your prints on lower-quality paper and are limited in their photo finishes. Pro-print labs run their prints on high-quality artist papers that compliment their fine-art printers. The colors are rich and vibrant, not mottled or muddy. The images are crisp and sharp, and the paper is thick, fade-resistent, and durable. Professional labs also have multiple photo finishes that enhance the feeling and quality of the work. There is no comparison, and it’s well worth the extra cost.
Special considerations:
When printing your digital files, note that I only guarantee the print quality from the two companies listed in this blog. I cannot guarantee a third-party printer’s results when it comes to color calibration and image quality.
We always have the best intentions when printing our photos, but life often gets in the way. By choosing prints directly from your gallery, you can be assured that your prints will be printed using the highest quality materials, arrive in a timely fashion, and it takes one more thing off your plate at an affordable price.
If you need help choosing the correct size or print option, I can help you! I love helping clients choose the work they would like to hang up in their home or office spaces.
Digital files can become degraded over time and gallery links expire after a year. And let’s face it, most of us like the tactical experience of thumbing through a photo album rather than scrolling photos on our phones.
Printed photos are a great conversation piece and a great way to connect with loved ones over memories. I know this because I give my parents a photo album each year, and every time we visit, those albums come out along with stories, giggles, and reminiscing about times that we have cherished as a family.
You took the time to plan and prioritize your family legacy. You showed up, looking sharp and you participated with exhuberance. Now, let’s show off that gorgeous family or senior session. I can’t wait to see your printed work!
Still have questions or want to find out more information?
As always, I am here to serve you. Never hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have, whether you’re a legacy client or just hoping to be a client one day, I’ve got your back! So don’t hesitate. Reach out to me today.