frequently asked questions
- Do you travel? Is there a travel fee?
- What time of day should we shoot?
- Where should we go?
- What's the turnaround time on photos (i.e., when should we book to have time to send save-the-dates)?
- What should we wear? Can we bring a change of clothes?
- Can we bring champagne and glasses, or other picnic items and/or props?
- Can we bring our dogs and/or our kids? Can we shoot with our cat?
- Do you allow rescheduling?
DO YOU TRAVEL? IS THERE A TRAVEL FEE?
Hi, Rachel here! We love to travel, from Lake Tahoe to the Bay Area, from Yosemite to Redding, Southern California, Oregon, Utah, and beyond!
Sessions include travel within 150 miles round-trip of Pollock Pines, CA. The exception are Seasonal Mini Sessions. which take place in Pollock Pines, Apple Hill, or a nearby location, only at specific times of the year.
Travel outside these areas, respectively, is subject to a $0.60 per-mile travel fee to cover the additional cost of travel after the first 150 miles round-trip. Clients are also responsible for reimbursing us for the cost of any tolls, parking, or entry fees, where applicable.
WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD WE SHOOT?
My favorite time to day to shoot (besides any time, lol!) is during golden hour, or the hour before sunset! You can "google" the sunset time for your date and location - if you have it - to find out when sunset will "officially" occur. I also love shooting through sunset into the beginning blue hour, because that light and those colors in the sky are often so amazing!
If we are shooting among trees and mountains, however, the sun may "disappear" sooner, depending on how high and thick the trees are or how high the mountains are to the West - so, we may want to bump up your Session a bit earlier if you want to catch that golden glow as the sun hangs just high enough to shine within view. (Timing for that type of scene is something I'll help with once we do know the location.) Still, the light will be very good once the sun is low enough to be no longer in view, because after the sun is no longer visible is when the lighting is the most even. Ahhhh.... I love that light!!
My other favorite time to shoot is SUNRISE. The light will be beautiful, starting at about 20 minutes before sunrise and continuing through sunrise. Spectacular!
Finally, for beach photos, I actually love to shoot mid-day! Most photographers would gasp at this, but it's the way to go for that bright blue sky and sparkling blue water! Nothing says summer like the beach at late morning, mid-day or early afternoon!
Now, all of the above depends on us having total control over the time of day we're shooting in. If you want to shoot at a particular venue instead of an open public area, you'll need to contact the owner to make an appointment, which may have to fall within their regular business hours. But that's okay! If shooting at a particular place is important to you, regardless of the lighting scenarios that may present themselves, let's do it! No matter when or where I'm shooting, I will find and use the best lighting and backgrounds in every situation! That's what I do!
One last thought about the Session time: I only book one Session per day! So, if we end up needing to change the time, that's okay! And, since there are so many amazing locations to choose from, you can certainly pick your date first and the location and final start time later! And feel free to ask me what I think the best time to shoot will be based on your location!
WHERE SHOULD WE GO?
Here's a list of locations where I've photographed Sessions, if you need help deciding where to go!
Mountain Views / Forests / Lakes & Rivers
Sly Park Recreation Area
Bridal Veil Falls Campground
Strawberry Lodge
Ralston Peak & Lover's Leap
Caples Lake
Carson's Pass
Thunder Mountain
Silver Fork American River
South Fork American River
Silver Lake & Potholes
Donner Pass
Hope Valley (especially in Fall for yellow aspens)
Sardine Lake
Yosemite National Park
Redwoods
Humboldt Redwoods
Oakland Redwoods
Apple Hill Area
Silverthorn Meadows
High Hill Ranch
High Sierra Iris Gardens (late April to mid-May for the irises)
Boa Vista Orchards
TONS OF OTHER FARMS! Vineyards, Apple Orchards and more at https://applehill.com!
Lake Tahoe Area
Emerald Bay
Fallen Leaf Lake
Upper Truckee Marsh
Taylor Creek
Baldwin Beach
Edgewood Tahoe Resort
Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe
Zephyr Cove
Sand Harbor
Logan Shoals Vista Point
Spooner Lake
Chimney Trailhead & Beach
Placerville Area
Hangtown Placerville
Gold Bug Mine
Folsom Area
Lake Natoma Waterfront and Trail
Folsom Lake (especially in Spring for the purple lupines)
Roseville Area
Blue Oaks Park
Amador Area
Mokelumne River
Sacramento Area
Tower Bridge and Old Sacramento Waterfront
UC Davis Arboretum
Capitol Park
McKinley Rose Garden
Land Park
Austin B. Carroll Heritage Oak Grove
San Francisco Area
Baker Beach
Lands End Trail
Seal Rocks Beach
Palace of Fine Arts
Slacker Hill
Marin Headlands
Cliff House & Sutro Baths
Greater Bay Area
Bolinas Point
Bodega Bay
Stinson Beach
Alameda Beach
Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Monterey Area
Monterey Bay Aquarium & Lovers Point Park
Spring Flowers
Crystal Hermitage Gardens (especially in early April for the tulips)
Horse Ranch
Cool Hills Ranch
Alpaca Farm
Menagerie Hill Ranch
Sunflower Field
Various fields in Dixon (early to mid-July)
Almond Orchard
Various orchards in Woodland (late January to mid- February)
Vineyards & Breweries
Saluti Cellars
Cielo Estate Winery
Too Good Winery
Paradise Ridge Winery
For Kids (or Young at Heart)
Sacramento Zoo
Boa Vista Pumpkin Patch (Fall)
Old Sacramento Trains
This list is growing all the time, and I also LOVE shooting in places I haven't been, if you have other ideas!
WHAT'S THE TURNAROUND TIME ON PHOTOS (I.E., WHEN SHOULD WE BOOK TO HAVE TIME TO SEND SAVE-THE-DATES)?
My turnaround time for Session images is 3 to 6 weeks. According to Zola.com, "Within the grand timeline of wedding planning, sending your Save the Dates lands around 8 months for a destination wedding and 6 months for a local wedding." Here's the full article for more!
When picking a date and location, just be sure to keep in mind that every location has an "ideal season" (and I included some of them in parentheses above). For example: If you don't want to shoot in snow, don't pick Lake Tahoe in the winter (but if you have all-wheel drive and want a snow session, let's do it!) If you don't want to experience crazy heat, don't pick Sacramento in the summer. If you want fall colors, the last week of October through the first week of November is best. Spring flowers also have to be timed just right, from April to May.
Of course, you may need to simply git 'r' done to git those save-the-daters out, so if we need to get out there soon, I can tell you what to expect for the location you choose, whatever time of year it is.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR? CAN WE BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES?
I recommend thinking first about your shoes, ensuring your comfort and ease of movement for the terrain and weather, and then about your outfit. As far as colors and styles, matching to the season or scene can be fun! (Here's another article on that.) But if you still aren't sure, white is always a great shirt color for a masculine partner, such as a white button-up shirt with a white undershirt and a solid color pant. (But if you have a "belly" - just don't tuck! Don't worry, Mark is big guy, too!) For a feminine partner, most colors are great, whether solids or patterns, to help you stand out.
Mostly, I want you to feel amazing in whatever you're wearing, and feel like you're being true-to-you. Generally, I would probably stay away from neon green, or any other super bright color that may reflect onto your partner's face. (You can test this by standing chest-to-chest in the sun and checking a selfie to see what colors, if any, are reflecting onto each others' skin.) Last clothing bit: Flowy dresses can be AWESOME if weather permits, because they look great in photos! (Want more? Here's another article from The Knot!)
You can bring a change of clothes for a Session over 1 hour. With an hour or less, we are chasing the best light all the way through sunset, and you don't want to be changing when the light is the most amazing, which is typically right in the middle of the shoot. With 90 minutes or more, you'll have time to get into that second outfit and we won't miss the magic! For changing outfits, do keep in mind that there may not be an "obvious" place to change, as we may be well away from the car by that point or any bathrooms (so you may want to bring a blanket to hide behind).
If you're still looking for more tips, you can check out this amazing article by our partners at Shoot Dot Edit! It's written for photographers, but I definitely agree with everything they say - so I might as well just pass it along!
CAN WE BRING CHAMPAGNE AND GLASSES, OR OTHER PICNIC ITEMS AND/OR PROPS?
Yes! Champagne pops are awesome, or even just a wine toast! And you can bring any other items you want! Just keep in mind we will be leaving the car behind as we walk around the location, so whatever you're carrying may end up in some photos (so a picnic basket or a cute bag might be ideal), or we can just stop and you can put the stuff down and we can just not shoot the in-between spots, which is also fine! And props are super fun, like signs with your date on them, and/or items that are special to your relationship, etc!
CAN WE BRING OUR DOGS AND/OR OUR KIDS? CAN WE SHOOT WITH OUR CAT?
Yes! For pets and kids, I also recommend bringing a third wheel to help with the pets and/or kids if you also want some photos with just the two of you, if you can!
We can shoot with your cat, too! We can start at your home and do some indoor photos with your kitty before we head out, as long as you have a 90-minute session or longer! (And if not, you can upgrade!)
DO YOU ALLOW RESCHEDULING?
Yes! For weather reasons, we can reschedule your Session, free of charge. For any other reason, we charge a $50.00 rescheduling fee.
LET'S GO!
Okay, if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
See you soon!