FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | ORANGE BEACH | GULF SHORES | PERDIDO KEY
Frequently Asked Questions
A little about us...
Angela is from Tuscaloosa, graduated from Vestavia Hills High School, and graduated from THE University of Alabama. She lives in Orange Beach with her husband, Demond, their son, and dog. Angela LOVES all things outside (taking pictures, the beach, water activities, running, biking, etc.), meeting new people, teaching, and can't pass up jumping in pretty water!
Angela's mom loved photography and exposed her to it at a young age. Angela soon discovered that she loved photography, too. In her "adult" life, she started taking pictures of friends and her brother's growing family. With the encouragement from her husband, family and friends, she took the leap into her own photography business in 2010. She has been photographing and meeting fun families who vacation in our beautiful area ever since.
Angela's husband, Demond, has been an integral, "behind the scenes," part of the business from the beginning. As the business grew, Angela convinced Demond to move from behind the scenes, to behind the camera!
Demond is from Andalusia, Alabama. He also has a degree from THE University of Alabama (Roll Tide!). Don't worry, we're not THOSE types of Alabama fans. Demond has a love for folk art, craft beers, being on the water, our military, RUCKING, and Crossfit. He has a deep understanding of art, is very creative, and has a very witty sense of humor that people love!
Together we have over 30 years of teaching experience and we both owned/managed restaurants & nightclubs. (I know!!) So many moms prepare us for how "active" their children are. No worries. There is not much we haven't seen or can't handle! With these life experiences, we have learned how to handle large groups of people and young children in a fun, effective way; from a cranky two-year-old who missed his afternoon nap to grumpy dads who missed their afternoon naps, too! :) We know a photo session is NOT the highlight of the guy's beach vacation. We get it. We promise to make the session as fun and painless for them as possible. More than a few Dads have confessed that our photo sessions were really fun! One Dad even put us up there with his fishing trip! SCORE!!
We love meeting new people, taking pictures and capturing special moments for families. This is our business and we love it!
What should I expect from a session with you?
FUN, FUN, FUN!!! Come relaxed! If you need to have a glass of wine/beer/margarita, have one (or two or three). This is your session so let’s make it fun! We promise to make it as fun and painless as possible. Please tell the men in your session to contain their excitement about the photo session! :) We want to laugh and have a good time at the photo session and we expect y’all to have fun, too! We will have races, jump from rocks, collect sea shells, and investigate starfish! Your kids are going to play in the sand and that is okay! Your kids are going to be silly and that is okay. We are witty, a little sarcastic for the adults, and silly. We know potty humor makes kids laugh. We will joke about farting and birds pooping to get your kids to laugh!) You should be silly too! If you are tense, your kids will be tense too. RELAX and have fun! This is not a studio session and we like natural, candid poses. We will give a little direction but we will not tell you every hand and finger placement. It is good to just be natural and let things fall as they may. Happy and natural photographs well! We will capture your personalities and will encourage you to laugh and play. Our sessions are a fun experience. We want your time with us to be an enjoyable part of your vacation!
Can we get all the pictures taken? You can send them unedited.
The short answer is no. Why? In a 30 minute session, we shoot 300+ images. We do this to make sure we get the best possible shot of every pose. We have to account for blinking (wind!), hair blowing (wind!), folks not looking at the camera (men are worse than kids!), etc. Multiple that by having 5,10, or 20 people in your session... Yeah, there's a lot that goes into getting a good picture. We do you the favor of taking out all those pictures where someone is blinking, the duplicates, where Dad is not looking at the camera, and test shots (we take test shots multiple times throughout a session because the light is constantly changing). In today's digital world, we are able to take a lot more pictures then when we used film, but the pictures (files) are HUGE. An unedited picture would be in RAW format. Shooting in RAW makes the files much larger than a .jpg (edited format). For example, one RAW images can be 47MB but the same image will be 7MB once we edit and convert it to .jpg for delivery and your use. A 300 picture session in RAW format would be 14.1GB. That is too large to send over an email, a few sessions would take up all my online storage, and you would not be able to see the pictures in RAW format unless you have a way to convert the files.
What should I bring to my session?
We'll bring some "beachy" props (shells, starfish, buckets) but you are welcome to bring anything you want. You can bring special toys or blankets to a cooler of "goodies" for the adults (glass bottles are not allowed on the beach). You should bring snacks if your little one might get hungry. It is always fun to get candid photos of children which means they get a little sandy or wet. We suggest bringing a change of clothes and towels if you want some "action" shots. Baby powder is the best way to remove sand from DRY skin. "Google" it!
What editing do you do? Do you Photoshop?
Our style is classic and natural. We like natural colors. You will not see us using “moody” editing and unnatural filters. We want you to cherish these images for years to come and not regret having some unnatural editing on your images. Included in the package price are general color correction and/or brightness. We do not Photoshop your hair in every photo to make it look like you are in a studio (because you’re not!). You are on the beach, outside, and there is WIND. We’ll try and place you in the best position possible to minimize the wind but again, you are outside (WIND). Unless you are bald, you will not have perfect hair on the beach (there will be WIND and humidity). We will not switch heads, change backgrounds, etc. We know our area is naturally beautiful and does not need photoshopped backgrounds. If you chose to have your session on a crowded beach with buildings, we will not remove those items. We will not make tan lines disappear. Since you know you are getting pictures made, wear sunblock (reapply!) paying close attention to those sun glass tan lines on the men!! If you do not want tan lines or bra straps showing, wear a shirt that covers them up. Try not to get sunburned before the shoot. If possible, book our session early in your stay and use SUNBLOCK!! The sun is much stronger here than in Louisiana (love my Louisiana families!!). Being so close to that imaginary line (equator) along with the sand and water, you can get burned in a few minutes. Reapply!!! If you really want something corrected, you can hire me for $50 per hour for editing.
What if it rains?
The ole' weather question... :)
We are photographers; not a meteorologist (we do not like to see Jim Cantore on The Edge!). If we could predict the weather, our lottery ticket numbers would have landed and we would be taking pictures of coconuts in the winter and Aspens in the summer. :) The weather here can change in a minute. we have no idea when it will change but it will change at some point. If it is raining when we arrive at your scheduled session, we will discuss cancelling/rescheduling. Rain earlier in the day will not cancel your session. The most beautiful sessions have been after a rain. If your session is cancelled because of inclement weather, we will do our best to reschedule (makeup could be a sunrise session). Trust me; we am NOT going out on the beach in a storm! If your session can't be rescheduled because of weather, your deposit will be refunded.
What should I wear to the photo session?
Wear loose fitting clothes. There will be some sitting poses. Do not wear tight short skirts unless you like the feel of sand you-know-where... Do not wear outfits where your bra strap is showing (unless you are okay with this). If you do not want tan lines, wear something that covers them up. The traditional white shirts with khaki bottoms are very popular because it is easy to have everyone match but it is very overdone. Color looks GREAT on the beach. It is much easier to coordinate (everyone wear a pastel top and khaki bottom) the outfits than match. Stay away from loud, bright prints. I can definitely help you with outfits! Ladies, don't wear a lot of makeup. Apply lightly. Beach shots should be natural. Your hair will be blowing around in the WIND (yes, there is wind at the beach...). It does not matter how much hair spray you wear. If you want your hair to behave, shave it off… Just kidding! Consider wearing your hair pulled back.
Do you have any tips for photographing young children?
The best tip we can give parents is to relax! We know sunset can be past some children’s bedtime but it is the best times for photographs unless you want a sunrise session. We will meet one hour before sunset. That is the only time for beach pictures, unless it is VERY overcast (can't predict the weather). The white sand and water will cause a harsh glare and squinting. You do NOT want squinting pictures!! If you want an earlier session and shade, there are a few parks around on the bay . We will do sunrise sessions but in the summer that means meeting around 5:45 AM.
Try to be rested, especially children (and grumpy men). A late nap and a full belly can do amazing things for children (and grumpy men)! :-) Bring some beverages/snacks if you have a sunset session and your children might get hungry. If you decide to go eat before your session, please do NOT have the children (and grumpy men) wear the outfits for photographs!!! Yes, you can bring more than one outfit for photographs but remember you have purchased a time-limited session. There is not a place to change clothes on the beach for adults (unless we hold up a towel) but children can change anywhere.
Practice smiling with your child! If you have multiple children, practice giving gentle hugs and not choke holds. If there is a specific pose you want your husband or significant other to do, show him/her a picture of the pose. If you want your children posing together, go ahead and break it to your son that he will have to hold his sister’s hand and sit next to her :)
I think that about covers it but if you have a question, ask!I
Family beach session in Orange Beach, Alabama