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Making Your Family Art, Together

Before the camera comes out of the bag, know that we have carefully planned and discussed each detail of the art and photography we’re making together. A thorough Family Art Plan consultation is the crux of the Dust & Breath experience, and this is what it looks like.

Make an inquiry and we’ll discuss your Family Art Plan together.

Three Step Consultation

1

A whole lot of love

To know you is to love you, and to love you is
to photograph you well

This might sound too personal or a bit melodramatic (but I’m an artist, so melodrama comes with the territory): To make family photography and art this personal, we need to make a connection. Finding out what your kids are into; what you’re nervous about; and the unique things that make your family’s love rich, matter to me, and add depth to your artwork.

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2

Look & feel

I have a style, you have a style

While I’m not a chameleon artist–I have a specific style and perspective of my own–I do want to meld your personal taste with my style. Working together, we’ll achieve this in a variety of ways that I will share with you during our Family Art Plan consultation. The last thing I want is for you to feel like we’ve “art directed” your family out of what makes them uniquely them.

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3

Deliberate display

Focusing on quality over quantity, we’ll go into your family photography session knowing exactly where and how your finished artwork will be displayed in your home. Of course you can make changes once we’ve reviewed your family photos together, but deliberately mapping out a Family Art Plan ensures that we both know what we’re working towards during your family portrait session. We’re not leaving your precious memories or your home décor to chance.

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A few more things to know

 

The Process

Family Art Plan Consultation

Life is busy and appointments are plentiful. However, to achieve portrait session success, a thirty-to sixty-minute planning session, guided by Melissa, is a necessary investment of time. In my Tett Centre studio (or in your home, if necessary), I will ask the right questions to reveal the best location, wardrobe and clothing, and final artwork format for your family. You’ll leave the Family Art Plan consultation clear on your desired outcome, stress-free and excited about your upcoming Dust & Breath portrait session.

Portrait Session

Having already made the important decisions together, all you have to do is show up and love on your family for about an hour. I’ll be behind the lens to ensure that your session will be light-hearted, stress-free and maybe a bit of an adventure. Either way, your family portrait session will be an experience that’s fun for everyone–even dad!

Personalizing Your Art

This is your opportunity to see the family photographs we’ve made during your portrait session, and where we turn them into personalized family art pieces together. Your ordering appointment takes place approximately two weeks after your family portrait session. After revealing your edited images, I will guide you through the final family art decisions. This is when you’ll select your favourite family photos to become your treasured family heirlooms.

Delivery & Installation

Your family art will be ready six to eight weeks after we place your order. You can’t rush perfection, though rush orders can be accommodated in certain circumstances. I hand deliver each of our finished family art pieces to you in person, and I’ll even oversee installation of your framed portraits or gallery walls in your home.

Investment

You’re leaving a legacy and creating a home filled with love and belonging, and that’s not something to be scrimped on. Your family is your most beautiful creation, so your family photos should honour that beauty. Your portraits shouldn’t waste away on a computer or digital drive. They’re meant to be viewed and enjoyed; treasured and shared. It’s with that in mind that we get your family photos out of the ether and into your life. What worthier a thing to invest in? Leaving proof of your time on this earth, the incredible family you created, and the love you shared–that’s something I can put my money behind! Still, I’ll always provide you with the pricing guidance you need to make the investment decisions that are right for you (not for me).

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The details

It all begins with your free Dust & Breath Family Art Plan. In this thirty minute consultation, I visit your home to discuss where we’re going to hang the finished artwork we create together. I guide you through sizing and framing considerations, ensuring that proportions and style are right for you. Read more about the Family Art Plan here.

Are you wondering about price?  Good question!

Because we’re making art, not pictures, you can’t pay me to photograph your family. Photographing your family is a means to creating artwork for your home; I do that without charging you a cent.  You only pay for the finished artwork, which could be a framed fine art print, an heirloom album or a legacy box. My clients typically spend between $500 and $3000.

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Frequently answered questions

1 The photos on your website look amazing. What if I’m not very photogenic?

I hear you, and I totally get where you are coming from. In fact, I’ve had my fair share of unflattering photos taken of me too.  

What a lot of people don’t realize is that with the right combination of elements (the right light, camera angle and feeling at ease in front of the camera) everyone can look amazing in photographs.  

Don’t believe me? Ask me to prove it when we meet in person. I’ve made it my business mission to hone these skills over the last ten years, so that you will like the way you look in your photos.

2 My kids are busy and rarely sit still for more than 10 seconds. Are you sure you can get good photos of them?

Yes! Kids are beautifully free and wild; that’s the magic of childhood. Though each little one is different, I have a lot of experience with their fast pace energy and the curb balls they throw. While I do have “tricks” for capturing pretty portraits of squirrely toddlers and uncooperative ‘tweens I know that waiting, watching and being open to whatever unfolds yields the most beautiful images.  Patience and openness are my super powers 😉

3 At our last family session, we only walked away with a disc of pictures. Despite our good intentions, we never got around to printing any of them. It felt like a bit of a waste.

Boy, can I relate! It took me a year to print my family photographs and I’m a photographer.  

My job is to help you create heirloom quality treasures for your home, through framed prints and photo boxes. Your home is your haven from the world; it should be a reflection of who you are and what is important to you.

Together, during your Ordering Appointment, we’ll decide how you would like to incorporate your family art into your home.  Your walls warmed with family memories ensures that a Dust & Breath session doesn’t feel like a waste.

4 Can I buy the digital files too?

Every print that you purchase comes with a complimentary digital file, sized perfectly for sharing online. You can share them with family and friends on Facebook or Instagram or flip through them on your phone when you’re missing their little faces.

5 What if I don’t like my photos?

It’s hard to invest in something you haven’t seen yet. I appreciate the leap of faith you make when hiring me to photograph your family. I am so confident that you’ll be happy with your images I offer a money back guarantee. If you follow my process, but don’t love the results I will refund your session fee or schedule a reshoot.

6 I’m excited, but a little nervous. Any tips to reassure me?

Having your photographs made is a vulnerable experience. You are inviting an almost stranger into your world to create images that reflect how they see you. It’s important that the photographer you work sees people in a way that speaks to your heart. If you are a person who loves soft, warm, quietly truthful images than I’m the right photographer for you.

On a practical note, when we meet for your Planning Session, I will walk you through every facet of your session leaving nothing up to chance. Armed with all the details, you’ll leave our time together excited for your shoot.

If you’ve stuck with me this far, I’d love to meet you in-person. Fill out the contact page, to schedule your 30 minute Planning Session. I can’t wait to meet you!

Get your free

FAMILY ART PLAN

Let me help create a plan that’s right for you.

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