THE PORTRAIT PROCESS
What happens when you book a session with Crystal?
We begin with the end in mind. Before we shoot any images, we need a plan for how they will be displayed in your home. Creating a plan and shooting for that plan results in a session that is magic. The entire portrait process takes place in several different meetings with us. The Pre-session Consultation, the Shoot, the Reveal and Ordering Appointment, and delivery/installation.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are joining us for promotional or Gem sessions, they will include guidance in preparing for your sessions via email communications & text messages, studio or location portrait session, in studio proof reveal & ordering appointment or an online proof & ordering appointment via Zoom.
“So, how do you want to display your images? How do you want to see them 5 – 10 years from now?”
Knowing those answers helps us create a plan for your session, shoot in the best possible way to reach our end-goal, and show you images that thrill you to no end. So, let us show you how the portrait process works.
THE PORTRAIT PROCESS
- The pre-consultation
- The portrait session
- The ordering appointment
- Delivery & installation
- Long-term plan
First, let’s talk goals! What final result are we shooting for and how will we plan it? From what to wear, to how images will be displayed, color design, location, planning and the look and feel of the session. The pre-consultation answers ALL your questions and helps us get to know your family. We will coordinate how we shoot the session with what the final outcome will be, your session is NOT happenstance. It is carefully planned and fully designed. Pre-consults can take place in person or on the phone.
Great portraits begin with a great relationship. Tell us about your home and your vision, we will add in our creativity and make it happen.
SESSIONS AT THE STUDIO OR ON-LOCATION
Shoots take place in our cozy studio in Prince George. We work with controlled studio lighting and plethora of simple props and set designs. The studio offers a comfortable and relaxed environment where we create a look that is timeless no matter what the weather. When the weather is warmer, let’s take it outside! Sessions at one our beautiful parks or other scenic spots around Prince George make for some amazing and unique images, especially if the location is special to you. So, consider carefully where you’d like to have your session, or we can recommend a spot for you.
THE ORDERING APPOINTMENT
The Viewing and Ordering appointment is the time when you get to see all the fruits of the session pay off. Your images will be presented in a gorgeous custom video slideshow, and we will take the time to help you design the right art piece for your home using innovative technology as well as select the best gifts for grandparents. This is the time when you will finalize your image collection & portrait order, so be sure to pick a time where mom and dad can be there. Grandparents are welcome to come too! We’ll help you sort through the images and make final decisions on what will look best with your décor. We’ll show you actual sizes and pair images together for a stunning album or wall gallery. (We have the technology to use photos you take of your own walls to show you exactly what your art will look like on your walls) We can add textured mats, unique frames or just let the images shine on their own. Specializing in wall art, folio boxes, and heirloom albums, some of the products we offer are one-of-a-kind and all are created archivally using the finest labs in the world. All of them are sure to get you excited about what lies ahead!
DELIVERY & INSTALLATION
About 3-6 weeks later, your art pieces will be ready for pick up. We’ll call or email you to let you know your order is here and make arrangements for you to take home the final results. If you need help with installation, we will gladly provide someone who can help. Once those portraits are hanging, you can sit back and enjoy them everyday for generations to come.
A LONG-TERM PLAN
And that’s not the end! Our families often come to us year after year. As your children grown and change, it will be time to update your portraits or build on your portrait collection. So right from the start we plan, knowing that more may come. So, we design around that. The next time you work with us, we’ll create art that coordinates with sessions past, so you can build on what we’ve already created for you in a way that works and highlights your family year after year.
“Enjoy the little things in life….
….One day you’ll look back and realize
they were the big things” – anonymous