Welcome
Thank you so much for signing up for my 2020 Christmas Mini's! These minis are exclusive for Fairfield families. I love coming together with our local community and I'm glad to meet your family. In this guide I will go over basic questions and info, but if you have any additional questions feel free to email me at Haleemichellephoto@gmail.com. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and making this year feel extra magical - as hey - we definitely need it!
What to expect
Our location has no specific address, but the closest coordinate is 22125 Cumberland Ridge Dr. This will lead you to the CVS on Cumberland Ridge. You're able to park at CVS or along the path near the location. I'll attach an image that shows more of where to go.
Please note I may be in a session when you arrive and possibly might be unable to greet you until your allotted time. Please arrive 15 minutes earlier to prepare your family and find the correct location. Due to lighting and scheduling I will be unable to redo any missed time / sessions. You're welcome to bring small props, ideas for posing, leashed pets, additional family to help with children, etc.
Please wait on the sidewalk until you see the family before you leave (just so I don't have to photoshop anyone from the background 😅)
What to wear
I am always in favor of wearing clothing that is more neutral in color and a boho theme. For Christmas this can be implemented in many ways. Below I'll provide some suggestions, but I am always open if you want to send me some outfits you are considering. The more details and thought put into clothing the better the outcome. Clothing is the one thing I will have no control over and will not be able to edit in post processing. Please avoid things such as:
Matching outfits / colors - why? - You will blend together in the images.
Neon colors - why? - You will stick out in the images & be distracting.
Heavy / small stripes - why? - It will create a moire effect which can cause issues when printing.
Short dresses / dresses without diaper covers - why? - A lot of my photography will include bending, sitting, or laying down. It is very hard to edit out underwear after.
Tee shirts - why? - It never really ends up looking nice or professional for images. A nice polo or blouse could really make a difference.
Additional items
Digitals: You will be able to select your images from a soft proof gallery. A soft proof gallery is lightly edited work. If you want to purchase additional they start at $20 individually and I do bundles when purchasing more.
Prints: I have a lab that you will be able to order prints from that include discounts for packages. While you're able to go elsewhere for prints, my lab is the only place I guarantee quality and cropping consistency. Please avoid places like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, etc.
Christmas Cards: Your package comes with $25 off my Christmas cards that include envelopes. Please note you will be able to select from over 100 different options and you are able to create the cards the way you like.
Santa Letter: I will have a small mailbox for children to leave letters for Santa. These will be mailed to the USPS and you should expect a reply from "Santa" in early December. Please note there may be issues with USPS especially this year so please be patient when expecting a reply. Please also bring a stamp on your letter! I will fill in the address that it is to be sent to - but please write your correct address on the envelope. In the event they cancel the program this year I will be mailing out postcards from "Santa".
When we are done
Your soft proof gallery will be available within 5 days from our session and your final gallery will be finished within 2 days of your final selections. You can leave notes on images you selected and your final email will include all instructions. I leave the galleries up for 3 months after, so please download or order prints within this time frame. After they are deleted they will not be able to be added again. Note that some items such as cards are not coming directly from me so if there are issues with these we will need to solve it with the third party and I will help to guide.