While no two photo shoots are the same, there’s a basic outline that goes into each session. From portrait, to scene, and everything in between, here’s what to expect when in preparing to get in front of my lens. There are three stages to this journey.
Stage 1: Inquiry/Consultation/Prep
There are a variety of options available in the studio to create an iconic image. So many options that it may seem overwhelming until we have our consultation. Depending on how busy we are or if we’re in town, a consultation is sometimes over the phone or in person at my office in midtown.
As boutique shop, we customize every session to fit our client’s needs. A session with me is an investment in yourself and my team, and in order to sculpt your image there are quite a few questions that need to be covered before we get to the studio. Here are the biggies:
What’s the message you’d like to communicate with your audience? (There are a variety of reasons that led you to consider a session with me. This question is that reason. Each photograph taken is sculpted from this moment on.)
Location?
Thoughts on hair and makeup? (I always stress hair and makeup to my clients. Women and Men. It’s the last 10% of any image that we take. Whether you’re getting a touch up at your go-to Salon, getting a free test at Sephora, or using one of my fine ladies, the time and money spent will be worth it. No one likes fly away/frizzy hair, or that curl that’s not going the right direction, or not having enough makeup on because the camera flattens your normal routine. Spending the extra investment on hair and makeup will complete your look. Not to mention, it’s not bad being pampered right before getting in front of the camera.)
How many outfits are we capturing? Will we need a fashion stylist?
Extras?
What is the desired timeline?
Is there a price range you’re working within?
Stage 2: The Day of.
Take into consideration the day/night before. Make sure you take care of yourself to be your best mental and physical self the day of. We’ve got an earlier post on tips for the day of here.
When you first arrive we’ll get you situated with your outfits hung up and lightly steamed if need be. Traveling with a suitcase, while a must for any city dweller headed to the studio, can sometimes crush clothing. Luckily there’s plenty of time for the outfits to air out hang as we move to hair and makeup.
Hair and Makeup
If you’re having this done, plan to be in the chair for 90 minutes. We bring the salon to you with our fabulous team of experts for the best comfort and visual experience. With coffee and munchies, we’ll also talk over your concept in a little more detail. During this time, my assistants and I are prepping the studio and testing light.
Outfit Finalization
Remember, your outfit is just as important as hair and makeup. An image can be lit perfectly, however can fall flat when styled poorly. When using our fashion stylists, a personal consultation is built in prior to the day of to help craft the perfect outfit from your own closet or showroom. Whether you’re going for one look or multiple outfits, always plan to bring a few extras with. Materials, patterns and jewelry all show up a little different in front of the camera. A selection allows us to hand pick and craft that image to perfection.
Lights, Camera, Action!
By now you’re relaxed and ready to go. Being in front of the camera is actually the easy part. It’s a conversation between you and me and the camera, not unlike the conversation from our consultation. With you, our team, beautiful Hasselblad camera system and my keen eye, your image is finally coming to life.
Wrap up & What’s next
The time in the studio goes by in a flash. By the end of the session we’re usually glowing and wishing we had more time. After the last frame you’ll start to pack up, as will we, and we’ll talk over a few observations from the shoot on what worked well and what didn’t. Once packed up the final conversation is the next steps for our upcoming proofing session.
Stage 3: Proofing and Delivery
Proofing Session
Depending on your timeline and any deadlines that need to be met, on average our turnaround time to our proofing session is two weeks. During that time between the shoot and proofing, we’re working hard culling through non desirable images and color correcting and cropping the best ones. At our session we’ll go through these beauties on our large screen and talk through each working towards your final selection.
Final Delivery
Once the final selection has been made in our proofing session, we’ll then take the final images and make them over with our last 10%. This means we’ll spend extra time working finalizing color and contrast, retouching and prepare for printing, framing and web delivery.
And voila!
You are now an iconic classic! There’s so much more that goes into a session here at Karjaka Studios. As no two clients are the same, no two session are either. This is a mere glimpse into what your session will look like. Our muse is you and we can’t wait to get you in front of the camera!
Curious to learn more? Contact us at info@karjaka.com or 917.789.4829 for more info! Book during the month of October and receive 50% off your session to celebrate 5 years of Karjaka Studios!
Happy Snapping!
