What to expect during a session with Emerald Eye Photography
As a “Native” Cape Codder, I’m so excited to share my knowledge of the Cape with you! My family technically moved here when I was four - so some people would still consider me a wash-ashore, but with more than forty years of experience here, I think it’s safe to say I’m pretty familiar with locations.
Because I lived in Hyannis, I was able to travel most of the Cape pretty easily…especially in the off-season! From Hyannis, Falmouth is about 40 minutes in one direction and Provincetown is a little over an hour heading the other way - but in the Summer traffic, these trips can definitely take a bit more time. I always tell clients to check their GPS around the time they plan to leave for their session, a few days before, if possible just to make sure there aren’t any big surprises!
My goal for every session is that it will be easy, relaxed, and fun. I really want you to feel like you just had a great hour with your family rather than a stressful time getting everyone to smile. During a session, you’ll hear me say over and over “look here, look at each other, snuggle in close, and (probably) how about a big fake laugh!” This usually makes everyone smirk - and the big laugh usually isn’t the photo I’m looking for…but the ones that come right after it most often have genuine smiles!
Typically…and especially if you have an extended family session…we’ll start with a big group photo. This usually goes well because the kids aren’t quite sure what’s going on and will look at me to see what’s happening or to see how I’m going to respond to things. If the kids are doing great, we’ll break out into smaller individual families with kids, grandparents and grandkids photos, or sibling photos. When they need a break, we can move on to other family groups without kids, or adult siblings, or parents with their adult children. I really LOVE extended family sessions because it gives everyone time for a quick break when needed! If you’re booking a smaller family session, we can also still take breaks and work around anyone that needs a minute for some time off. :)
I’m happy to take any combination of photos that you’d like - it’s your hour after all and you’ll have all of the photos when they’re delivered so I want to make sure we don’t miss anything! During the hour, I’ll also make sure we set aside some time for playing, running, and jumping - and I’ll definitely make sure we get these at the end if you have other plans for the hour.
Usually, I’ll plan to take lots of different combinations of people with one background and then we’ll find another spot and do them all over again. I’m happy to keep bouncing around or to find a place that you really like and stick close by. Most families seem to really like having the variety though and I don’t mind “stopping along the way” if you see a background that peaks your interest! (I’m also very willing to entertain any “silly” ideas that your kids come up with - sometimes they make the best photos - and at the very least, they’re usually memorable!)
I hope that gives you a quick glimpse into how your session will run. You can check out my reviews on Google to see what past clients have said about working with me and the flow of sessions and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have!