Congrats on snapping up one of our Autumn Mini sessions! Can’t wait to see you and capture some beautiful memories.

This session guide will tell you everything you need to know about what to expect! So make sure to have a good read though and let us know if you have any questions.

You can email me at cassandra@hazelandcass.co.nz at any time if you have any questions or want to request a time to come pick something from our studio wardrobe on the afternoon of your shoot.

You can text me on 021 277 1987 if you are running late on the day.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• With outdoor family sessions I’ll pretty much just position you in the best lighting at the time, give you a few instructions about how to hold yourselves, then step back and capture a mix of looking at the camera and interacting with each other.

• I’ll call out instructions as we go (such as lean your heads closer together, tickle the kids, turn your body a bit more towards me etc.) to make sure we are getting a good variety of shots. We will aim for some of you all together, then just roll with whatever different combos and individuals the kids are up for.

• If you have booked in a family mini - as it is only 3 photos, we will only be getting photos of you all together. But if you were wanting to buy more than 3 photos, let us know at the start of the session and we’ll see if we can get some extra and maybe even individuals of the kids.

WHEN & WHERE

We’l email you a few days before your session with the location for your night - as we have a few different spots that we keep an eye on as they change with the season.

Most of our spots are out of town, so be prepared for a 20-40 minute drive. If you arrive early to the session, we suggest waiting in the car so that the kids don’t run around and get cold/tired before we start the session.

WHAT TO WEAR

Dress yourselves and the kids in warm tones as anything too stark white or dark black won’t look at nice with the Autumn colours. So creams, golds, oranges, reds and browns all look great. Also make sure to dress warmly (and have an extra layer handy for the kids just in case) as it is usually a bit chilly at sunset this time of year.

Also remember to keep it casual – office wear or dress shirts will look oddly formal in the natural setting. Flowy dresses are really lovely, but jeans and a nice top/sweater look good too if that’s is more your style.

We have a few kids and mums outfits here at the studio if you would like to borrow something, as long as you are able to come pick them up the afternoon of your session, and then drop them back off the morning after. Flick me an email if you would like to see what options we have for your little one cassandra@hazelandcass.co.nz

Below are some examples of what we have in our studio wardrobe, and also some examples of what others have worn before.

Studio wardrobe

Self styled

A week or so after your session, we will send through an email with a link to a gallery of about 5 or so of the best photos from your session. These photos will be unedited, so keep this in mind when looking at them!

From here you will be able to choose your favourite 3 photos to be edited. If you’d like to buy any extras, they are $50 each.

If you already have the intention of buying extras, please let me know before the session, as I’ll try my best to get lots of extra options for you!

Once you’ve confirmed your selection, we will edit them up! Each photos is edited individually by hand in a fine-art painterly style. This includes tidying, skin edits, colour corrections and some other wee details to make each portrait perfectly magical.

About 2 weeks after confirming your selection, we will email though the final gallery of your fully edited photos to download in full resolution.

Below is an example of how a ‘Family Mini’ might look if you requested to get a few extras and the photoshoot really well, so we were able to get full family shots, individuals with each parent, and also individuals of the little one.

BEFORE
An unedited selection of the best photos from the session, for you to browse and choose from.

AFTER
The final collection of your favourite images, fully edited for you to download and share.