Congrats on snapping up one of our Blossom 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, how to prepare and where to meet me once it’s time! So make sure to have a good read though and let us know if you have any questions.

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.

• Let me know at the start of the session if there are any specific shots or parent/child combos that you really want.

• These session will be taking place in the botanic gardens near the playground. Do not let the kids on the playground before the session as it may be impossible to get them off.

• Each year the colours of the flower patch next to the blossom tree changes. If the colours are nice this year then we may get your kids to jump in and get a couple shots.

WHAT TO WEAR

Dress yourselves and the kids in lighter tones as anything too dark or contrasting will clash the soft pink of the blossoms. So white, pinks and blues look best. Don’t stress too much about your pants being too dark as they won’t feature heavily in the photos. Jeans are always a safe option if that what your comfortable in!

Also remember to keep it casual – office wear or dress shirts will look oddly formal in the soft, natural setting. Flowy dresses are nice if you want to go extra-girly, but just jeans and a nice top look great too if casual is more your style.

Make sure to dress the kids warm. It will be cold! especially at sunset and sunrise, jerseys and merino layers under dresses are a good idea.

WHEN & WHERE

These sessions take place in the Christchurch botanic gardens, nearby the playground. Both the big blossom tree and the magnolia trees are located on the path near the carparks. You can put ‘Christchurch Botanic Gardens Carpark’ into google maps to find the carpark in the images below.

Give yourself some extra time to make sure that you’re not late for the session, but try not to arrive more than 5 minutes early. If you do, we suggest waiting in the car so that the kids don’t run around and get cold/tired before we start the session. Do not take them to the playground before the session as it can be a struggle to get them off.

Ideally be ready and waiting a couple minutes before your session time at the tree with the bench around it (pictured below). If we see you waiting there we may wave your over early if we are running ahead of time.

Otherwise just walk up to the spot at your session time - please do not come up before your session time as your kids may distract the kids in the session before you.

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

See some maps and photos below detailing where to go.

A week or two after your session, we will send through an email with a link to a gallery of about 5-10 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 photos to be edited. If you’d like to buy an extras they are $50 each.

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.

If you’d prefer to skip the unedited gallery and selection process, please let us know via email before the session and we will choose the images for you.

Once your have your digital photos, we can check out our range of product below if you are interested in having your images beautifully printed.

HEIRLOOM PRINTS
on fine-art paper

Our gorgeous prints come either a gloss or matte finish, and come as loose prints or matted prints. Matted prints are are ready-to frame, so they are perfect for if your wanting to get them up on the wall.

from $20

DEWDROPS
Wall-Art

The most beautiful handmade woodblock prints.

A creative modern way to display your artwork.

from $160

BOUTIQUE ALBUMS
custom made

A gorgeous albums are custom designed to perfectly display your photos.These can also include photos from previous sessions if you’d like. Contact us via email for more information or to request a digital mock-up.

from $600