What Happens After Your Ottawa Photography Session?

Ok, so this is the part where you can sit back and relax. You’ve researched photographers, you booked the photographer (and I hope that was me!), had the photo session, and no you wait. Although waiting can sometimes be the hardest part. “What’s happening with my photos?”, “Did we look ok?”, “Oh I can’t wait to see them?”, “Why is it taking so long?” - these are not uncommon thoughts following your session. As an Ottawa photographer specializing in families, maternity, and newborns, and a Mom myself, I know how much these images mean to you. That’s why I take a lot of care in preserving, editing, and delivering them to you. Read on to find out what’s involved and what you can expect.

Immediately after your photo session

After I leave the location, I head to Starbucks and grab myself a Flat White or a Vanilla Cream Cold Brew if it’s warm out. This is my personal little ritual to signal to my brain and body that the first part of your session is over and to move onto the next. You may not think this benefits you in any way whatsoever but believe me it does - a girl needs her caffeine fix. If this was a studio session, I reluctantly make myself a coffee instead.

Once that most important detail is out of the way, I bring my camera to my computer, where I add all of the photos from your session to both my computer and an external hard drive (the latter of which is kept in a water and fire proof safe, because you just never know). This backs up your photos in two locations for safe keeping. I then walk away and generally don’t even look at them for 48 hours.

“What?? You mean they’re just sitting there? You’re not doing anything?” Kind of but trust me, this step is actually important. Photography, and the editing, is a creative process and a very personal one. I want your images to tell your story in a genuine way. I find that this works best when I walk away for a couple of days and can approach them objectively.

There is one exception to this: I do provide a rush service. I know how excited you are to receive your images and so, if you choose, I can rush deliver your images to you within 4 days from your session date. I still take my 48 hours to sit back from the session but I can certainly get your photos to you sooner in a shorter timeframe than the typical 3 weeks but with the same care and attention.

The processing

This is where some magic begins. After my little brain break, I open up my laptop and I cull through all of the images. During a typical family photography session, for example, I might take anywhere from 500 to 1000 images. Not all of them are usable though. You probably don’t want that many images anyway. Sometimes those images are just test shots for lighting, many are duplicates, someone sneezes or someone has a funny facial expression, or it’s a bad angle that I then readjusted. Depending on the collection you chose when you booked, I then cull down to about double that size. I might then cull again so that you receive the best possible images from your session that provide a variety and tell a story.

And now we edit! Editing is truly an art form. Just as a painter paints with brushes and paints on a canvas, photographers “paint” with digital tools in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Some artists are more minimal, some are more in depth. Some light to keep things light and airy, other more bold and vibrant. I do not just slap a preset, or “filter” as they as sometimes referred to, on your images and call it a day. I have developed my own unique process and I individually hand edit each particular image. It takes somewhere between 10-30 minutes per image; average is about 15 minutes per image. The majority of my time is not spent with you at the session; while that’s obviously a very important part of it, most of my time is spent editing and this is true of most photographers, as well.

The delivery

Once your photos are edited, I now back up the final versions just as I did previously onto my laptop and external hard drive. I then upload them with a watermark to an online proofing gallery, which is PIN protected. You will then be able to choose which images you want based on the amount you selected when you booked OR, if you simply don’t want to leave any detail out, you can upgrade to receive the full gallery. Once chosen, the watermark will be removed and you can download as desired. Your gallery will be made available for 1 month. After that, it’s removed to make room for other galleries so please be sure to download before the expiry date.

Please note that for efficiency sake, mini sessions/Collection 3, do not have proofing galleries and I choose the images from those sessions. This helps keep those session types, both time and cost effective for you.

If you’ve chosen Collection 1 or Collection 2, you also receive complimentary print options. From your online gallery, you can make a favourites list to tell me which images you’d like for your album and/or printed copies. Once selected, they will be mailed out to you within 3 weeks.

If you plan to make additional prints on your own, please ask me for a list of recommended professional print labs. I do not recommend “big box” printers such as Costco, Walmart, pharmacies, or even MPix, as I cannot guarantee that their mass printers are properly calibrated, which may not render the colours and resolution properly.

I hope that answers all of your “What’s next?” questions and gives you a sense of what it’s like for us to work together following your Ottawa photography session. Being a family photographer is truly an honour and I appreciate you choosing me to help capture and remember this time in your life.