FAQs
Have questions? Check out the FAQs below. If you have questions that I haven't answered, feel free to shoot me a message and I'll be happy to help!
How does this whole process work?
Step 1
Connect
You find me through the mass index of photographers in The Outer Banks on the internet, or through word of mouth. So you check out my work, see if it matches with what you're looking for, and contact me through the contact form on my site. I will respond by replying to your email, saying hello and offering dates and times in the morning or evening that I have open as well as the cost of your session. Your full session includes the edited digital images and print release. A mini-session includes 20 images. Cancellation must be made 3 weeks in writing via my online contact form for the retainer to be returned. Any payment made within 3 weeks of your session is non-refundable.
Confirm
If you would like to book, we will set a date, location, and time for our session from the options of dates and times I sent earlier. As far as locations go, I usually meet families at their rental or the nearest beach access to where you are staying. Yep, I come to you! There are other places as well we can discuss if you’d like a different option such as the sound, Whalehead Park, a pier, lighthouse etc.
In order to hold your date and time, I require a retainer of 1/2 the total amount including taxes. Retainers are non-refundable but can be applied to a rescheduled date in the future if the photographer deems applicable.
Step 2
Payment Details
I receive payment via Venmo (@Meredith-K-Snider), PayPal (meredithksnider@gmail.com - please do the friend way so I don't have to pay the fees!), or a check in the mail is great too. Whatever is easiest for you. Once I have received your deposit I will send you an email with the Questionaire.
Step 3
Questionnaire
“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you”-from The King and I
After I receive your deposit, I will send you a questionnaire that will help me better understand your goals for the session and get logistics like location and phone numbers. It helps me get to know you and your family better and prepares you and your family for the session. Some of the questions are fun so don’t worry! Also, there is a reward for filling it out!
Step 4
A Few Days Before the Session
Next, we arrive at a few days before the session. I will reach out to you by text, email, or phone just to check in and make sure you have arrived at the beach and all is well. We will reiterate the meeting time, day and location :) I’m always happy to help if you have any questions or need recommendations about the beach! I love where I live and want your vacation to be the best!
Step 5
Day of the Session
Yay! We made it! I will meet you at the location we decided upon and we will get started after I say hi and try to recall the names that you gave me in the questionnaire :) If there are children, I will be gentle in my greeting to create trust and playful to have fun, which gives us great pictures!!! I will try to keep the playfulness within certain limits so they won’t get too crazy and not do what we say at all. Please don’t nag the kiddos to smile over and over again. The rebellious child will intentionally not smile, and the pleaser will end up with a fake smile that... let's be honest, you just don’t like. I was the pleaser. My mom would say, “Now Meredith, not that smile.”
I will make sure to get one large family picture of everyone (I take one at the beginning to “break the ice” and then another at the end because by then everyone is comfortable). I then take all the family groupings you want, and then we play. We run on the beach, throw shells, make a sandcastle, cuddle up under a towel, look for shells, jump in the ocean, just stand there and smile, or not---whatever you would normally do together on the beach. I’m trying to capture the spirit of your family!
Step 6
Post Session
After your session, I upload and cull through all the images removing shots with closed eyes, strange people making faces in the background, you know that kinda thing. This takes a LOT longer than you think. But after spending time with you, I just love you all soo soo much and have a hard time deciding between this face or that face, that smile or this smile?
Then I personally edit the images using my professionally trained eye ( yes I actually went to college to be a photographer, did post graduate work at a photography school, and even worked with a fashion photographer in NYC) to make small contrast, color cast, brightness type of improvements. Once edited, the images are uploaded to a secure online viewing gallery with your family name on it where you can view, share, download and even order prints directly from the site. The site will expire after 3 months. I do not keep back up files of your session due to storage issues.
How long will it take to receive the images?
4-5 weeks after the session, you will receive an email with a link to the gallery of images from our session. The link will take you to the website with your family’s images all neatly put together in a gallery for all of you to see. You can view, share, download, and even order prints. The photo lab connected with the gallery is a top-notch, professional lab. The prices are crazy reasonable too. A 4x6 is around $2. You certainly can order prints from Snapfish etc, just be aware that the quality will not be the same and I am not responsible, nor adjust the images after 1 week of you receiving the gallery.
That’s it!
What should we wear?
If you have any questions or concerns about what you and your family/ group should wear, please feel free to ask or even look at the family portfolio and see what others have worn and you like. I love helping and it’s fun for me so please don't hesitate to ask for help! Send me pics of what you’re thinking or already have and I will let you know what I think works and doesn’t work.
How far will you travel for a session/wedding?
I'm willing to travel far and wide ☺️ There is a $75 fee for traveling South of Nags Head and North of Currituck Lighthouse. . This is a standard fee in the OBX because of travel time and traffic.
What if it rains? Can we reschedule?
The weather out here is wild, beautiful, and completely unpredictable, but it is also one of the things that make The Outer Banks the unique, special, and gorgeous place that it is. If it is not raining at the time of the shoot, we shoot. Throughout the week I will be checking the weather and radar constantly to keep an eye on things and if we should/ can move our date and time around. Often it just showers for a bit and so we just move it back a few minutes. The trick is to be flexible and best to book early in the week if possible. I try my best to leave Fridays open for rain reschedules but can't always keep them open. If I am able to offer you rescheduling options and you refuse them, I will be required to keep your retainer.