{Niagara Newborn Photographer} The tangible experience

When I first began my photography journey, it was simply a love for creating imagery that inspired me. The business aspect was completely lost on me as I was solely focused on the creative side of the art. However, as time crept on, I began to spend a lot of time thinking about what happened to the images I created after I handed them over. Within just a few years, I moved over to selling prints and products as opposed to solely digital files. There was endless research done on various labs, vendors, and products, a lot of number crunching, there were boxes everywhere and test prints and canvasses and sometimes I felt like I was going crazy. . . but then I’d get a stunning album in the post and as I’d flip through each spread I’d take a deep breath, because it was just SO beautiful and I needed every client to have one of these! It was a time investment that was well worth it. I feel strongly about providing my clients with tangible products from their session with me- prints they will give to family and friends, albums they will lovingly look through with their children as they grow and larger art pieces to display on their walls and enjoy daily.

It’s important to me to help my clients get those images OFF their devices and into their daily life, where they and their family can enjoy them more often. Providing printed product is a service, one that I am excited to give, because it takes the pressure off parents who just had a baby. There is no guilt when they come in to see me with their second newborn and the first babe’s images are still on a CD beside their computer at home. I wanted to make every clients portrait experience with me one of joy and peace and happiness.

There were certainly moments of doubt, moments when I thought perhaps I should only provide digital, do on-line galleries so that I didn’t have to apply makeup, fix my hair and clean my whole house just to have an in-person Ordering Session, there were moments when I thought this could be so much simpler, faster, easier. But when it all comes down to it, that’s not the business model I want to provide. My goal is to have  a business focused on my client and their needs. That involves assisting them throughout the entire process, including wardrobe selections, viewing their imagery in a slideshow in my office over coffee or tea, and helping them to decide on which images are their favorites and how they can best display them. I know some people (myself included) just don’t have a lot of wall space in their homes, and so I am able to recommend one larger piece of Wall Art and perhaps an Album or Presentation Box. It brings me so much joy to see their expressions as they view their imagery of their newborn baby, to hear their soft gasps as the images change and even to see their tears! I no longer doubt the decision I made back then- providing a tangible experience for my clients, creating pieces for them that they can pass down through generations- that is where my heart is. My clients deserve this, they understand the need for beautiful, quality imagery to remember this time by and they will get nothing short of the best.

Over time I have also adjusted the way I sell my products, offering only high quality pieces that reflect my brand and my clients needs. Parents of newborns are often tired and overwhelmed and I don’t want the ordering process of their imagery to turn into anything less than exciting, so I have simplified the process greatly, allowing them to choose from three very flexible and tailored Collections. I’m very excited to formally introduce some of these lovely new pieces in my Collections, as well as items that have long remained in my lineup of products due to their popularity and exceptional quality.

The Gallery Collection

Digital files are, and always will be, part of my offerings, simply since this is part of the age we live in, and also because I, as a photographer, can’t imagine hiring a photographer who wouldn’t provide those files to me. But I do believe that even with digital files, a tangible piece of art is necessary to enjoy and so I have put together my Gallery Collection with that in mind. The Gallery Collection includes up to 30 of the clients favorite images on a wooden thumbdrive. Each image is also professionally printed as a 5×7 and presented in a stunning leather and linen gold embossed box. This Collection also includes a Medium Standout Wall Portrait, ready to hang in their home. The client can choose from a variety of sizes to best fit their space. I love to help them envision their Wall Portraits to scale in their homes by creating mockups, either of their own space or using templates.

The Wall Collection

Enjoy a beautiful wall display in your home each and every day with 2 Medium Wall Portraits, 2 Small Wall Portraits and 10 Gift Prints.  This is my most popular Collection, as it enables the client great flexibility. They can choose to make multiple arrangements throughout their home or one large arrangement or to share the imagery with loved ones. The arrangement shown below only uses 1 of the Medium Wall Portraits, and 4 of the Gift Prints and it would be a stunning showpiece in any home. This Collection also offers a complimentary set of 50 custom birth announcements in a beautiful linen finish.

The Gift Collection

I know my clients will want to share their gorgeous imagery with their most cherished family and friends. The Gift Collection allows you to spread the love and share 5 Gift Prints and 1 Small Wall Portrait. This Collection also offers flexibility in creating smaller wall galleries as well, perfect for a hallway, front foyer or over a small desk.

Throughout the past two years, in person Ordering Sessions has been the status quo with my business and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Clients leave my office thanking me for my assistance with decision making and helping them realize what they needed. That re-affirms to me that this is the right thing for my business. After receiving their printed product, clients would Email me and their words would bring me to tears. The time and care placed into their session, imagery, and the packaging of their product made the experience so wonderful and special to them and I’m repeatedly glad that the business has evolved to this point where I can create such emotion and joy through this art medium.