In a Nut shell!

In my mother tongue I would say “aye-oo-bo-wan” which means hello!

I’m glad you stopped by my blog-slash-website. I hope you like what you see!

My work is simple. I like simple compositions, simple edits, with a touch of photojournalism.

I prefer natural light photography, and this is what you should expect to get when you book me, an outdoor or creative indoor shoot.

My sessions are not your traditional Picture-Me or Wal-Mart studio sessions; I work with you based on the quality of images you are going to get at the end of the session, not the time! So although I may give you an estimated session length, it can vary.

What I bring to the table

First, I am a Christian.

I am also a hard worker, and a perfectionist (in a good way) when it comes to your images!

I bring myself, my camera, my enthusiasm, energy, and love of people! I truly do love capturing beauty and life in my subjects! I love children; and families are the most fun people to work with!

What you bring to the table

Yourself!

The best images are those that are not posed, so feel free to be yourself. There may be times that I will ask you to hold a pose, or position you with an idea in mind; but most of our session will be you being you! I sometimes tell my clients to imagine themselves at home in front of their mirror when nobody’s around.

Before we shoot

I want you to be comfortable with the camera and me, and sometimes that takes a little bit of time, this is why I like to meet with you before the actual session. I generally like to meet up for coffee and talk, I do bring my camera with me to this meeting so you can get a feel for it, and we may even get off a shot or two.

This is the time we also decide on locations! So come prepared with some ideas! I always have a few standard ‘backdrops’ (locations) where I enjoy shooting, but I’m always looking for new ideas, and new places to shoot at!

Timing is everything!

When deciding on a session time, please keep in mind that if it is an outdoor shoot, depending on the time of year, you will need to allow for light! I generally like to do morning sessions- before the sun is high in the sky; and evening sessions- when it starts casting a golden evening glow. I try to avoid the mid-morning and afternoon rays as they are often too harsh and cast darker shadows.

In the fall and winter we can sometimes do a session as early in the evening at 3pm.

On the day of

We meet up at an agreed place, preferably on location, and I get to work! All you have to do is have fun!

What you are paying for

Those wonderful images we are going to capture!

I don’t charge a sitting fee.

You pay for a Creative Process, and that includes my time. There is a lot of creative work that goes into the finished product! Editing, design, printing…all this takes time and skill. We are not Olin Mills where they run your pictures through Picasa-style editing software, and print out your pictures.

My editing time involves sometimes-detailed image reconstruction. Your edited images are weeded out from a digital contact sheet of anywhere between 100 and 300 images. Every image is carefully examined before being chosen for editing.

Natural Light Photography is challenging when you consider lighting and backdrops that can include everything: trees, brick, and blue skies! These variations require time and in-depth editing to ensure that you are captured in front of the most breathtaking backdrops…something you can’t always achieve in a studio!

I am also known to edit anywhere between 20 and 50 images from one portrait session. So you have a wide variety to choose from!

Once you place your order, I go over the edited images once more prior to sending them off for printing to ensure that you have the very best quality. Your images are then either shipped to you, or if you are in town I personally deliver them to you, to make sure if you have any questions I’m there to answer them.

Wardrobe

Keep it simple!

We want YOU to come across in your photos! By keeping your wardrobe simple, we are able to accomplish just that! Simple, clean colors work the best and translate well into black and white or even sepia.

If you’re wearing make-up, keep it simple. Use light tones of color that will bring light to your face instead of pulling it down.

Keep your eye-makeup simple and light- don’t pack it on!

If you have signed up to do a progressive shoot- casual day, casual evening, and formal evening so you have more than one look, we will start with minimal makeup and progress to the heavier eveningwear.

My recommendation for a simple outfit for a summer or spring session would be a white blouse and blue jeans. The color contrast and combination makes for crisp, clean images. If you enjoy layering, by all means do so, but remember to keep the colors simple! Layering your clothes is a wonderful way of not only having an impromptu extra outfit, but it is also a way of adding texture to your image.

Wear solid colors, but if you feel like you want some of that personality to shine through, contrast it with accessories!

Accessorize!

For the person who loves color, the ideal way to give your images a splash of color is to accessorize!

Jewelry, shoes, props, caps or hats, scarves, purses…all these can be used to strategically give your image that one focal point of color.

Be prepared to walk! So if you’re wearing heels, you may have to take them off at some point, and that’s the fun part!

Children

My favorite sessions are those involving kids!

And my only recommendation for wardrobe is to let them be themselves. This will not only put your child at ease, and comfortable, but will ensure that we capture their personality!

One of the most interesting aspects of photographing children, is how much they grow and change over time. Everything from their moods, to their sense of style is constantly growing and changing. So when your child comes for a photo session with me, I want them to be comfortable with themselves.

Letting your child’s imagination run riot is also a fun way of getting some character in your images to go along with that bubbling personality! So if he wants to bring along his favorite toy gun and dress up in daddy’s boots, let him!

Studio Time

For these sessions, I recommend you prepare a room that has a lot of light- even if that is the kitchen!

Methods of Payment

I take payment in the form of cash, check or money order payable to Marielle Angela Stair.

I normally take partial payment when you book your session date at our preliminary meet & greet. This is to confirm your booking. The partial payment is non-refundable. In the case that you have to reschedule, it will be held for your new booking.

The other half of the payment can be paid after your session.

Printing

Currently, all images you receive on a flash drive are made compatible to be printed at Walgreen’s. I do not recommend Wal-Mart for printing as they have a tendency to mess up the colors and contrast, so your finished product may not look like the one you see on the screen.

However, I recommend that you purchase your prints from me, as I ensure that the prints are of the best possible quality.

Ordering canvases has never been easier! When you receive the link to your online viewing album, simply email me the file-name of the image you want on canvas, choose your canvas size and I will get it printed through my professional printing lab which I specifically use for canvas printing.

Orders cannot be cancelled once placed.

My Most Popular Sessions

A traditional Portrait Session for up to 2 people : $75 (1 8x10, up to 2 locations, edited images on a flash drive)

Family Portraiture : $100 (1 8x10, up to 2 locations, edited images on a flash drive)

Infant Portraiture : $60 (1 8x10, 1 locations, edited images on a flash drive)