I’ve tried below to address a few of the more common questions I get concerning my photography services. Hopefully you can find what you are looking for here – but if not, feel free to shoot me an email at sarah@sarahdickersonphoto.com!

1. How do I schedule you?

For a portrait session (which would include senior sessions, families, children/babies, equine sessions and engagements not booked as part of a wedding package), you simply need to shoot me an email or give me a call! Payment for portrait sessions is due at the time of the session, and there is no contract involved. Expect that I will be able to schedule your session in fairly quickly; lead time does vary with season (i.e. certain times in the summer when my workload is heavy, it may take a couple of weeks before I can fit you in!)

For weddings, you will need to sign a contract and pay a deposit/retainer fee of 30% of your package price to hold your date. I book weddings on a first-come, first served basis; this is the only way to be fair if I have two couples vying for the same date! Give me an email if you’re interested in meeting to discuss your wedding at our Briarcliff Village space!

2. How can I pay you?

I accept personal checks, money orders, cash and credit card via PayPal for shoot and wedding fees. Prints may be ordered directly through me via cash, check or money order, or online with a credit card through my proofing site. Payment for portrait sessions is due at the time of the session, wedding payments are split with 30% down at time of booking to hold your date, and the balance due 7 days before your wedding date.

3. Where do you shoot?

I do portrait sessions on-location within the Kansas City metro area. I will travel outside of the area – contact me for details. I am not a studio type of shooter (bo-ring!).  Urban setting or a natural setting? Elegant or industrial? I’ll help you find the perfect location or locations for your shoot – it’s up to you!

4. How long should I expect my shoot to last? What time of day is best to shoot?

For starters, I like to shoot in the mornings and evenings, when we have the best chance at having awesome light. For all portrait sessions, you can expect your session to last anywhere from approximately an hour and a half to two hours. I do allow for changes of clothing – so we will keep that in mind when planning our shoot location. Which brings me to…

5. What should I wear?

First of all, be yourself. As a general rule, super loud colors, or patterns of any kind can be distracting – we want the focus on YOU! For engagement sessions, you might want to plan a dressier ensemble as well as a change to a more casual, weekend-wear type outfit for the two of you. For senior shoots, bring something dressy, and something fun, and something casual. We’ll get a good mix of all of your outfit choices. Feel free to incorporate things into your shoot that speak about YOU. Like funky fashion? Play it up! Like to dress up? We’ll find a location that suits.

6. I’d like to schedule an equine portrait session or farm shoot. What can I expect?

As with the human portrait sessions, we will want to avoid shooting during the middle of the day when the light is harsh and flat. I will arrive early enough I can walk the property and determine some good shooting locations before we begin. Make sure your horse is clean, trimmed and has fly spray on! (Editing flies off of faces can get time consuming!) If we are shooting with a halter, be sure to have a nice one – preferably leather. Bright nylon halters are distracting. It is helpful to have at least one helper to get your horse’s ears forward and help with positioning the horse. If we are doing shots at liberty, it is helpful to have SEVERAL people to help out to keep the horse in a fairly small area. For riding shots, determine ahead if you want to wear schooling apparel or show apparel. Turn your horse out as you would for show. Again, a helper is nice to help get ears.

7. What is included with my shoot?

For weddings, please reference my package guide. For portrait sessions, your shoot fee and editing time is included in the base fee, as well as your images being placed into an online gallery. I strongly recommend doing in-person proofing and ordering at our Briarcliff Village location for those booking portrait sessions of any type – as it is the only time you’ll have a chance to see our great products in person and touch and feel them! From standard prints to DVDs, from canvas wraps to gorgeous albums (yes, we have economical choices even for senior and family sessions!), you’ve got to see them to appreciate them. If in-person proofing isn’t an option for you for whatever reason, don’t sweat – your images are in your online gallery regardless and available for ordering for up to one year after your session! You can order all of these great products from the comfort of your home with a credit or debit card.

8. When can I expect to see my proofs online?

There is no hard, fast timeframe for this. Typically, I am usually very busy in the warmer months and not as busy in the wintertime. My workload has a lot to do with how quickly I can get your shoot edited. I do try to get a blog post of your shoot posted within a couple of days as a “sneak preview” while I edit the rest of the shoot. Typically, I try to get weddings edited and online within 2 to 3 weeks after your wedding date, and I do the same for private sessions. I will inform you at the time of your shoot or wedding as to what to expect based on my current workload.

9. Do you offer any discounts?

As a general rule, no, I do not offer any discounts on shoot or wedding package fees. (there are a few exceptions from time to time, however!) I do run specials on prints during the holidays, however! Watch my blog, or your email inbox, for details of these specials. Also, I have a referral program in place – for every portrait session referred (engagement, senior, etc), I offer a $25 print credit that can be redeemed in your online gallery, and for every wedding referred, I offer a $75 print credit. I appreciate referrals (and your business!) greatly!

10. I’ve booked my wedding. Now what?

You can relax! You are on my calendar. If you’ve chosen a package that includes an engagement shoot, we will pencil in a date and location for that as soon as you are ready. I will contact you when we are a month or two away from your wedding date to discuss any questions you may have and go over final details regarding your wedding day schedule. This can be done over coffee or lunch, or we can meet at your ceremony or reception venue. Please make sure that your officiant, ceremony location or reception location do not have any special requirements or restrictions regarding photography, and if so, inform me ahead of time so that I can accommodate these requests. Also, we will discuss the timing for your formals. It is best to type up a list prior to your wedding of the formal shots you want (i.e. bride with parents, groom with parents, bride and groom with bride’s parents, bride and groom with groom’s parents, bride and groom with both parents, etc) – this will make the process go MUCH more quickly and smoothly. I will help you establish this list. I will also get from you the location where you will be getting prepared, if I will be shooting this portion of your wedding, among other details!

11. Do you travel for weddings?

YES! Within a 2 hours’ drive of Kansas City, I do not charge travel fees. Outside of this distance, I charge for gas, meals, and overnight lodging if needed. Out-of-state, gas would translate into airfare. I am available for destination weddings and only charge for actual travel expenses in addition to my normal package fees. Keep in mind this may be a lot more economical than booking a local wedding photographer, depending upon the region!

As previously stated, please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions that are not covered in this FAQ!