Welcome.
I’m so glad you’re here, and I’m excited to make some art out of your life. This page has a little of what you can expect when you work with me—from how our session will unfold to a few things that will make the experience easier. My goal is for you to feel comfortable, enjoy your people, and let me take care of the rest.
About Me
First things first: Chanda (pronounced CHAN-duh—“Ch” like cherry, and it rhymes with panda). I’m a documentary family photographer and filmmaker who loves making art out of real life. The messy, funny, ordinary, meaningful parts of real life.
How to Prepare For Our Photo Session
I want our session to be laid-back and stress-free. You do not need to do anything to prepare, but I’m sharing the following suggestions in case you want some guidance.
What to Expect
Let’s hang out, and I’ll make some photos.
The best photos happen when everyone is relaxed. So we will take our time, and our session will unfold organically.
I typically start with ‘posed’ portraits while everyone is very aware of me and warming up, and then we move into a lovely place where I hope you guys will ignore me.
Occasionally, I will see a cool spot and suggest a portrait, but unless I’m telling everyone to look at me, I really do want to be ignored.
Don’t worry about “doing” something the whole session. For one thing, the doing nothing moments are often pretty sweet— loving on someone, or making someone laugh, is “doing” plenty. But I also don’t expect to be shooting every second, and I sometimes wait for pictures to unfold.
Your House
I love your house. The mess is even a part of your beautiful story!
But if you just have to prep a little, here’s what I’d suggest:
De-Clutter the rooms we might be in. Make the bed and put the remotes and chargers away. Look at the room with fresh eyes.
I prefer to use any natural light we can, so open up the blinds.
But in the end, trust me that while your mess might be in some of the photos, I will also get photos from angles that simplify the image. In the photos on the left, you can’t see the pile of stuff next to the couch. In the kitchen, the stuff is part of your story too!
What to Wear
It never matters to me what my clients are wearing, with a few exceptions:
Avoid neon and big logos that distract.
Beyond that, I want everyone to dress like themselves. Dress like you, in real life, on a good day. Pick an outfit that you feel great in.
A few tips that might be helpful:
Layers often photograph well. Think lots of textures.
Complementary colors look better than matching colors
Give kids two options that you like, but don’t fight over it. A kid who is mad about what they are wearing is less happy to see me, so pick your priority and remember that this is who they are right now!
Dress everyone for the weather if we’ll be outside, and consider being barefoot at home.
Your photos should look like your family, not anyone’s Pinterest board!
What to Do
Having a few activities in mind for our time together can help everyone relax and enjoy themselves. These can be simple plans like heading to the pool, zoo, playground, or ice cream shop, or things you already do at home—bedtime routines, playing in the backyard, baking together, or making dinner.
Think of it as planning a really good day with your people, with no phones or other obligations getting in the way. Every family’s version will look different. Maybe it’s the manicure your 4-year-old has been giving you lately, or the dance party that happens while you’re getting dinner ready.
Whatever your family is into right now is what I want to document. We won’t rush through activities to get pictures, and I never want you to pretend to do something just because I’m there with a camera.
I want you to actually enjoy your time together. So think of a few possibilities, but don’t worry about sticking to a plan. We may end up doing something completely different—and that’s great, too.
If you have a newborn, they are the activity. Snuggles and keeping a tiny human alive is plenty.
Prepping Your Family
The most important thing: relax.
The goal is for everyone to enjoy themselves. What that looks like is different for every family, but one thing is pretty universal: your family will pick up on your energy. So your first job is simply to relax and enjoy your people. I’ll take care of the rest.
A few things I’ve learned along the way:
Share this guide with the other adults who will be joining us. It helps if everyone knows what to expect.
Tell your kids a friend is coming to hang out and take pictures. Keep it casual and positive. And save the bribes for later if we get desperate for a portrait.
Nobody has to be in the room all the time. People can come and go, and the session can ebb and flow naturally. That’s part of real life, and I want to photograph it that way.
You don’t have to manage your kids for me. If I’m the only adult in the room and someone is doing something genuinely dangerous, I’ll step in and redirect them. If they’re doing something a little naughty? I’ll probably take a picture first. Then we’ll redirect.
What to Expect After the Session
Your Photos
• A couple of weeks after each session, you will
receive an invitation to view your gallery.
• From there, you should download and store
your digital photos safely, and you can peruse
the professional print lab offerings.
• If you would like to purchase prints or an
album, you can do that through the gallery.
• Reach out to me if you’d like me to design an
album for you. Once designed, I will add it to
your gallery shop, where you will review the
design, choose your cover options, and
purchase your album.
Prints + Albums
This is what it’s all about—your photos are meant to be printed and passed down from one generation to the next. I offer a variety of prints and albums that are professional quality, which means they will be gorgeous and last for many years to come.
Albums are my favorite way to display storytelling photos, and I’m happy to design one for you, or you can design it yourself in your online shop.
FAQs
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We can reschedule for any reason—I want you to love your photos. Because it’s Atlanta and the forecast is often so wrong, I’d like to wait until just before our session to actually call it. I’ll text you if I’m concerned about the weather, and feel free to reach out first.
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Sometimes newborns don’t want to be put down, and that’s fine. We will get beautiful close-ups of your baby in your arms. Sometimes older siblings don’t want anything to do with the session, but as long as they are there, I will make beautiful photos of your life just as it is right now. Tantrums don’t faze me, and I’m thrilled by family chaos.
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The short answer is no. It’s all a part of your story, but if it’s going to bother you, I’d rather reschedule our session for a time when this has passed.
Want to Chat before Our Session? Schedule a phone call.
Can’t wait? Text me: 404-931-6671