FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS!
Choosing the right photographer can be tough! Whether it’s for an elopement, intimate wedding, or a lifestyle session, I know just how overwhelming it all can be. While I am here to help answer any questions you may have along the way, here are some commonly asked questions to help you get started.
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I book mainly elopements, intimate weddings, and lifestyle sessions. Examples of lifestyle sessions include:
Family sessions
Engagement + couples sessions
Lifestyle Newborn sessions
Senior sessions
Maternity sessions
Surprise proposals
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There are a lot of ways to answer this but I will keep it short and sweet: storytelling. Traditional portrait sessions typically have families, couples, or individuals spending a lot of time looking directly into the camera. The focus in lifestyle sessions is to interact with each other in a way that is more like your day to day life. This is often achieved by providing lots of opportunity for movement during your session, prompts to get you having fun, and lots of communication to make sure you are comfortable. And don't worry, this doesn't mean I don't give you any guidance on posing. While I try to capture the most natural in-between moments, I am also making sure you look fantastic while doing it so I will make helpful comments when needed to achieve this.
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I typically do not take on weddings with more than 30 people. After that, it just starts to get a little crazy! That said, it is so important to know that depending on where you want to get married, you may have to really trim that guest list due to permitting restrictions. For example, some national parks don't have ceremony locations available for more than 20 people; in that case, if you had a slightly larger group, we would need to talk about alternative locations.
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This is super dependent on location but for outdoor lifestyle sessions, I try to aim for the couple hours before the sun sets or right as the sun is rising. This helps ensure that you get the most flattering natural lighting and, ideally, that golden look. If your location provides a lot of shade, like a grove of redwood trees, I will typically suggest we shoot a little bit earlier to make sure we have sufficient light. For in-home sessions, I will normally work with you to find out what time of day your home gets the best natural light and go from there.
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It may seem that way from all of my landscape, hiking, nature photos but NOPE! While I definitely do more outdoors photography, I can accommodate sessions in your home or other indoor location of your choosing as well. My goal is to tell you story, no matter where that is!
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Click HERE to see the current list of services and prices.
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No. For as much as I love attending big weddings and dancing the night away, from a photography perspective, I typically prefer smaller weddings. I love working with my couples to craft a day that is uniquely them and tailored to their specific tastes and things they love. The intimacy of an elopement or small wedding just can't be matched and helps me tell your love story so much more effectively!
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Wear what makes you feel like YOU! I always tell clients to dress how they feel comfortable. There aren't a lot of hard and fast rules for wardrobe but some that I like to mention are:
Avoid large logos as they can be distracting
Aim for using colors and patterns that complement rather than matching
Keep your location in mind and use that as a guide for colors and for how dressed up you want to be
After booking a session with me, you get my online wardrobe guide and I am only an email or text message away to coordinate outfits if you need help!
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Absolutely! If you are interested in having a photo session somewhere off the map (both literally and figuratively speaking) fill out the contact form and let's dream up your next adventure!
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Absolutely, 100%, of course! Around here, I am all above love, acceptance, and being inclusive. This is a safe space and everyone is welcome here.
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The first step is getting in touch with me via the contact form! Once you fill that out, I will be in touch within 24 hours.
For elopements and intimate weddings, I like to set up either a phone call or zoom meeting to get to know each other. For local lifestyle sessions, usually we will just communicate via email but I am always up for jumping on the phone if you want!
If you want to move forward, we will nail down a date and then I will send you a proposal with a contract and invoice. A signed contract and non-refundable retainer for the below amounts is required to finalize your elopement or session:
-30% for elopements
-50% for lifestyle sessions
After your retainer is paid and contract is signed, you will be good to go and on my calendar!
Got all your questions answered and ready to book? Or maybe you have a few more questions not listed here...no worries. Let's get to chatting and make sure all your questions are addressed so we can get to planning!
What my clients are sayIng…
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Rosalva G.
“Christie was absolutely amazing to work with! She helped my fiancée plan a surprise proposal in the most beautiful location and was able to capture all the fun and positive emotions we were feeling so well. I have used the photos as screen savers, backdrops, and even for our save the date because they are just so breath taking. I’m so so happy my fiancée found her and that she was able to be our photographer. 10/10 would recommend for any photo shoot, but especially any in nature. She captures all the beauty around you as well as making you look good and that’s all you need in a photographer imo thanks so much Christie!”
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Sharon B.
“I have had experience with several professional photographers. Christie is by far superior in every single way. She’s patient and great with kids of all ages. She captures beautiful moments that look like they should be hung in a gallery. She’s also great at loosening everyone up to be more comfortable in front of the camera. Truly her work speaks for herself. She’s incredibly talented, quick to respond, professional contracts & her prices are reasonable for the end product she gives. She’s flexible with locations and has lots of ideas to capture what you’re looking for. I wish I met her sooner because she’s also just an awesome human being that you’ll enjoy being around. 10/10 would recommend her to everyone I know and really hope to work with her in the future when we visit California (just moved out of CA). You’re biggest problem working with her is picking which pictures are your favorites because there will be so many amazing ones!”
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Stephanie V.
“If you’re looking for a unique elopement or even just an adventure but you also want it documented as a keepsake, then you have to book Christie!! We had the most amazing day in Yosemite. We first went rock climbing and then did an adventure elopement to finish the day. Christie is not only attentive to detail during the shoot, but before we even got to the location she had already done research on everything in order for us to have the most perfect & romantic evening. Christie is so very talented and her love for nature & the great outdoors really shows in all her work. We will forever cherish the photos from the most amazing evening up on Taft point!”
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Jessica L.
“Christie is AMAZING! She’s very personable, friendly, and has a great eye that’s able to capture so many beautiful moments in one session. My daughter who i always had a hard time getting to open up and smile for the camera, opened right up to Christie. Thanks to her, i was able to finally get some photos of her smiling and in the moment. Will definitely be recommending her to family and friends as well as our other future events!”
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Kelwin H.
“Where do I even begin?! Christie was our elopement photographer and we can't imagine anyone else to have captured our special day. She went above and beyond for us, as well as being helpful with choosing an elopement location even before we booked her. She is the most down to earth person and helped us through every obstacle we encountered. My wife and I have never had any professional pictures taken before so we were shy and didn't know what to do, but she guided us through it and made us feel very comfortable. Her work and style is done very beautifully and you can tell she takes her time with each and every photo captured. My wife and I have already booked her for another shoot and have 2 more in mind for next year. For as long as she's willing we will keep booking her for our future family shoots throughout the upcoming years. We love her and cant wait for her to capture our memories that will last a lifetime.”
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Joanne A.
“Christie photographed our family of 4 (mom, dad, and two feisty toddlers)
and we were amazed at how she managed to capture the split second smiles our toddlers let out in between the tantrums. We left thinking - wow, that went bad- both kids were grumpy, overtired and not into it- a few weeks later we were SHOCKED at how beautiful the pictures were. Pure magic. Can't wait for our next session this fall.”
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Brice C.
“Christie was the best photographer we could’ve asked for. My wife and I eloped in Yosemite and she made our experience so easy. Christie was very knowledgeable about not only the premier photo spots in the park but the legal processes of California as well. We couldn’t have done this event without her and we’d highly recommend her to anyone with photography needs.”
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Sara C.
“We wanted our wedding/elopement to be something low-key, but didn’t know what we exactly wanted. Christie really helped us a lot with location, timeline of our big day, prepping for the photoshoot, etc.
I get very awkward in front of the camera, but with Christie, I was able to be pretty comfortable thanks to her brightness behind the camera! Because she was so genuine with her passion, we were able to trust her and have her guide us. We appreciate this opportunity we could work with her, and so thankful that we were the last appointment of hers in 2023!
Also, she’s very attentive- I know the wedding and scheduling things are stressful whether it’s small or big. Although, because Christie did take care of a lot of planning, and she was quick to answer, the process was rather fun and exciting!
If you’re looking for a professional photographer who would make you feel comfortable and laugh/smile, please look no further :)”
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Tim L.
“Christie is truly amazing!! It has been a dream of mine to do professional pictures in one of my favorite places, Yosemite NP, and Christie not only made it happen, but she made it happen for my entire family of 15!! It was magical. She went to such lengths to go early and scout out locations to make sure we found the perfect spot. She was so patient with all the small kiddos and was just so kind through the entire process. I will treasure these photos forever!”
