Choosing A Session
When should I choose a mini session instead of a Full session?
Minis are short, run on set dates at one location, and deliver a small set of images. They are booked back to back, so there is no room to slow down or move around. A full session is booked on your date, at a location we choose together, with time to settle in and a larger set of images. Session lengths and image counts are on the Pricing page.
How do I choose between The Short Story Session and The Chapter Session?
Short Story is built around one simple activity. It fits a first session, a seasonal update, or a small group. Chapter gives you double the time and room for more than one activity, which means more variety and a fuller set of images. If you are not sure, tell me who is coming and what the photographs are for, and I will tell you which one fits.
Which session is right for a senior, maternity, or a big anniversary?
The Milestone Session. It includes an outfit change and a second nearby location, so there is room for both the portraits you are picturing and the quieter moments around them. Retirements, divorces, and other transitions belong here too. These photographs mark a chapter opening or closing, and that needs more time than a standard session.
I am booking this for someone who hates having their picture taken.
Tell me that first, and I will plan the session around it. I do not pose people or ask anyone to hold a smile. I set the scene and give simple prompts, something to do or someone to talk to, and I photograph what actually happens. Most people who say they hate cameras do not like performing. That is a different thing, and I do not ask for it.
Can we bring grandparents or extended family?
Yes. The Chapter Session covers up to six people, with a per person fee for anyone beyond that, listed on Pricing. For larger groups, book The Milestone Session, which has time for both the whole group and smaller combinations. If photographs with a specific parent or grandparent matter to you, say so when you reach out. I plan those sessions differently.
Do you photograph pets?
Yes. Pets are family and they belong in the photographs. Let me know in advance so we can plan a location and a pace that works for them. If we are shooting at home, tell me where your pet is most comfortable and we will start there.
Do you photograph events, brands, or meaningful work?
Yes. Private event coverage starts at $750 for up to two hours, then $300 per additional hour. For documentary photographs of meaningful work, creative practices, or personal brands, contact me for a custom proposal. Multi-day and commercial coverage are quoted separately.
Booking And Payments
What is required to reserve my date?
A signed contract and a retainer. Dates are not held without both. The retainer depends on the package, is shown at checkout before you confirm, and is applied toward your total rather than charged on top of it. If anything here differs from your signed agreement, the agreement controls.
Is the retainer refundable?
Retainers are non-refundable, because holding your date means turning down other work for it. If you need to move your session, your retainer transfers to a new date as long as you give me notice within the appropriate amount of time stated. If anything here differs from your signed agreement, the agreement controls.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, on the packages that include them, and I can set one up for a larger session on request. Affirm and Klarna are also available at checkout.
When is the remaining balance due?
Your remaining balance is due before your session date. The exact date is on your invoice and in your agreement.
Can I switch packages after I book?
Yes. If you move up, you pay the difference. If you move down, your retainer stays as it is and your remaining balance adjusts. Changes are simplest more than before your session date.
Is travel included?
Travel within Charlottesville and Richmond is included in every session. Outside that area, travel is available by request for a fee based on distance. Any travel fee is confirmed in writing before you book. It is never added afterward.
What happens after I submit an inquiry?
I read every inquiry myself and usually reply within 24 to 48 hours with availability and next steps. Tell me what you are hoping to document and I will help you choose. Your date is reserved once the agreement is signed and the retainer is paid.
How far ahead should I book?
Sessions are booked first come, and weekend golden hour slots go first, especially in fall. If you have a specific date in mind, reach out early. If your date is flexible, I can often work with a shorter timeline.
Is sales tax added to my price?
Sessions that include a physical print are subject to Virginia sales tax. Short Story and mini sessions are digital only. Tax is calculated at checkout or on your invoice. Full detail is in the Terms of Service.
Preparing For The Session
What happens between booking and the session?
We begin with a Discovery Conversation, which can take place in person, via video chat, or through email. I want to know who these photographs are for and what you want them to say, whether that is your brand's authority or an ordinary Tuesday you do not want to forget. That conversation shapes the location, the time of day, and what we actually do. If you are booking for someone else, tell me then.
How early should we arrive?
For a mini session, arrive five minutes early. Minis run back to back, so a late start shortens your own session rather than pushing everyone else back. For full sessions, arrive 15 minutes early to help ease into the experience.
What if we are running late?
Text me as soon as you know. Your session still ends at its scheduled time. Whatever we get in the time remaining is what we get.
What should we wear?
Wear what you are comfortable moving in, because you will be moving. Coordinate rather than match. Keep logos and busy patterns to a minimum so faces hold the attention. Soft, muted, textured fabrics photograph better than bright flat colors. I keep an outfit board on Pinterest if you want somewhere to start.
What should we bring?
Water, snacks for the kids, and anything that belongs in the story. A blanket, a ball, an instrument, the mug from your kitchen, the dog. Objects give hands something to do, and hands with something to do photograph better than hands that have been posed.
Can we request specific photographs?
Tell me the ones that matter and I will make sure we get them. What I would gently push back on is a full shot list. I am a witness more than a director, and the photographs people end up keeping are almost never the ones they planned. Name the two or three that matter, then let the rest happen.
What if my kids do not cooperate?
That is normal and it is not a problem. I do not expect perfect behavior, and I do not ask children to sit still, hold a smile, or perform. I use light direction and movement prompts that work with your child's personality, and I build in room for breaks. I also ask parents not to correct or raise their voice during the session. The photographs are better when nobody is being managed.
How many outfit changes can we do?
The Milestone Session includes one change and one nearby second location. Short Story and Chapter are single-look sessions, because that time is better spent settling in than changing clothes.
Weather, Illness, And Rescheduling
What if it rains?
If the forecast is unsafe or miserable, we reschedule. If it is just cloudy, we shoot, because overcast light is some of the best light there is. I make the call in advance and text you either way, so you are never standing outside guessing.
What if someone is sick?
If someone is genuinely sick, we reschedule. I would rather protect your family and have you enjoy the session than push through and photograph a rough afternoon. Tell me as soon as you know.
What if I need to reschedule for another reason?
Life happens. Your retainer can be moved to a new date as long as it’s within the proper notice period. Reach out as early as you can and I will find you the best available date.
What if I need to cancel completely?
Your retainer is non-refundable and does not transfer to another person. Payments beyond the retainer are refunded in full if you cancel more than 3 days before your session.
What if you have to cancel?
If I cannot make your session because of illness, an emergency, or equipment failure, you get first choice of my next available dates. If none of them work for you, you get a full refund including your retainer. You should not carry the cost of something that happened on my end.
Editing and gallery delivery
How do you decide which photographs I get?
Your gallery is curated, not dumped out. I photograph far more than I deliver, then I choose the set that actually tells the story of your session, balancing wider photographs that set the scene against close, quiet ones that hold the feeling. Ten strong photographs carry a session further than fifty near duplicates. Every image in your delivered set is fully finished.
What are the previews in my gallery?
Previews are additional photographs from your session that did not make the delivered set. They are lightly edited rather than finished, and they are there in case you want more than your package includes. Any preview can be fully edited and added to your gallery, and that pricing is on the Pricing page. If you never touch them, your delivered set is complete on its own.
When do I get my photographs?
For all sessions except mini sessions, sneak peeks are ready within 48 hours, and your full gallery will be delivered within 14 days.
Do you retouch?
No, and that is deliberate. If something temporary showed up, a scrape or a small blemish, I clean it up. Past that I edit for mood, color, and nostalgia, and I leave you looking like you. In twenty years you will not remember that your shirt was wrinkled. You will remember exactly how it felt to be there. Heavier editing is available as a custom quote.
How long is my gallery available?
Ninety days from delivery. Download the included web size files during that window and save them somewhere that is not only your phone. These files are licensed for personal online sharing and social media. I am not a storage service and I cannot guarantee I will still hold your files. If a gallery expires, I can restore it once within one year for the fee listed on Pricing. I will email you before your gallery closes.
Are add on image purchases refundable?
No. Once an image is fully edited and added to your gallery, that purchase is final. Take your time choosing.
Can I get the unedited files?
No. The editing is the work, and an unfinished file is not something I put my name on. Photographs that are not selected are not saved or archived.
Prints, Downloads, and Image Usage
How do I order more prints or products?
Directly through your gallery. Prints, albums, and wall pieces are produced by professional labs rather than a consumer printer, and they will not look like a drugstore print of the same file.
Can I change my print selection after I order?
No. Prints are made to order from the image you choose, so the order is final once it is placed. Sit with your gallery for a few days before you decide.
Which print is included, and is it framed?
The Chapter Session includes a client selected 8x10 fine art print. The Milestone Session includes an 11x14. You choose the image from your final gallery. Framing is not included, and I am glad to recommend framing options. A file on a phone is not an heirloom. Phones get lost and accounts close.
Can I download and print my own photographs?
Your session includes web size files for personal online sharing and social media. Order prints directly through your Pomare Portraits gallery. To print through another lab or retailer, purchase a Single Image or Full Gallery External Print License. That purchase includes the corresponding high resolution file or files and personal use permission to print elsewhere. Pomare Portraits retains copyright, and commercial use requires a separate written license.
Can my business use these photographs?
Personal use does not cover advertising, paid promotion, or anything that sells a product or service. If you need commercial rights, tell me before the session and I will quote a license.
My children are in these photographs. How is their information handled?
I photograph families constantly and I take this seriously. Galleries are private and require a link. Where a gallery feature uses facial grouping to help you find your photographs, that data is destroyed when your gallery expires. Parents can review or request deletion of a child's information at any time. The detail is in the Privacy Policy.
Will you use my photographs on your website or social media?
I may use photos from your session in my portfolio and on social media. If children are in the shot and their faces are visible, I’ll ask first. While I own the copyright to the images I create, I may check with you before sharing any session publicly.