Policies and FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the session fee include?

The session fee includes pre-session consultation, shoot preparation, time and talent photographing at the shoot, and the artistic preparation of images for an online viewing gallery. The studio generally spends a minimum of six hours after the shoot preparing the images for viewing, the session fee also represents a small deposit towards payment for this time and service pending the final portrait order.

Do we see all the images that are shot?

No, at an early stage of working on the session images any unsatisfactory images are deleted leaving only the best images to be edited to provide the viewing gallery. We aim to provide at least 25 images in the viewing gallery but often there are more.

Will there be black and white portraits in the viewing gallery?

Yes, a select number of images will be prepared in black and white as examples. Any image can be ordered as black and white.

Do you touch up images?

Basic retouching (skin blemishes, a stray hair, etc) is done upon request on any print at no extra cost. More extensive retouching such as brace removal or head swaps will require an additional fee depending on the work involved.

Can you place us more in the center in the print?

The studio makes every effort to meet a client's print requests. However, we think it important to explain why the studio crops images in a particular way. Off-center placement of subjects often adds extra interest to a composition. In some images you may also notice that tops of heads are also cropped out. This is to follow the artistic rule of thirds. When such rules are followed the image is generally more pleasing to the eye.

Can I purchase digital files?

Digital files are available for purchase, these are sized to be printed up to 10x8". The studio recommends a quality consumer lab such as MPIX.com for printing of digital images.

We thought we would have longer to look at the online proof viewing gallery?

In our experience clients who have proof galleries open for much longer than one week forget about their deadline. Unfortunately this causes a bottleneck in the studio workflow. The gallery is open for 10 days to ensure a timely service for all clients, a 2 day gallery extension can be provided at an additional fee.

Why can't we purchase unordered images at a later date?

Due to the number of clients through the year and the total number of images the volume becomes too large to maintain an archive of unordered session images.

Why is there a minimum print purchase of $250?

Custom portrait photography requires a considerable amount of time and effort to provide a gallery of high quality images. The minimum print purchase ensures that the studio is compensated for this work as the basic session fee does not cover the work involved.

We have noticed some photographers bundle a disk of session images at a low price point, why don't you?

As in everything in life, you get what you pay for. Jane McDonagh Photography provides a professional session experience based upon years of operation and a quality of portrait image that reflects the time, effort, and artistic talent put into producing them. You may also find that some of the cheaper alternatives are not legitimate businesses paying state tax, income tax, liability insurance and related professional fees.

My child has a slight cold, shall we proceed with the session?

If a child is suffering from illness sypmtoms the night prior to a session or the following morning I usually recommend a postponement as symptoms often worsen by the time of the shoot and even slightly ill children can result in less than optimal portraits.

My child is not in the best mood early evening, can we hold the session in the middle of the day?

It is very difficult to obtain quality portaits in midday light conditions, so early evening is the only option that provides images of sufficient quality. Scheduling a session in the late fall months when the sun sets earlier can result in a session time that is more suitable for children that are happier late afternoon.

What are the best products to order for my needs?

Clients who have a custom photo session should always consider purchasing wall prints. Wall prints have great visual impact and really show print quality at its best. 11x14 wall portraits and storyboards work well in small spaces. 16x20 and bigger as well as wall gallery displays are beautiful on larger walls. Small prints such as 10x10’s are not considered stand alone wall prints. However they do work well as fillers hung amongst larger prints in a wall gallery display.

Wall portraits can also be purchased as gallery canvas wraps. Contemporary styled on museum quality canvas, they are ready to hang with no framing required.The cost of these is shown in the price list alongside wall prints.

Albums are also available and are the perfect keepsake of the special portraits from the session. Albums are handmade in black leather and come in a presentation box. A 24 image album will generally accomodate most of the images from the session. Coffee table books are also available.

Digital files are sold in sizes suitable for desk, gift and card prints. They are prepared ready for printing up to and including the size of 10x8". The studio is happy to recommend print labs for you to upload your files but is not responsible for the quality of your final print. The purchase of digital files is ideal if you are planning on sending multiple gift prints or cards of individual images, or if you are looking to incorporate them into web pages on the internet.

Policies

° The complete session fee is required upon booking a session date. Receipt of payment guarantees your specified date/time. The fee is fully refundable in the event of cancellation up to 24 hours prior to the session. A new session fee is required for no-shows or bookings cancelled less then 24 hours before the scheduled session.

° In order to focus on the needs of individual clients Jane limits the number of sessions available each month. She cannot accommodate multiple attempts to reschedule a session date for reasons other than inclement weather.

° If the weather is rainy or windy Jane McDonagh will advise that on location sessions be rearranged. Every effort is made to reschedule the session as close to the original date as possible.

° Due to past experiences of fake bookings we do not schedule sessions with other professional photographers.

° The photographer retains copyright of the photographs taken. The studio also occassionally asks permission to use select images for blog, portfolio and competitions usage. These instances require the client to sign a model release form to acknowledge promotional use of the images. Jane McDonagh respects her client’s right to privacy with regard to this. When permission is granted no names are included and images are not sold to a third party.

° Re-shoots and follow up sessions are at the discretion of the photographer. If insufficient images are available for presentation due to technical reasons reshoots are offered at no charge. For all other circumstances including dissatisfaction with expressions and clothing a new session fee is required and no images from the original session will be offered.

° More images are taken than shown in the gallery. Images that are not selected for the gallery are removed from files and are not available for viewing. Gallery images are selected based on their artistic merits and are chosen to portray the session as a whole. The number of suitable images from a session is very dependent on the moods of the children and the quality of light at the time. The number of proofs a client will receive varies. A MINIMUM of 20 images is guaranteed in both color and black and white for full on location child/family sessions and studio sessions.

° Basic retouching is included as part of Jane McDonagh’s print preparation. Requests for the removal of any temporary facial blemishes must be done at the time of ordering. If no requests are made then retouching will not be done. More extensive retouching services such as brace removal and head swapping will require additional fees. While every effort will be made to accommodate clients’ requests. Jane McDonagh Photography retains the right to reject requests for extensive retouching or Photoshop work if it is detrimental to the quality of the photograph.

° Online galleries are limited to a period of 10 days, extended viewing of an extra 2 days requires a non-refundable payment of $250 ($50 service fee, $200 print credit).

° Print orders must be placed before the end of the gallery viewing period. If an order is not placed the studio will assume the client does not wish to make a purchase and all images will be deleted.

° When a print order is placed all purchased images are archived for one calendar year. Clients may reorder during that period. All images not purchased will be deleted. Advertised print prices will apply at the time of ordering, special offers or discounts cannot be combined.

° Your prints will be ready for shipping or collection approximately 3-4 weeks after receiving payment. Custom session albums and canvases take 6 weeks.

° It is forbidden under copyright law to download, print or save in any form the online proof gallery. Any violation of this law will result in the gallery and images being deleted.

° All orders are carefully inspected for damage by Jane McDonagh Photography prior to the client receiving them. All prints etc that are presented to the customer will be of the best quality. It is recommended that all portraits are handled carefully and framed as soon as possible. Any damage that occurs from handling and framing is the responsibility of the client. Due to the customized nature of the session all sales are final.

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