FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

Short answer - we're going to have a fun experience that's totally going to glow up your brand!  Bring your good energy, and let's rock your session.

Longer answer - I've worked with hundreds and hundreds of clients for more than a decade.  I love what I do, and I'm highly skilled at helping my clients feel comfortable and at ease.  Plus, you'll be seeing the back of the camera as we go, so we can make adjustments, if needed.

My clients have had our photos published on book covers, in magazines such as Women Lead Magazine, Diversity Professional, FINE Magazine, Super Lawyers, and Forbes.

I always have marketing on my mind when I'm taking your photos!  I'm already envisioning the book cover, the podcast avatar, the magazine feature, the e-course banner/landing page . . .  and the list goes on. 

My goal is always to provide beautiful, marketable images to enhance & elevate your brand to new heights!

No!  Every month that you're not showing up, that you're waiting on the sidelines for x, y, or z, is another month you're not showing up as fully as possible for your clients.

In all my years, I've had people tell me year after year they're 'not ready' for their photos because they're trying to lose weight.  And the time keeps slipping away.

Listen to this:

People care about YOU and how you can HELP them, not about your waist size!

Besides, as you continue to uplevel your business, you'll have more photoshoots.

AND, I do have a 6-month, 20lb. guarantee.  Yes!!

What's that, you ask?

Well, if your primary reason to not book your photoshoot if fretting over a few extra pounds, then I want to make you an offer. 

If you're serious about losing weight, and drop 20 lbs in 6 months or less from the date of your photoshoot, then I'm giving you a $300 credit towards any individual personal branding session (a BIG savings!) - and we're going to celebrate this personal win! 

The $300 credit will need to be used within 60 days of your '6-mo mark from original photoshoot date, and cannot be combined with any other promotions/discounts.)

Yes!

Every image that is ordered is retouched before it leaves the studio.  There are no extra fees for basic edits to remove a blemish, scratches/scars, or mild-moderate acne.

In most cases I can even tame wayward flyaway hairs, do a little nip/tuck for a double chin, gently shrink a waistline, or slim other areas, if that’s a concern for you.

I do a brilliant job of softening lines and wrinkles, without over-doing it, and can brighten teeth, as well.

Extensive editing, such as removing glare from glasses, root touch-up, removing jewelry, and braces removal, etc. are outsourced, and there are additional fees for extensive edits/retouching.

Abso-frickin-lutely!  That’s my jam. 

I work with a few choice makeup artists who will have you looking and feeling amazing!

I also have a style guide, and can create wardrobe & pose inspiration for you.  We can go over your outfits prior to, to make sure they fit properly and will photograph well. That’s all part of our pre-planning process with the ICONIC & EPIC packages.  We’ll also talk about props that support your storylines.  We’ll have all the details ironed out so the day of, you get to show up, shine, and S-M-I-L-E!

I often book out 4-6 weeks in advance, and I don't recommend less than 3 weeks for full branding sessions.  You'll probably need time to get your outfits together, get the location locked down, schedule hair and nail touch-ups, and all the other planning steps we'll be doing along the way.  

If you have weekday availability, there are generally more openings available.

Biggest thing is not to be too rushed.  These images are important for your business.  It's worth being prepared and doing our best work together. :)

When you pay your retainer, the ball gets rolling!  It shows that you're serious and being intentional with booking your photoshoot. 

And - once I know you're booking, I'm ON!  I'm thinking about your session, researching, looking things up, and I'm already getting giddy about rocking your session with you. 

It also covers our planning call, the welcome materials, wardrobe tips, location sourcing/scouting, coordinating makeup, and holds your date and time.

That means no one else can be booked during that time. 

The retainer is non-refundable, but can be rescheduled with notice.

Your retainer is valid for 90 days from receipt.  If you do not complete your session within that time, or have multiple reschedules, you risk losing your retainer, and any associated discounts or incentive offers that may have been associated with your original retainer.  After the 90 days, a new retainer will be due, with current pricing, before you can schedule your session.

Fortunately, living in sunny San Diego, inclement weather doesn't usually interfere with photoshoots.

But it can happen on occasion.  

For indoor sessions, it's usually not going to be an issue.  If we're going to work outside, then we may need to reschedule.

I always keep an eye on weather a few days before, so we'll be touch, keeping an eye on it.

Lighting is everything, so sometimes it's just meant to be a different day.

Typically about 7-10 business days after your photoshoot, we’ll hop on Zoom to go over your photos, and you’ll make your selection.  I’ll have narrowed down to the ‘best of the best’, and then we’ll narrow from there.  One of the things my clients love by going through this process is that I’m there to offer specific feedback on how/where/why to use certain images for various marketing purposes.  We talk about the ‘energy’ in the image, and that subtlety goes a long way in being strategic with your visual marketing! 

After you've made your selection, I get busy on the retouches and put them in Dropbox.  Usually about another 7-10 business days.  For larger orders, please allow about 2-3 weeks.  I’ll start a Dropbox folder, with your top priority images, and continue to add as I go.

Your final selected, and retouched images, are delivered via Dropbox. 

You'll receive 2 versions of each image - in web-res for any digital/online use, and full-res for small printable use, such as business cards, printed programs, flyers, etc.

It's always recommended that you save a backup copy of the images, but don't change the filename/number in case you ever need to reference it for me.

As an added convenience, I keep and store a backup of your images on Dropbox for 1 year, in case you ever need them sent your way again.

I'm always happy to create a custom proposal for you.  However, as the principal, or founder, we still create your brand photos.  When there are two co-founders, you'll each have your own sessions, although usually these are scheduled to overlap a bit, so we can capture images of the two of you together.  

For support staff/team members, I recommend we set them up with individual mini-sessions.

Reach out with any specific questions, and we can figure out the best way to make this happen.

I do!

During your branding sessions, I will take some detail photos, or even product or food photography, depending on your brand. 

I enjoy editorial or lifestyle product photography, and I've worked with various brands -from clothing, pottery, candles, makeup, and food photography.  I have an affinity for jewelry and artisan creations, as well as food photography (presentation matters!).

Outside of branding photography, I love working with high school seniors and children & families.  You can view that work at: TrueBlue Portrait.

And then my own soul work is creating Fine Art Nature & Abstract Photography.  You can view the galleries at: StefanieBlue.com

Packages start under $3000.  Your images are the scroll-stoppers for your online presence, but you'll also use them for other marketing, PR, magazine articles/submissions, course landing pages/launches, book covers/launches, sales pages, brochures/postcards, speaker media kits, and the list goes on.  They represent you and your brand, and are the 'window dressing' for your dream clients to see you, and want to know more.

So, yes, it's an investment.  But a worthwhile one.

If you're still starting out in business, and maybe don't need as many images, the Mini-Sessions make a great alternative to getting the high-quality images, with less time and financial commitment.

Great question.

If you've drastically changed your looks, then I recommend a new session.  People get really miffed when they meet you and you don't look the way your photos show you.  It can make prospects question what else won't be the way it seems if they work with you.

Otherwise, I recommend at least every 2 years.  I've had the pleasure of working with many of my clients time and again, and it's always a celebration of the new steps they're taking, the accomplishments they've made, and planning that next level vision.

If you have a strong online presence, multiple businesses, are a creative, an educator, an author/speaker, a coach, or a digital creator, then you may find the need for 2 or more photoshoots per year. 

Social media has a voracious appetite for visual content, and having fresh content keeps your feeds looking sharp and on-brand - and fresh for your viewers.