Kimberly Pascale Photography Documentary Family Sessions The Best Moments of Your Life Are Unscripted.

Planning Your Session

Are you dreading planning your session? Are you stressing over the idea of trying to get all of your kiddos to smile?

Don't stress! Your session is going to be FUN!!

As a mother of two, I know how you feel! It’s easy to get overwhelmed wondering if your children will be in a good mood and behave for the camera. The best part about a documentary photography session is how flexible it can be for the entire family.

I approach my photography sessions the same way by allowing you to be yourself as I aim to capture those fun, silly, quiet, and tender moments shared between everyone in your family. Put aside any fear that your family might not be interesting enough for a documentary session. I promise you it will be a wonderful surprise seeing just how lovely and fascinating your family is!

What to Expect

Before Your Session

Once you contact me to schedule a session, I’ll send you a link to complete the session agreement, model release, and client questionnaire forms all online, as well as an invoice for your session reservation fee. Once your forms are complete, and your reservation fee payment is received, you are booked on my calendar!

Documentary sessions range between 3-12ish hours in length. They are great for families who want to document the sweet routine of daily life that is exhausting yet fleeting or those kids who are slow to warm up. If you’d like to capture your perfect day completely, then a full-length Day in the Life session where I document your family from when your kids wake up until their heads hit the pillow is for you!

I offer a pre-session consultation via phone, Zoom/FaceTime, or email to address any questions or fears you may have, and I can help you decide what type of session is best for your family.

During Your Session

During your documentary session, you will go about your usual daily routine, and you may forget I’m even there.

Kids will be kids; as I have mentioned, I have 2 of them. I’m completely unfazed by temper tantrums, tears, and “bad” behavior, so please rest assured that there is zero judgment on my part. I aim to create an environment where everyone can feel comfortable in their skin. The kids can sense if you’re stressed out, so try your best to relax and have fun with this! If there’s a meltdown, I’ll capture it (I love a good crying photo)! After all, it is a part of your here and now.

After Your Session

I’ll get to work in my digital darkroom. I begin by selecting the best of the best images for editing. Next, I’ll expertly process each selected image to bring out the best color or black & white features. I want your photos to be timeless. I’ll present a mix of color and black & white images in your gallery. A final gallery from a Family Day in the Life session contains at least 85+ images, though my usual average is closer to 100+. Shorter session galleries contain at least 40+ images.

Approximately 4-6 weeks after your session, your online password-protected gallery will be ready for viewing. Your gallery will be active for 30 days. I’m available during your ordering window for any assistance you might need, and let’s face it. We all need deadlines! Payment for additional products is due at the time of ordering.

Your products will be ready to enjoy approximately two weeks after ordering! Albums take a bit longer.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips on things to be thinking about as we begin to plan your session to make sure you relax and let things flow! I am super laid back and patient, and I bring that with me to every shoot. I want to assure you that you can breathe easy throughout our time together and focus on celebrating and loving your family!

Activities - A session with me is all about capturing REAL life memories and moments. Please think about what activity you could do with your family as a whole that will help draw out the uniqueness of your family for me to document.

Location - When deciding on a location for your documentary session, your home is a great place to start! Many memories are made in your home, and you are surrounded by the things you all find the most comfortable.

Other options include the beach, a favorite park, or even a trip to your favorite store! Wherever it is, I want to make sure it holds a special place in your heart, ensuring that the memories I document are priceless.

Cooperation - If you're concerned about your children not cooperating, trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about, I'm very good at getting children to play and relax. I often become best buds with your kids by the end of the session. We work together to plan the perfect activities to make them as fun as possible and make each of them feel just as special as the next family member.

But believe me when I tell you that MOST times, the best plans are no plans at all! Just be yourself, and go about your day as you would if I wasn't there, and I promise you the feeling of that day will flow out of your photos!

What to wear: One of the great things about documentary sessions is that you don't have to match or have the perfect outfit. All you and your family have to be is yourself. So dress as you would on a weekend (or whatever day we have your session). Do your hair and makeup as you would, or don't do it at all. That is okay too! If the idea is to capture a day in your life, it's essential to look the way you do on any family outing or day at home.

For kids, it's best to let them choose their outfits if they're old enough. You, of course, have some say, but in the end, you want them to be happy and comfortable with what they wear. Allowing them to pick out their outfits gives them the opportunity for costume changes throughout the day and the freedom to express themselves.

Preparing Your Home:Please don't feel the need to have a clean home. It's okay if dishes are in the sink or a pile of laundry is in the corner. Real life isn't perfect, and a messy house is one part of the many details of your life, and it is there to help tell your story. Sort of like it is a supporting character.

Your Investment

Here are the session options available and the a la carte menu of the products offered.

Day in the Life – Session Fee $1,100 – Perfect for an entire day full of family fun, this session typically lasts up to 12 hours. I will arrive before your children wake up and stay until their heads hit the pillow that night. The everyday beauty, silliness, and fun will be documented in your home, running errands and doing everything your family loves to do together.

Day in the Life sessions can happen anywhere, not just in your home. We could take a trip to the grocery store, play in the park, or head to get some ice cream. A Day in the Life session could also include a day trip to the beach, to San Francisco, or any other locations that have a special meaning to your family.

Includes:

• Pre-consultation
• 10-12 hour documentary style session at home and on location
• Approximately 200+ images saved on a private online gallery to view and download
• Slideshow set to licensed music
• 20% off products & prints.

Piece of Life – $900 –Great for capturing a portion of your day, from waking up to the afternoon, breakfast to dinner, or lunch to bedtime. We start whenever you’re ready. Sessions typically last up to 6 hours, and you will go about your daily life. Enjoying morning cartoons, making and eating lunch, playing, or even fighting over toys, whatever our time together brings, is what I will photograph.

Includes:

• Pre-consultation
• 5-6 hour documentary style session at home and on location
• Approximately 100+ images saved on a private online gallery to view and download
• Slideshow set to licensed music
• 15% off products & prints.

Slice of Life – $450 – This session is perfect for one or two short activities. Documenting the playing of a lively card game, doing an outdoor activity, or even simply going through your typical morning, afternoon, or evening routine. This 3-hour session is perfect for documenting a small portion of your day.

A Slice of Life session is also perfect for celebrating a birthday party or bringing home a baby for the first time.

Includes:

• Pre-consultation
• 3-4 hour documentary style session at home and on location
• Approximately 50+ images saved on a private online gallery to view and download
• Slideshow set to licensed music
• 10% off products & prints.

The above sessions can be customized to document a special event such as a birthday party, family reunion, newborn session, or a small intimate wedding or elopement. Please reach out to me to chat about your event.

Additional Info

• All photography sessions are done with a documentary/photojournalistic approach. There will be no posing, props, or direction from me.
• All sessions require a 50% deposit, with the remainder due seven days before your session.
• Session fees are non-refundable but can be applied to a future date if rescheduling is necessary.
• Payment plans are available upon request - please inquire.
• Prices are subject to change without notice - your rate will be honored for what it is at the time of booking.
• Travel fees apply if traveling outside of the Sonoma County area.

FAQs

How do I book a session?

Simple! Fill out the form on my Contacts page, and I’ll start the booking process. I require your signed contract and retainer to reserve your date. The remaining balance is due one week before our session day.

For Full Day sessions, do you shoot for the entire day?

These sessions are moments based, which means that when the moment is happening, I'll take lots of pictures of that moment. During the less busy times of the day, such as nap time, there will be periods when I will be shooting less. Sometimes, I'll set my camera down and not shoot at all, depending on what is happening.

Do we have to feed you?

Yes, please. When you hire me to document your family for Day in the Life session, I will be working through more than one meal in your household, and therefore would also be eating when and what you are eating still with my camera at the ready!

What should we wear?

Matching clothes are best for Lifestyle Portraits. I recommend not wearing anything with big logos or characters, as it may be distracting. Also, avoid wearing stripes or other similar patterns, as striped clothing may create a weird optical effect in the photographs. Other than that, when it comes to what to wear, you should make sure you are comfortable, and dress like you usually would dress while hanging out with your family.

How do you work with kids who are not willing to be photographed?

I do my best to work with families from the very start to help them relax. I ask a lot of questions, and I play with the kids. One thing I won't do is force them to do something they don't want to do. If there is a child (or a grownup, for that matter) who doesn't want their picture taken or keeps running away from me, we'll let it happen. That's what makes these longer sessions so great.

Since we are not trying to pose and get everyone to look at the camera, you can trust that we'll be able to capture fantastic images no matter who is cooperating and who isn't. We'll have great pictures if you have real moments being together as a family.

What happens if we leave you alone with the kids?

Keep in mind that you are not hiring me to be a babysitter. If you leave your children alone with me, I will continue to capture the moment(s) of whatever is happening around me – whether it be your kids drawing on your couch with a permanent marker or smearing whipped cream on the dog. I will keep photographing what is taking place and will not intervene unless I think something dangerous is about to happen.

Our family is really boring. What would you photograph?

While you may feel what you do is dull or ordinary, I'm here to tell you that no matter what you and your family do together, they are all part of what makes you a family. You'll be amazed by how your "boring" everyday life is full of little tender moments that go unnoticed, and I work very hard to capture those moments for you.

The one boring thing is screen time. Please keep screen time to a minimum or not at all. It's one thing if part of your family's nightly routine is to cuddle up together to watch a movie. But when your kids are focused on the screen the entire time, they're not interacting with you, and we are missing out on those connections that we are trying so hard to capture. That goes for the adults too! Be sure to put the phones and tablets down and be with your family.

What if my house is too dark for pictures?

As a documentary photographer, I must deal with challenging lighting situations. Often, it’s beautiful, moody low light that inspires me the most! I’m comfortable shooting in low light and have the equipment and experience to make it work.

Is it possible to get one or two posed family photos?

While I encourage documentary-style photography, I completely understand wanting to have a few posed photographs. We can spend about 10 minutes taking some relaxed portraits together if you'd like to.

Your prices seem very high and I’m not sure I can afford this. Do you offer payment plans?

Professional photography is an investment. It's an investment for the future, your children, and yourself. Everyone deserves to have their priceless memories documented and tangible mementos of what that was like when you were in this moment. This is why I will work with you to design an interest-free payment plan that will work perfectly within your budget.

Do you offer any promos or discounts?

Yes! The best way to get a discount on your session is to refer your friends and family. Each family you refer receives a $50 credit towards your next session. And there is no limit! That means you have the perfect opportunity for huge savings! You can learn more about how the Referral Program works here.