HENLEY DESIGN STUDIO
Client Exclusive

Session Guide

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Our Process

This session guide is going to walk you through the process of what a typical maternity, newborn, and milestone photoshoot is like with Henley Design Studio and how the process works. 

We are excited to get you in the studio! If you have any questions after reading this, please feel free to reach out and we will get back to you as soon as possible! 

Our studio hours are M-F 9am-4pm. This session guide is very thorough…which means it’s long! Sit down, grab a glass of (insert favorite beverage here) and read this until the very end!

Where are you located?

Our studio is located at 5 Montego Ct, Dillsburg, PA 17019.

We have over 2800 square feet of space with multiple set ups, a client closet, and wardrobe room, a newborn loft space full of props, a hair and makeup area, and a fabulous sales area full of samples and multiple iMac computers from which you will view your images during your reveal.

Our studio is FULL of gorgeous natural light and hand selected decor in our main area, as well as our white loft newborn area. We also have an additional lower level should you choose to incorporate more lifestyle images into your session.

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What types of Sessions do you offer?

Whether you are looking for a maternity session, newborn portraits, celebrating a baby milestones or want to update your family portraits, we are here to give you the portrait session of your dreams! We specialize in capturing motherhood and families!

  • Maternity Sessions
  • Newborn Portrait Sessions
  • Baby Milestones
  • Family Portraits
  • Motherhood Portraits

Maternity

Pregnancy is probably one of the shortest times in a woman’s life, yet it is full of anticipation, excitement, surprises, and wonder. Some women even feel their most beautiful when they are pregnant.

 

Let us pamper you with hair and makeup, a full client wardrobe to choose from and more. We have years of experience working with women and know how to achieve the most beautiful maternity portraits, with fabric, light, posing and angles.

 

Please feel free to bring your significant other and any children you may have with you to your maternity portrait session. Photographing interactions between family members not only allows for variety in your maternity portraits, but adds another dimension of emotion in your photographs.

Newborn

Newborn sessions are a very special milestone and we want to help you capture this fleeting moment. You only have one chance to capture this beautiful newborn stage. We have years of experience in newborn safety and technical newborn posing.

Newborn sessions are designed for babies 21 days and younger. Wrapped mini sessions are a great option for older babies.

Our newborn sessions take place within our cozy studio located in Dillsburg, PA. Here we will start by pampering mom with hair and makeup. You have already worked so hard with baby, so let us take care of you.

You will also have access to a large selection of props and our extensive studio wardrobe. Having your session in our studio also ensures that we have the perfect lighting and setting for a sleepy and happy baby. Plus, you don’t have to clean up or prepare!

Milestones

The beauty of photographing children is that you never know what you’re going to get — and sometimes documenting the not-so-perfect moments in a child’s life is as precious and beautiful as documenting the perfect ones. Milestones Photography is a great opportunity to capture these special moments before they pass.

We offer a simple milestone session for baby alone, or a full milestone session with baby and family! You have the option of many different timeless props to keep your little ones attention, a simple cake, and/or a fun bubble bath!

Your full milestone session includes hair and makeup for one family member, and access to our entire studio wardrobe with over 50 milestone outfits, and clothes for your entire family!

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Family

At Henley Design Studio, we offer an exceptional experience for your family portraits in the comfort of our Dillsburg portrait studio. Our approach to family photography is to create timeless and elegant portraits that represent each family as they see themselves.

We believe that capturing your true vision for your family portraits is the most important thing. We will discuss your vision for your session, and help you choose the most flattering attire for your session, wether it be from our extensive studio wardrobe or something you love from home.

Our family sessions include hair and makeup for one, so Mom can kick back and relax while she enjoys being made over by our talented hair and makeup stylist before starting your photo shoot.

Motherhood

There is typically no other figure that holds center stage in our lives more than our mothers. Yet, many times moms are the last to get in front of the camera. They make appointments for their children to get photographed, yet show up in yoga pants and a messy bun and insist they do NOT want to be in front of the camera.

As a mom, I get it. It’s hard to take the time (and effort) to get camera ready. But the truth is, our children won’t remember a lot of those early years unless they have photos and videos to look back on.

Your session includes full access to our studio wardrobe and hair and makeup for mom. Take this time to kick back, relax and be pampered with the motherhood photo shoot of your dreams.

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About The Photographer

I’m Gina. I am a fine art photographer with a specialty in motherhood, newborns, and family. I love to photographing your special moments from the very beginning. Through self-directed photography education mentoring sessions, and a masters degree in business.

I have been able to master my skills not only as a photographer but also as a digital artist, allowing the images I capture to be turned into works of art. When choosing a photographer, you want to choose someone whose artistic vision and personality is a good fit for you. 

I strive to provide you and your family with unique and timeless images that you will treasure for a lifetime. I also pride myself on giving you an experience that you will never forget. With four children of my of my own, I find myself very competent at soothing and handling newborns, connecting with children, helping women feel the most beautiful and making families feel at ease during their session. 

My photography style is pure, natural, classic, and timeless. My work is respected the world over. I am your storyteller. I am here to capture the essence of your growing belly, the story of your newborn miracle, your adorable baby, and your cheeky toddler. All of these moments have a special place in your life, why not remember them forever with some beautiful custom photography and an amazing luxury experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

These are common portrait session questions we hear again and again. If you can't find an answer, send us a message.

What would I do with portraits?

I actually believe that an investment in your family memories is one of the most priceless things you can ever gift yourself. We pride ourselves in growing with our families. Some women visit us for bridal portraits with our sister brand, 3mpower Women. Then we get to celebrate your pregnancy and photograph your beautiful growing baby bump. Once baby has arrived, we are there to capture your very first moments as a new family. Then comes monthly milestones and they have quickly turned one before our eyes! We will continue to be there for you and your family through out the years as your family portrait photographer.

As we enjoy telling the story of your family through photographs, most of our clients choose to display their images in an album for them to look at and enjoy for years to come. Wall portraits in different mediums, such as canvas, metals, acrylics and wood prints is second on the list for our families favorites.

What if my kids do not cooperate?

We believe that kids have so much to teach us about life. Forcing them to do things they do not want to do, like smile on command or get into poses that don’t want to do leads to unhappy and cooperative kids. We will always try for that one beautiful posed family photograph, but we love to give children a reason to smile, and that promotes genuine, authentic connection. We offer posed formal family sessions and lifestyle family portrait sessions. We recommend posed formal family sessions for families with children 5 and up. Our lifestyle sessions are perfect for families with little ones who want to photograph their silly little personalities and just enjoying the moment. We have a lifestyle studio full of fun props (toys) for your little ones to enjoy during their session. We will also capture the love and joy between your children and their new little sibling during newborn portrait sessions.

Who is going to be there the day of my session?

Your Photographer, Your Studio Manger, and Your Hair and Makeup Artist.

You will arrive to the studio being greeted by our studio manager, Courtney and your hair and makeup artist for the day. Your hair and makeup artist leaves after completion of the service. Gina has been photographing families since 2013 and has extensive newborn training, as well as training in working with children with special needs. Courtney has 16 years of experience in early childhood education, is certified in infant CPR and the kids love her!

What about retouching?

We are happy to retouch your images! We always remove pimples, bruises, scratches, and under eye circles. Our rule of thumb is, anything that will be present for three weeks or less will be removed. We also offer retouching on babies skin to even skin tones, remove flaking peeling skin, remove baby acne and more if you wish. The amount of retouching on your images all depends on your preference.

We are highly skilled in photoshop reoutching, but please undesatnd we do not want to make you or your family into someone who they are not. Most of our clients are WOW’d at their images almost straight out of camera!

Can you make me look thinner?

We are often asked by our moms if we can make them look thinner. We want to help you feel beautiful now, just the way you are. We flatter you with hair and makeup styling, a wardrobe that compliments your figure, and amazing lighting and posing techniques to highlight your best assets. I do not believe in heavy photoshopping.

Don’t get me wrong, we do retouch all of our images and will gladly remove all of your bruises and pimples, but we don’t want to over manipulate your body to make you look like someone you are not. I want to show you that you are beautiful at this very moment without over the top retouching.

How long does it take to get the albums and prints back?

You will receive your images in about 8-10 weeks after your session! Some products, such as birth announcements and wall art will arrive much sooner. We usually drop ship everything directly to you in order to keep this process as simple as possible. If you have purchased a package with digital files, you will receive them within 2 business days from your ordering appointment, so approximately one to two weeks after your session.

We do not offer online galleries or multiple appointments for your reveal, all ordering decisions must be made at your reveal appointment.

What will I wear?

We have an extensive client wardrobe ranging in sizes S to 6X. We offer dresses and gowns for women, shirts for men, shirts for young boys and dresses for girls. We also offer a large array of fabrics that we artistically use as hand designed gowns and tossing fabrics.

We welcome our clients to wear clothing from our studio wardrobe, or things they have brought. We will guide you with what to wear along the way. Our policy is always “when in doubt, bring it”! You are welcome to make a Pinterest board and share it with us, so we can help you make your dream shoot a reality.

Do I get to talk to you before my session?

Absolutely! Most of our clients book their session over the phone, which is kind of like our “first date”! Then, about a month or two before your session, we will have one 30 minute phone consultation so we can make sure you’re ready for the session and answer any questions.

We are here for you every step of the way to make sure you feel prepared and comfortable during this process. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. Email and text is how we most effectively communicate with clients, you can text or email us any time at info@henleydesignstudio.com. Messages are typically returned in 1-2 business days, Monday – Friday 9am-4pm.

When should I book?

Our family portrait studio books up 4-8 months in advance and our printed products can take up to 10 weeks for delivery. Make sure you reach out to book well in advance of when you need your images! If you have a special occasion coming up or wish to book a holiday appointment, I recommend booking as soon as possible, but a minimum of 10 weeks before you need any products.

Maternity is best photographed between 28-32 weeks, so please plan to book in advance. We recommend booking your newborn portrait session in your second trimester. We will get you on the calendar for around your due date, and make any necessary adjustments once baby has arrived.

While we do book 4-8 months in advance, newborns are unpredictable and come at their own time. For this reason, we may have some last minute availability.

Who should come to the reveal and ordering appointment?

We recommend all decision makers be present at your reveal and ordering appointment. You will choose your images at your ordering appointment approximately 5-7 business days after your session, so it is important for all parties to attend. We do not offer online galleries for choosing your images. We do have virtual reveal and ordering appointments available.

So what do I need to do to book?

The Session Fee is $500 and is required to reserve a space on our calendar. A newborn wrapped mini session or basic baby milestone session fee is $300.

Session Fee Includes:

– 30 Minute Pre-Session Consultation 

– Private Use of the Three Story Studio 

– Professional Hair and Makeup Application (1 Family Member ) 

– Access to our 400+ piece Client Wardrobe 

– Full Photography Session 

– Complete Posing and Expression Coaching 

– Access to our extensive prop collection 

– Private In-Person Reveal & Ordering Appointment

Our Session Fees can be paid in full or split into 2 payments. If the payment is split, the first half is due to reserve the session space on the calendar, the second half is due within 14 days of the first.

*Failure to complete the payment in 14 days will result in forfeiture of the session space and session retainer fee.*

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How does this work?

Your entire portrait day experience will last 4 hours. You will receive complimentary hair and makeup for one person, which begins at 10 am. Add on hair and makeup services are available for additional family members.

You will also have access to our extensive client wardrobe, and much more! Your photographer is going to pose you from head to pointed toe, and down to your babies tiny fingertips. We will also help you with a variety of facial expressions! If you are doing a maternity session, prepare to be sore after your session, we do a LOT of bending and twisting (it’s quite the workout!).

Studio Sessions begin at 10 AM Monday’s and Wednesday’s. After hair and makeup, we take some time to go through your wardrobe choices with you and start shooting around noon. We recommend any family members who are not having hair and make up done in studio, arrive at 11:45.

If you are booking a newborn session, we will begin photographing baby alone while you are in hair and makeup at 10 am. Your partner or family member are welcome to stay with baby during the solo portion of their session. You are typically finished with your session around 2 PM.

In 5 to 7 business days, you will return to the studio, or we will meet with you via google meets or zoom for your Image Reveal & Ordering Appointment! We will select which images you would like to purchase and how you would like to display them at home! Ordering appointments take approximately 1 hour.

Most of our clients will have picked out and prepaid for their Collection, so the ordering process is a breeze! (More info on this coming to you soon!)

What can I expect to spend at my Reveal & Ordering Appointment?

Before we have created your images, it is hard for me to give you an exact figure as to what to expect. Some families want a basic album, others invest several thousand on a Collection with a variety of products. What you spend is up to you!

You can purchase from our Collections or A La Carte menu. Our full Investment Menu will be sent to you immediately following the completion of your booking process. That being said, if you’re looking for a “quick shoot” or “just a few images,” this is not the session for you.

We offer a full day experience and show you 40-70 images. We only offer luxury products, because your family and memories are worth it. Investing in yourself and your family is priceless. You’ll never tire of your images or forget just how your family was in that moment. Your beautiful growing belly, your newborn babies tiny toes, your one year old’s first cake; these are all once in a lifetime opportunities that you will not get back.

We want to capture them for you and give you the most incredible experience in the process!

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Print Products & Albums

Our albums begin at $1500 and go up to $3500. Our Collections begin at $2200. Have sticker shock? I get it! I did too the first time I ever booked a professional shoot with my dream photographer. But you know what? I would have paid her DOUBLE when it was all done! She even captured my son’s tiny little blonde eye lashes, that quickly turned to dark.

I will never have a chance to photograph my children’s first moments again, and to me that is absolutely priceless. Adding on the convenience of having everything done for me, from a full studio wardrobe to hair and make up is a must!

We know that this experience is an investment and therefore offer payment plan options. You can split up the cost of any of our products via our interest free in-house payment plan and make smaller monthly or bi-weekly payments towards your purchase leading up to your shoot. It’s easy and we set it up for you on auto-pay so you never have to worry about late fees!

We do also work with PayPal Credit and Accept Afterpay!

Ready To Book A Session?

If you’ve made it this far and are ready to take the next step, you can click the link to book your consultation call. During this call, we can answer any further questions, and get you scheduled for your session before it’s too late.

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