Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your Studio?
We are located in Marietta, Georgia. Our traditional studio is in our home, but what makes us truly unique is our mobile studio. We will come to you, lighting, backdrops and all, or meet you in an outdoor location t0 capture your images. In many situations, we have found that the best pictures can be taken when people are most comfortable.
Do you provide “studio lighting”?
We do have studio lighting. We will bring our equipment to assist us in lighting your venue, should it be needed, to ensure we can capture quality images that are lit appropriately.
When should we schedule our session?
We are in intimate studio and as such, our schedule does fill up quickly. We recommend you contact us early to secure your date, particularly for weddings and special events.
If you are looking to have us take portraits of your newborn, please contact us prior to your due date so we will have a window of possible dates in which to capture these precious moments. Ideally we will take pictures of your new baby in their first 2 weeks of life, so knowing your due date will give us a window to be flexible in to meet your needs.
Is the time of the session important?
The best time of day for most portraiture is typically early mornings or early evenings. For outdoor photo sessions this is particularly important to take advantage of the best natural light. One exception is if there is shade available. In a shaded spot, we can be flexible on the time of day by hiding some of the harsh sunlight. For indoor sessions there is alot more flexibility. We will bring supplemental lighting to make sure we can get the shots desired, but will try to use natural lighting whenever possible.
What should we wear to our session?
You’ll want to be comfortable, this is especially important for children. We encourage you to bring (or have on hand) changes of clothes to capture a variety of poses for your wee one, or to provide a clean shirt, just in case! If your session is scheduled at a typical meal/snack time we encourage you to bring food or drinks with you for your little one to enjoy.
For couples, families or group shots we encourage you to dress in compliment colors, or similarly. This can mean everyone in shades of blues with white pants or Jeans, or everyone in all black, etc. We will gladly help you decide on a few options after discussing the type of portraits you are hoping to capture.
In what format do you take your pictures?
At Grasp Studio, we take all of our pictures in dual format: jpeg and RAW on Canon Digital SLRs. There are several reasons we do this. The primary reason is that the jpegs allow us to view and post unedited images quickly. We know everyone is excited to see their pictures, even if they aren’t perfect, and the jpeg format allows us to do just that. We shoot RAW images because they provide the highest quality, and allows for the most flexibility to edit and enlarge your images.
What type of equipment do you use?
We use Canon Digital SLR cameras. We exclusively use digital because of the flexibility and quality. Being able to see if the picture is properly lit, in focus, and if everyone’s eyes are open is a wonderful benefit. In addition, the flexibility allows us to edit images to be black and white, sepia toned, etc. when they are taken digitally. Our cameras take, at minimum, 8.2 mega pixel images resulting in extremely high quality. The reason we use Canon (over other brands) is we have found them to capture more “true colors” in the images we take.
Do you create a shot list?
For events and weddings, we will absolutely create a shot list. This is the one way that we can ensure we capture those must have shots you’re looking for. For less formal sessions, we will simply discuss what shots are important to make sure we get the must have shots. No matter what type of photography we’re doing for you, we want to ensure you get the images you’re hoping for.
Why do you provide a disk of the images in all sessions?
We do this for several reasons, but mainly it’s for the cost benefit and flexibility for you. We will gladly put together an album or order quality prints from our professional printer to give you the highest quality photographs if you choose. Obviously the cost is higher with this option than ordering from a local or online photo printer (like Target or Snapfish) but the quality is far superior. We have sample images for you to see should you be interested in having us print some portraits for you. For most people, the quality of these local and online printers is all they need or desire. There isn’t a need to spend more money for the professional prints. And, the flexibility to order several sets of prints or even enlargements and share your photos online with family and friends (and update your blog and facebook!) is a top priority…and we want to meet that need.
By giving you a disk with the images and a copyright release, you are welcome to share and use your images however you wish. Plus, if 20+ years down the road your baby is getting married and wants some of her newborn pictures for her wedding video, you can easily get her the images she wants without having to track us down and reorder.
When is payment expected?
Session fees are due at the time of the session. Any portrait fees will be due upon receipt of the final images.
Do we pay Sales Tax?
Yes, a 6% Georgia sales tax is applicable to both your session fee and any portraits that you may purchase. This is also due at the time of the session or receipt of the images.
What is your Cancellation Policy?
We request a 24 hour cancellation notice. For Weddings & Special events, the cancellation policy will differ and will be outlined in your contract.
We live in Atlanta but want portraits taken in North Georgia, is there a travel fee?
We typically work in the Atlanta area, within a 45 mile radius of Marietta (surrounding the I-285/I-75 interchange). Contact us for a quote on any travel related fees if your desired location is outside of this radius.