frequently asked questions

HERE'S SOME ANSWERS

How do I prepare my family for a shoot?

We want to make your family’s photography experience to be hassle free yet memorable, so we have created a step-by-step guide to plan your perfect portrait session. Simply follow each step below to get started.

1. Select a location

2. Pick your style

3. Follow our getting ready tips

4. Personalise your photography session

5. Submit your photography session plan

We will speak to you about these steps at your personal consultation over the phone or in our showroom, We will guide you every step of the way.

Should I choose a studio, home or location shoot?

We shoot at all three! Think about what you want your shoot to look like but also where you are most comfortable.

We specialise shooting on location, we love to photograph your family at one of your favourite locations - such as:

Balmoral Beach, Clifton Gardens (dog friendly), Chinamans Beach, Bradley’s Head, Freshwater Beach, Nielsen Park +

Centennial Park plus may more.

However, if you would like us to come to your home we love to capture you in your natural environment where you feel relaxed and at ease.

We also have a small studio where we can photograph newborns and children.

We are nervous and my child can be shy. Will you still get great photos?

Most people are, but rest assured we are here to guide you every step of the way.

We meet all kinds of personalities over the years. Graham and our assistants have lots of tricks up their sleeve to help shy kids relax and come out of their shell. Trust us, you are in good hands!

If your child is especially shy, perhaps bring them by the studio before your shoot to meet us, so we aren't meeting for the first time at the shoot.

How many people or pets can we have on our professional photo shoot?

There is no limit to the number of people in your family photographs.

Think about who you would like to include in your photographs from Grandparents to Godparents and special people or pets in your life. Or maybe it's just immediate family...it's up to you.

Just let us know who is joining in so we can be prepared and help you organise the best location for the amount of people and pets you have. The more we can plan, the better the results.

Who is the photographer?

Graham Monro has been the main photographer at gm photographics for over 26 years. However, we have many other talented photographers that also shoot for us.

Simona and Joy assist Graham on shoots, but they also love taking photos themselves and are always eager to get behind the camera.

How long does the shoot last?

Please allow up to 1 hour for all family shoots.

Allow 1.5 hours if it is an extended family shoot.

If we are photographing your newborn photos, please allow 2-3 hours so there is time for feeding and settling between takes.

If you are bringing pets allow an extra 15-30 minutes.

What is included in the gm experience + how much does it cost?

Photo shoots cost $150 on a weekday and $250 on a weekend

Extended family cost $250 weekday or weekend.

The shoot fee includes

  • a 40 minute consultation at our Mosman showroom
  • 1 hour family location shoot with photographer and director
  • plus a cinema viewing session with our design consultant.

What should we choose to wear for our professional family photographs?

The number one rule is to be yourselves and be comfortable with what you choose to wear. The only advice we would give you is to make sure that you don’t clash with other family members. For example wearing patterned clothes is ok, but if all the family are wearing patterns you can imagine how busy the photos will look, so please keep it simple, but don’t be afraid of patterns and colours if that’s who you are!

Pastel colours work well and we love when you accessorise with hats, scarves and jewellery.

What should we bring to our shoot?

Every family is individual, so please bring along anything that might be meaningful to you and your children right now. For example, musical instruments, scooter, bike, toys, scarfs, beanie, hat, swimmers, and bucket and spade for the beach etc

Also don’t forget to bring a change of clothes and a towel, incase the kids go in the water and get wet.

What happens if it rains the day of our photograph shoot?

As you know, shooting outside can be unpredictable, we will be in contact with you before the shoot date to confirm and do a weather check.

If it rains on the day of the shoot we can reschedule.

Do you have hair and makeup services?

Yes, for an extra $250 we can provide a professional hair and make-up artist who can come to you before the shoot, please ask us for details. Even if you don't need professional services, we suggest hair and makeup styling to some degree for any shoot as it's not something you experience very often so it's great to look and feel your best so you love your photographs.

What happens after our photo shoot?

After your photo shoot we work hard downloading and editing your images. A week after your photo shoot they will be ready to view at our Mosman showroom.

Your cinema viewing session lasts between 1-2hours with our design consultant.

This is your one opportunity to view, design and purchase the images that you love. We suggest leaving the children with your babysitter so you can make decisions and enjoy the process.

How long until we can see our photos?

Your images will be ready to view on our cinema in one week, unless you need us to turn them around urgently, which maybe possible on special requests.

Your champagne viewing is a time to sit down with your design consultant and enjoy the show.

Do we get the digital copies of our family photos?

You do not receive all the files we take, only the individual images you purchase.

However, you can purchase our screen resolution USB of all the images from the entire shoot for $950, this is only available for purchase once you have spent over $1500 on products.

What are the photo product options?

We have a wide range of products to choose from, our printed products start from $195 for a 5x7 matted print ready to frame and go up from there.

We have framing, canvases and acrylics to choose from for the wall, as well as small frames and acrylics for desk tops.

Our designer albums are great for those that don’t have much wall space or who love a treasured keep sake for generations to come.

Any printed products you purchase, you will also receive a screen resolution file of that image.

Can I purchase the digital files from our photography shoot?

Yes you can!

If you only want to purchase the high resolution files on USB, so you can print them yourself, we have package options to choose starting from:

 

location photo shoot & 5 high resolution retouched files from $895.

 

Is there a minimum spend, or any obligation to buy?

No, there is no obligation or minimum spend at our studio.

We guarantee you will love your photos, if you are dissatisfied with your images we will re-shoot free of charge.

Most of our clients spend from $2500 and up on their photography art for their home.

Who can you recommend to hang our photographs?

Our go to guy is the Hangman, he is simply amazing at what he does and makes your artwork look amazing in your space! We recommend you call Jonathan Lee: Phone 0419 424 604 and book in - there's a wait list.

7 Reason to hire a professional family photographer

1. So you are in the photos!

 

It’s so important to actually be in the photos with your kids! Once they grow up and get older they will want to look back on your family photos and remember you altogether. Even if you hate photos remember that your children love to see you with them having fun and being together as a family.

 

 

2. Getting the best out of you and your kids

 

Professional photographers work with people everyday, in-fact their whole business relies on building a special rapport with clients. This helps people to relax and to be themselves in front of the camera. Family photographers are used to people who don’t like to be photographed! At gm photographics we always have a director on every shoot, they pay attention to the details and make sure everyone looks flattering. The director will also ensure that your children have their best and most natural expressions, rather than the ‘fake’ smiles they can sometimes pull when you take a photo. Lets face it kids always listen better to someone else!!

 

 

3. Preserve a moment in time

 

Sometimes we only have one chance to capture a special moment in time and it’s so important that we do this properly. Hiring a professional photographer will mean that you have lasting memories with ALL of you in the photos. Life can change in a blink of an eye, how important it is to capture each moment and stage of ours lives, from newborns, toddlers, tweens, teenagers, and grandparents including extended family (don’t forget your furry family members as well!)

 

 

4. Family heirlooms

 

We believe that your photos become precious family memories. It’s so important to create heirlooms for your family to pass down to generations to come, that aren’t just snap-shots from your phone. Your professional photos will take you back to that moment in time, its so important to capture everyone when you have the opportunity. All our products are printed on archival paper, which lasts many life times.

 

 

5. Experience matters

 

It’s so important to engage a professional photographer who has been in the industry for many years. gm photographics has been established since1994??? Graham has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which means your family photos will be unique and masterful. Graham and our gm photographers know how to deal with large groups of people and know the best lighting conditions and times for shooting. They also have amazing knowledge of their camera equipment, so they can capture the best images of your family.

 

 

6. Professional editing

 

Great photographers invest in professional software that lets them edit and retouch photos to make your memories look fantastic. gm photographics uses many types of professional photography software to enhance your images even further, we have different looks you can choose from, such as black and white, art-tone and traditional colour.

 

 

7. Photography is art - investing in your home

 

One of the main goals of a professional family photo shoot is to invest in printing products for your home. Whether they are displayed on your lounge room walls, hallways, staircases or bedrooms it is an investment in your home décor. Your children will love to see they are a loved and valued member of the family, plus your family photos make wonderful art pieces. There are hundreds of ways you can print and display your photos and our design consultant will help you make those unique decisions for your home when you come to view your photos at our showroom. You can choose from frames, canvas, acrylic, printing on metal and wallpaper plus boutique albums the list goes on!

PRIVACY POLICY

 

YOUR PRIVACY IS CRITICAL TO US. LIKEWISE, WE HAVE BUILT UP THIS POLICY WITH THE END GOAL YOU SHOULD SEE HOW WE GATHER, UTILIZE, IMPART AND REVEAL AND MAKE UTILIZATION OF INDIVIDUAL DATA. THE FOLLOWING BLUEPRINTS OUR PRIVACY POLICY.

BEFORE OR AT THE TIME OF COLLECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION, WE WILL IDENTIFY THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED.

WE WILL GATHER AND UTILIZATION OF INDIVIDUAL DATA SINGULARLY WITH THE TARGET OF SATISFYING THOSE REASONS INDICATED BY US AND FOR OTHER GOOD PURPOSES, UNLESS WE GET THE ASSENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED OR AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

WE WILL JUST HOLD INDIVIDUAL DATA THE LENGTH OF TIME ESSENTIAL FOR THE SATISFACTION OF THOSE REASONS.

WE WILL GATHER INDIVIDUAL DATA BY LEGAL AND REASONABLE MEANS AND, WHERE FITTING, WITH THE INFORMATION OR ASSENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED.
PERSONAL INFORMATION OUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT TO THE REASONS FOR WHICH IT IS TO BE UTILIZED, AND, TO THE DEGREE ESSENTIAL FOR THOSE REASONS, OUGHT TO BE EXACT, FINISHED, AND UPDATED.

WE WILL PROTECT INDIVIDUAL DATA BY SECURITY SHIELDS AGAINST MISFORTUNE OR BURGLARY, AND ALSO UNAPPROVED ACCESS, DIVULGENCE, DUPLICATING, USE OR ALTERATION.

WE WILL PROMPTLY PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH ACCESS TO OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF INDIVIDUAL DATA.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON LEADING OUR BUSINESS AS PER THESE STANDARDS WITH A SPECIFIC END GOAL TO GUARANTEE THAT THE PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUAL DATA IS SECURE AND MAINTAINED.

 

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