General

Q. How do I book a session?

A. Please go to the “Contact” tab at the top of the home page, or email at jessdelaski@jesslynnphotography.com.  If you’ve filled out the Inquiry form and haven’t heard back within 48 hours, please check your spam folder for our response.  PLEASE NOTE:  If you’re hoping for a session March-December we recommend booking at least 2-3 months in advance.  The chances that we’ll be able to accommodate last minute bookings have been very slim lately.  

Q. What times of day do you do sessions?

A. In our experience, babies and toddlers tend to be happiest in the morning hours. If you’re booking an outdoor session we’ll need to avoid the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead in order to avoid harsh lighting. Generally, studio sessions aren’t booked past 3pm. Ultimately you know your children best so we will ask for your input on choosing a time that will work for your little ones.

Q. Are digitals included in the pricing or are those extra? Are my photos edited?

A. All of our session prices are comprehensive and include a minimum number of guaranteed photos (depends on session type). Your high-resolution, watermark-free digital images will be delivered via download link within 2 weeks of your session date, and then they’re yours to do with as you please.  We do ask that you download the photos as soon as you receive them, as they’re only guaranteed on our system for 2 months.  Jess does color and lighting correction to all of her delivered photos, consistent with what you’ll see in her galleries.  If you make additional photoshop requests (blemish/scar correction, etc) after the delivery of your gallery, additional charges may apply depending on the time-intensive nature of the work.  

Q. Do you require a deposit to book?

A. Yes, a non-refundable $55 deposit to hold your session time will be due at the time of booking. The remainder of your session balance will be due prior to delivery of your final images. Checks, cash, and credit cards via Paypal are accepted as forms of payment. We have children of our own and recognize that sometimes they get sick without warning, so the deposit may be transferred once to a different date and time due to illness.  Please note: deposit transfers and/or promotional credits will only be honored within one year of original booking. 

Q.  I’m only available for a session on weekends, what are my options?

A.   Jess’s weekends are getting busy year-round with her 5 kids and a growing client list.  In an effort to accomodate as many awesome clients as possible, all available weekends are limited to mini session blocks only.  Mini sessions are available seasonally and include themed sessions with props and un-themed outdoor family mini sessions.  Contact us to get on our email distribution list for mini session dates.  We understand most people operate on a 9-5 weekday/workday schedule, so Jess can occasionally accomodate an early morning or evening session depending on availability and daylight hours.

Newborns

Q. How is booking handled since people rarely deliver around their due dates?

A. We keep the newborn schedule fluid until we’re notified about baby’s arrival. When you book we’ll assign you a placeholder based on your due date to reserve your spot on the calendar. Once baby arrives, we ask that you notify us ASAP so we can schedule your newborn session between 5-12 days of life on a weekday morning. Newborn sessions are done exclusively in the mornings within the first two weeks of life because that’s when baby will be most sleepy and open to posing.  **If you miss the initial 2-week newborn window, we’re happy to offer you a 4-6 month session when baby can hold their head up and smile, to allow for a nice variety to your images.

Q. What do I need to bring?

A. Jess will have everything she needs for baby other than food and diaper bag essentials. You’re welcome to bring a personal item or blanket if you’d like to incorporate that in the photos. We generally do not recommend bringing your own newborn outfits unless they’re custom made true newborn size.

Q. Do I get to pick the props that are used during my session?

A. If you have a preference for the props or colors that are used please be sure to mention them when booking your session. Some clients like to choose 2-3 images from Jess’s portfolio that they’d like to emulate during their session, but we do ask that you limit it to just a few so that Jess can manage your session time appropriately.

Q. How many images will I get and how many poses?

A. Each session will ultimately depend on how baby is feeling that day But typically the full newborn session gets 65+ images and about 5-6 different “looks” to your photos, while the mini session will get 25+ images and 2-3 “looks”. 

Q. What should we wear?

A. For family we recommend solid, lighter colored tops for photos. Large/bold patterns tend to distract the eye, and avoid wearing all black or bright reds. Ultimately if you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, it will come through in the photos

Q. I want the mini newborn session but just a few shots of mom and dad, is that possible?

A. The mini newborn session is offered to allow parents to capture their precious new bundle at a more affordable rate than the complete newborn session. Due to the reduced cost, mini newborn sessions are limited to photos of baby only in swaddle wraps (no nude shots, elaborately posed images, or client-provided outfits).

Q. Do you do in-home newborn sessions?

A. We are not offering in-home sessions at this time.  Jess has an extensive collection of newborn wraps and props in her Ashburn studio and is happy to host her clients where the lighting and environment can be carefully controlled to offer a consistently crafted product.

Cake smash / Birthday / Milestone

Q. Can I get a few shots of parents or siblings during the birthday session?

A. Birthday sessions are for the birthday child only. If you’d like to include family shots in your child’s birthday session we’ll book you for the 45 minute family session in order to allow enough time to include the family.

Q. How are the backdrops chosen?

A. Each birthday session will include portraits of the birthday boy or girl on 1-2 neutral hanging backdrops, in addition to a personalized setup with props in the theme or color scheme of your choosing. Clients will either provide a general color scheme, a photo of the birthday outfit, or google inspiration images for a theme for Jess to work with on the customized setup.

Q. What’s provided for a cake smash session?

A. Clients will need to provide the outfits and the smash cake, and depending on the chosen theme Jess can generally supply the rest.  We recommend bringing 2-3 outfits for baby for a nice variety of images.  If you have a very specific theme in mind or would like to incorporate personal items (name specific, etc) then you’d need to supply those prior to the session so Jess can have everything setup when you arrive.

Q. Are smash cakes required or can I just get some nice birthday portraits?

A. No, cake smashes are not required. Just specify what you’re hoping for at booking and we’ll work with you to complete your vision

Outdoor

Q. Where do you do outdoor sessions?

A. Jess has a handful of favorite shooting locations where she knows all the spots for best lighting so we typically book outdoor sessions at one of those depending on client’s location and existing schedule. Depending on the circumstances, time of year, and existing schedule, Jess can accommodate location requests on a case by case basis.

Q. Can I bring my pet to the session?

A. Yes, fur babies are welcome at outdoor sessions. Jess is very good with dogs, however it is important to be realistic about what is possible with your pup. If they won’t sit still for you, they’re not likely to sit still for Jess Bring a favorite treat to toy to work with.

Q. Can we do an outfit change?

A. Depending on what you’re hoping to achieve during your session time an outfit change may be possible. However, some locations may not have a convenient place to change and your session time will be limited to the 45 minutes allowed by the scheduled session time frame. Note: outfit changes are not permitted during mini session events due to time constraints.

Q. What should we wear?

A. We recommend avoiding lots of large/bold patterns as that can distract the eye in photographs. Avoid wearing all blacks or whites, and bright reds. Generally it’s best to wear mostly neutral tones, with pops of bright color added in for accent. Check out Jess’s portfolio for outdoor sessions to get an idea.

Mini Sessions

Q. Do you offer mini sessions?

A. Mini sessions (other than newborn mini sessions) are offered seasonally and announced via an email distribution list. If you don’t already receive our mini session emails please contact us with your email address and we’ll add you! Types of mini sessions include outdoor spring/fall family mini sessions, Valentine’s minis, Easter minis, summer minis, Christmas sessions, and more!

Q. How much are your mini sessions?

A. Mini session pricing depends on the type of session and is listed on the signup forms when sessions are announced.  If you’d like to be added to the email distribution list please contact us! 

Q. I got your mini session email but all the spots were taken when I tried to sign up!

A. Our mini sessions do fill quite quickly these days, but we’re always happy to try and accommodate as many clients as we can. If you don’t get a session you want, please email us ASAP and we’ll see what we can do