Family Portraits | Paxton Photography

Family Photos

Of all the memories we hold on to, the ones we never forget, are those of our family. While the regular family portrait is always good enough, why not get creative and try something out of the ordinary? Using props, the ever-useful Photoshop, creative timing, or just a fabulously dynamic location will add that “something” to any family portrait. There are no rules that say you can’t have something that speaks more about you than the standard shots. As well, there is nothing standing in the way of being traditional, either.

Personally, I prefer a mixture of traditional and creative. If you have a family with small children, you know how they can be. Some times asking them to behave like big kids for any length of time, will just not happen and you may have to reevaluate the idea you hold of a “family portrait”. This does not mean it can’t be done. It just means we need to be patient and make a solid plan on what the end goal is that we want to capture

Deciding what to wear for your family portraits can be challenging. Gone are the days where we tell you that you have to match. Choosing a color scheme that matches your personality as a group is a much more personal way to create a memory. Neutrals are always a solid choice. Patterns should be kept to a minimum and children’s clothes should be without characters or words. Textures, jewelry, and accessories do add a certain element to the image and are useful as props when needed. Also, remember to consider the background and location for color and pattern. Don’t go overboard. Think classic and simple that will help give your portraits a timeless feel.

Choosing your location can be just as daunting as deciding on what to wear. I do suggest nature over the studio, but we can do a studio if we need. We will discuss and pick a few locations depending on the time of year of your sitting. Spring and fall are always easiest to work with because the light is often nice and even and the temperatures are more predictable. Summer and winter are both great times too, but we will need to really look at the time of day that we choose for your sitting. In the summer, the sun is very hard and often very hot midday; we will want to stick to early morning or evening, which often does mean off times for children’s schedules. With a winter sitting, we will want to make sure that we schedule around the daylight too, only in the winter the timeline is backwards. We want to do midday in the winter because we have so much less daylight to work with. Regardless of the time of year we choose for your sitting, I will certainly take into account the time, weather, and many other factors in directing you to the best choice for you.

Package One

$450

Your core family up to 6 people

Up to two locations of choice within 60 miles of Traverse City

Up to an hour total time, including travel time

Unlimited proof set in a bound softcover magazine

10 5×7 (or equivalent) prints

Online proofing available for thee months

Direct digital download

Package Two

$550

7-15 family members

Up to two locations of choice within 60 miles of Traverse City

Up to an hour and a half total time, including travel time

Unlimited proof set in a bound softcover magazine

10 5×7 (or equivalent) prints

Online proofing available for thee months

Direct digital download

Package Three

$950

For the whole family up to 50 people

Up to two locations of choice within 60 miles of Traverse City

Up to two hours time, including travel time

Unlimited proof set in a bound softcover magazine

20 5×7 (or equivalent) prints

Online proofing available for thee months

20 page/10 layout 10×10 layflat finished album

Direct digital download

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Thes packages include at least an hour at the location of your choice or in the studio. Your family, small or large, can order their own prints or books through the online proofing system. Creative treatments, black and white, and selective color options are available for all images.

Basic editing, for color, contrast, and overall content, is done for all images in your proof set. Extensive editing for hair, clothing, or head swaps is available at an additionally quoted cost.

All sittings will require a signed contract and non-refundable $100 retainer fee to secure the requested date and time. This fee will be subtracted from your total at the time of final payment. Sitting dates and fee may be transferred for inclement weather. No-shows will forfeit retainer fee. Parties later than 15 minutes to the set sitting time will forfeit retainer fee and may be forced to reschedule.