Behind the Scenes: A Session with Bree Hanan Photography

Today I’m going to bring you behind the scenes of a session with me! I’m so excited to show you my process – from start to finish – to getting the beautiful photos you are craving.

The Inquiry

It all starts when you visit my website and submit an inquiry. My initial email reply contains (among many other things) a questionnaire to help me get to know you. Some of the questions on it may make you scratch your head and wonder “Why does she want to know that?” but trust me it’s all part of my master plan to make sure I’m the right photographer for you, to help us choose the PERFECT location, and to keep you feeling comfortable during the session. 

The Pre-Session Phone Consultation

Once I receive your questionnaire, I start doing research to find the location of your DREAMS. I start with Google, but often find myself branching off onto *several* other websites. Another tool I use quite frequently is Google Maps – looking for bluffs, trails, bodies of water, green areas, etc. I also just frequently visit as many parks and hiking trails as I can with Keith and Luna, not necessarily to scout locations for sessions, but if I find a great spot I’ll definitely keep it in mind for you. By the time we do your complementary pre-session phone consultation, I have 2-3 different location options for you to choose from. Having the location locked in helps me make other recommendations to you, including outfits, props, time of day, and basically anything else you have a question about. The phone consult is such a great way for us to get to know and feel comfortable with each other BEFORE the session, so that when we finally meet in person all we have to do is make absolute FIRE photos.

The Planning Process

There are a few more emails that get sent between you and me, with some of the necessary-but-less-exciting details being worked out (like payment, contracts, and releases) before we arrive at the session. All my contracts are electronic, which helps cut down on unnecessary paper waste.

The Session

Now I know that most people feel a little uncomfortable having their picture taken by a professional photographer who they just met; that’s why I like to start each session by placing you in a more traditional pose while I make sure my camera settings are right where I want them to be. Then I slowly start giving you some fun prompts that will help to loosen you up and get you MOVING. Movement is my favorite thing to capture on camera because it results in the most natural smiles and allows you to react to each other in a genuine way. Add in the fact that I’m playing music from my bluetooth speaker, and by the end of our session it feels more like a chill friend hang than anything else.

The Post-Session Process

Once our time together is over (🙁) I go home and obsess over how GORGEOUS you are while I do a quick version of a process called culling, or choosing which photos I want to keep and which ones should be deleted. I’ve found that the only ones I can bring myself to delete right after a session are the ones where someone blinked (because I’m still so in love with the magic we just created) or that are blurry. After a day or two I’m able to be more objective and can choose which photos are the absolute best ones, because those are the ones you deserve. I then transfer those photos into an editing program called Lightroom where I can enhance the photos and make sure they’re perfect before I deliver your gallery to you. Once I’ve edited a few, I like to send out a couple of sneak peeks, just so you can obsess over them as much as I do, and I’ve been known to also post some to my Instagram stories as well.

The Gallery Delivery

Finally, finally, finally (well, about two weeks after the session) I am ready to deliver your gallery to you! You receive a link either by text or email, and you obviously stop whatever it is you’re doing to go look at your photos IMMEDIATELY. Once you’ve had time to fall in love with them just as much as I have, I’ll send you a follow up email giving you the opportunity to help me grow my business by writing a review – don’t worry, it’s a series of questions that you can just give short answers to, and the whole process only takes about five minutes. But it helps me grow more than you know, and I am extremely grateful for your kind words. 

So there it is, a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to have me as your photographer. It sounds FUN, right? To schedule your session today, all you have to do is head to my contact me to get started! 

I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook to get updates on future blog posts, see sneak peeks of my amazing couples, and so much more! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!

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