What Happens at a Photography Viewing Appointment?

You’ve had your photo shoot, everyone’s had a great time, and hopefully you’ve already had a sneaky peek at some of the photographs on the back of my camera. I’m always really careful to make sure that before you leave your photo shoot that we’ve got all the shots that you want, all the expressions you’re happy with, and all the moments that you were hoping for. So when you come back for the viewing, you’ll be confident that you’ve got everything That you wanted from your session and a whole lot more as well.

Now comes one of the nicest parts of the whole experience.

Seeing your finished photographs for the first time.

At Two Front Teeth Photography in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, we like to make this part of the experience just as enjoyable as the photo shoot itself.

And there’s certainly no need to feel nervous about it.

The photoshoots themselves are often high-octane events! The viewing hopefully will be a little bit more chilled and relaxed, and we will make sure that you’re well looked after when you come back.

First, make yourself comfortable

When you arrive for your viewing appointment, we’ll invite you upstairs into our cozy viewing room.

We’ve designed it to feel relaxed and welcoming rather than like a shop.

There’s a lovely coffee machine, a selection of teas and herbal teas, soft drinks and a rather generous barrel of biscuits.

And if you fancy something a little different, we’ve even got a popcorn maker for freshly made popcorn.

Yes, really!

It’s all part of making the experience enjoyable and unforgettable for all the right reasons.

After all, you’ve taken the time to have some beautiful family or dog photographs taken. We want you to enjoy choosing them, too.

Your very own photography premiere

Once you’re comfortable, drinks in hand, we’ll dim the lights and show you a slideshow of your photographs, set to music.

And we don’t expect you to squint at pictures on a laptop.

We have a lovely big screen so you can really appreciate the details, expressions and personalities we’ve captured.

During your photo shoot, we’ll probably have taken considerably more photographs than you’ll eventually see.

That’s because we carefully narrow them down beforehand.

Depending on the type of shoot and the number of people involved, you’ll usually see somewhere between 30 and 70 photographs.

We do this so you can enjoy the best images without having to wade through hundreds of almost identical pictures.

And it makes choosing your favorites much easier.

Before choosing anything, we ask one important question

What would you actually like to do with your photographs?

It’s a simple question, but an important one.

Some families are looking for one really beautiful photograph to hang on the wall.

Others want a collection of digital photographs so they can keep all their favorite expressions and moments.

Some people want both.

There’s no point spending ages choosing photographs without knowing what you’d eventually like to do with them.

So we’ll have a chat about the options first.

You’ll already have had access to our prices before your viewing appointment, so there shouldn’t be any awkward surprises.

Our job is to help you find the photographs and products that suit you.

I find that when people come back for the viewing, some people will say, “Right, this is what we want.” Others will have a few ideas but want to see the photos before they make their final decision. But if you are thinking of having something for the wall, one thing that is well worth doing is getting a tape measure out, deciding where you’d like any pictures, and seeing what will fit the space.

I remember I had a family in once and they got it half right.. They decided where they wanted the picture to go and that was on the fireplace. That was a brilliant start. However, …..

When they arrived at the viewing, they said, “Yep, we’ve taken your advice. We’ve decided where we want it to go. It’s going to go on the fireplace.” And then I said, “Great, how Big’s the fireplace?” And they said, “Oh, not sure.” So it’s definitely worth coming a little bit prepared!

Of course we managed to muddle through. We took a good guess and they measured up when they got home, and we managed to go ahead without any major problems, but it is always worth being a little bit prepared and having a think before you come over.

How do you choose when you love them all?

This is something we hear all the time.

And I completely understand it.

When you’re looking at photographs of your children, grandchildren, family or beloved dog, it can be difficult to choose.

They’re all special because they’re all yours.

Over the years, I’ve developed a way of helping families narrow things down without feeling overwhelmed.

We tend to look at similar photographs together.

For example, we might put four photographs of the children together on the screen.

Rather than asking which one you love, we’ll look at which photograph works best.

Perhaps one has a slightly better expression.

Perhaps another captures a lovely interaction.

By comparing similar images, we can gradually narrow the selection down.

But there’s something else that’s just as important.

The best collection isn’t necessarily made up of the best individual photographs.

Don’t just choose the smiles

Imagine you’ve had a photo shoot of your two children.

You’ve got some lovely smiley photographs.

But you’ve also got a thoughtful expression, a mischievous grin, a lovely moment of the children playing together and perhaps one where they’re having a little disagreement.

Which photographs should you choose?

Well, I’d encourage you to think about their personalities.

Because children aren’t smiling every minute of the day.

Neither are adults.

And dogs certainly have their own little quirks and expressions.

Sometimes it’s the funny look, the serious expression or the interaction between two people that becomes the photograph you treasure most.

I also get a lot of people saying, “How much for all of the photos?” and I always say, “Well, why would you want all the photos? You’ll find that when you’re looking through the pictures taken, some of them will be fairly similar to each other, and when you look at them side by side, you can look at one and go, ‘Ah, that stands out. That’s the best one; the other three are basically, not quite so good versions of your favourite one.

One of my favorite photographs of my daughter

My own children are grown up now, but there’s one photograph of my daughter that I’ve always particularly loved.

She was quite young when I took it.

She’s always been a very smiley girl (Even as a teenager!), but in this photograph she’s looking directly into the camera with a completely serious expression.

No smile whatsoever.

Just this wonderful, thoughtful look.

I remember looking at that photograph and feeling as though I could almost see into her soul.

It’s difficult to explain.

Technically, there are probably plenty of photographs of her with bigger smiles.

But this one has something different.

And it’s still one of my favorite photographs I’ve ever taken.

That’s why I always encourage families to look beyond the obvious smiles.

Sometimes the photographs that don’t immediately shout for attention are the ones that mean the most in years to come.

What if you love lots of photographs but have a budget?

I completely understand that professional photography is an investment.

Although we try to keep our prices reasonable for the quality and service we provide, I appreciate that it’s still a substantial amount of money for many families.

That’s why we offer different options.

Some people prefer to invest in one beautiful framed photograph that will take pride of place in their home for many years.

Others prefer digital photographs, which can be a cost-effective way of keeping a larger collection of images.

One idea worth considering is having an extended family photo shoot.

For example, grandparents, their children and grandchildren might all come along together.

You can have photographs of the whole family and individual family groups.

If everyone wants digital photographs, sharing the cost of a collection can make the whole experience much more affordable.

We also offer monthly payment options for customers who would prefer to spread the cost.

And if you’re only looking for one or two favorite photographs, that’s absolutely fine, too.

We’d much rather you left happy with photographs you love than felt you had to buy more than you wanted.

Hopefully, we’ll have impressed you enough that you’ll come back for another photo shoot in the future.

Can I view my photographs online instead?

Absolutely.

Although we always recommend coming back to the studio for your viewing, we appreciate that isn’t always practical.

Some of our customers travel quite a distance to visit us in Cheltenham.

Others have busy work schedules or family commitments.

In those circumstances, we can arrange a personal online viewing appointment.

You’ll still have someone helping you choose your photographs, just as you would in the studio.

The advantage of visiting us in person is that you can see your photographs on the big screen and have a proper look at the different frame styles, finishes and sizes available.

But online viewings can be a really convenient alternative.

The only downside?

You’ll miss out on our lovely coffee, freshly made popcorn and rather generous biscuit barrel!

Choosing photographs should be enjoyable

When I started Two Front Teeth Photography, I wanted the whole experience to feel different.

Photography should be enjoyable.

From the moment you arrive for your photo shoot to the moment you see your photographs for the first time, we want you to feel relaxed and looked after.

Choosing photographs is an important part of that experience.

Because ultimately, you’re not just deciding which photographs look nicest today.

You’re choosing memories that you and your family may treasure for generations.

And that’s something worth taking a little time over.