Family Portrait Session

Frequently Asked Questions
Where should we have our family portraits done?
Regarding location, either you can pick a location or I’m happy to pick something for you; just let me know if you prefer a nature or urban look. I’m ok with traveling anywhere in the Buffalo / Rochester / WNY area with no additional travel charge. If you think something will work as a location, I’m sure it will, and can work with almost anything. For the winter months, it’s usually best to schedule family sessions at your home unless you and your family are the adventurous type. Regardless of location the photos should be about you as a family and that’s the focus of a family session regardless of background.
What’s the best time to have our portraits taken?

I like to schedule all portrait sessions 2 hours before sunset when possible in order to work with the best natural light. For an indoor session this isn’t as necessary, but often on family sessions in the home we’ll take a few shots outside. Other times in the day for an outdoor shoot are possible (morning after sunrise also has great light) so long as it’s not the middle of the day which generally has the most unflattering light to work with.

What should we wear?

My main suggestion is to stay away from patterns and logos. Also, an iron is a good thing…mid-tones and darks help with wrinkles and brighter / white tends to show wrinkles more. Making dramatic changes to your appearance prior to the shoot is not recommended – you might not like the change. Other than this, what you’d like to see in your photos following the session is what to where. Please know that I may ask you to sit on the ground, move around, etc. at one point or another if everyone’s comfortable with it.

What can we expect during the session?

To hang out while having some photographs taken of you all as a family. I usually start with a couple traditional / formal shots and then work some photojournalistic or posed creative photographs from there. Sounds simple and it should be…more than anything I’m trying to help everyone relax, be comfortable, have fun, and be themselves. With babies and kids I’m totally cool with taking breaks as needed! Also, just a heads up that for indoor sessions, I’ve been known to remodel people’s homes moving furniture, etc around the house, if needed. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Can I use the photographs taken during my photo session online / with social networking sites like facebook and instagram?
Yes! As a courtesy please provide credit when posting, this is how my business works 🙂
How much does a portrait session cost?

My portrait session fee is $650, ($325 deposit with contract + $325 due at or invoiced following the session). This covers the session itself (we typically work for one and a half hours), the edit work following the session, and a download of the full resolution digital images from the session along with a print release. A family session with me typically delivers around 50 edited images.

How do we print photographs from the session?
Following your session, you’ll receive information from me that further explains how to print through your gallery or from the digital images you receive on your own. The advantage to printing through the gallery is that you can be assured that your photographs are printed through a professional printing lab and that I review every order before it’s sent out for quality.
We're ready to book our session...
Excellent! Give me a call at 716.393.9303 or shoot me an email with a timeframe that your looking to schedule your session at andy@buscemiphotography.com. Please let me know if you have a location in mind or if you’d like me to choose something for you. I look forward to hearing from you!