I bought a Groupon deal a few weeks ago for 49$ for an indoor one hour photo shoot that included a…read moreCD with all of the images from the shoot, and an 8 x 10 of my choice printed out. The groupon didn't expire until next year, but since I just had a baby I couldn't wait to cheese it up and take some family portraits for a potential Christmas card.
Before purchasing the groupon I had called to verify the details of the shoot. The owner explained the package and sounded nice on the phone so I went ahead and bought the Groupon. I called the next day and scheduled my appointment for Saturday October 27th, at 8AM.
That was the weekend that Hurricane Sandy was off the coast of Florida, and there was some really chilly weather. I was not worried though as I had booked an indoor shoot, which left me confused when I received a text message and a phone call from the owner saying that the shoot had been canceled due to the weather.
While on the phone with the owner he kept telling me that it was raining really bad and they needed to cancel the shoot...etc. I live near Winter Park, and their studio is in Casselberry and I told him over the phone that I was looking out my front door and it was not raining and just windy. I was starting to get really upset, and confused as to why they would cancel, when the owner probably hearing my distress finally asked me if I had booked an indoor or outdoor shoot. Apparently it was never noted on the appointment that mine was indoors at their studio, and not outdoors at Lake Eola (their other Groupon promotion at the time). He said we could go ahead and come in, but the appointment would be rescheduled for 9 AM.
I was not very happy with this as I have a newborn baby with me, and 9 AM was his feeding time (that's why I asked for 8 AM), but at this point I didn't care, and just wanted to get the pictures over with. Once we got to the studio things went smoothly, our photographer Sheila (pronounced Shay-la) arrived at about 8:55, and was fantastic with the baby and getting my husband and I to pose in more flattering positions. The studio did have quite a few props (i.e. chairs, benches, toys, etc), but I would assume if you want something special for the holidays you will need to bring it in (i.e. a pumpkin, ornament etc.).
At the end of our appointment the owner had time to burn our CD with all of the images off of the photographer's camera, and answered our questions about the 8x10. I also inquired about pricing to bring in my son on a monthly basis, and they said they would work out a deal for clients that came in that frequently (about 39$ per session, as opposed to the usual 49$).
Overall, my experience was really great. We checked the pictures when we got home and out of 110 pictures taken I chose about 25 shots that were good (where I look skinny and the baby is staring at the camera) that I could use to make some Christmas cards and a photobook on Shutterfly.
I will definitely be back again, and will request Sheila as my photographer! Their prices are incredible, and the fact that you get the CD with all of your images is great. Most photographers for a similar package will charge at least 300$ for this. However, in the future I will verify the details of the appointment the day before so there is no crazy morning-of drama.
**Also, gratuity is not included, and I am assuming the photographer works for a low wage. So bring some cash or a check for a tip. I completely forgot, and didn't do this, I feel really bad about it!
**Also these people do weddings, Quinces, and other on-location events.
*******Also, if you look at your contract when yo get to the studio, although you get a CD with all of your images, they still own the rights to them and can use it in their marketing. So if this bothers you, ask the owner about it.