Hi, a Senior's final year in high school consists of many new activities and decisions that need to be made. Here at Studio 518 Photography, we believe there are two important events in a person's life.
One is their senior portrait session and the other is their wedding day.
The process of picking a senior photographer can be difficult with the barrage of postcards and other marketing materials that flood snail mail during the early Spring months.
We want to make it easy for you to understand how the process of creating and ordering senior portraits works and have outlined three main areas below.
All of this may seem to be confusing with the many selections to choose from but we feel it is important to have choices available to you.
We request that any visit to Studio 518 be made by appointment.
Studio 518 tries to devote 100% of it's focus to each customer when they are here for a photo session, portrait order, etc. We are unable to achieve that goal when someone walks in the door without an appointment. Depending on the day, we may not be able to assist you in a timely manner. On some days we are taking outdoor portraits and no one is in the Studio.
Time is valuable and we wouldn't want you to make a trip here to see us and find out the Studio is closed.
There may also be a time when you are in the area and need to pick up an order or a proof book and don't have an appointment time set-up already. Please give a us a call to see if we are here.
We understand those "spur of the moment" runs and may be able to help you out. :)
Portrait Sessions & Sitting Fees:
We offer several types of portrait sessions.
A sitting fee is what you pay up front to have a portrait session here at Studio 518.
Sometimes the term "portrait session" gets confused with our packages. They are two separate things.
The portrait session comes first.
Once you see the photos from your portrait session, you can then put a package together when placing your order.
Sometimes, when looking at Packages, the words "pose" or "poses" gets confused with "clothing changes" or "outfits".
They are separate descriptions. Sitting fees are not applied to your portrait order.
Studio 518 offers multiple "clothing" or "outfit" changes in several of our Sessions. This means that your Senior can create a portrait session that has variety in it by changing clothing during the Session.
During a portrait session, every photo we take is considered a pose. Poses are used to put together your order. Note that some packages have several "poses" included in them.
The Yearbook Formal Session* (call for price)
This is also known as "the headshot" and is normally photographed with formal attire and has one clothing change (or outfit).
It is from this Session that the yearbook formal photo is selected. We will deliver that photo to your school yearbook editor.
For Seniors looking for more casual photos, we offer the following:
Indoor Session - $35.00*
Up to 1 hour - Up to 20 poses
(Includes a Yearbook Formal photo if needed)
Outdoor Session - $35.00*
Up to 1 hour - Up to 20 poses
(Includes a Yearbook Formal photo if needed)
Indoor and Outdoor Session together - $60.00* ($10.00 discount)
Up to 2 hours - Up to 40 poses
*All Session fees must have 6% Pa sales tax added to them.
*If you are 10 or more minutes late for your portrait session, we may have to reshcedule you.
In each of these Sessions the Senior has the option of having multiple clothing changes.
Those clothing changes are not formal attire but rather more casual and trendy styles.
A local historical mansion has given us exclusive permission to use their property for outdoor portraits. That is where we will take you for the outdoor part of your Session. In case of inclement weather or cloudy skies, we will gladly re-schedule your outdoor photo session.
Hi-Contrast Black & White photos are included in the Senior Special and the Indoor Session at no extra charge.
Check out our "Clothing Suggestions and Props" page in this website for more detailed info.
We accept Visa & MasterCard, checks or cash as payment for Sitting Fees and Order payments.
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Viewing Your Photos:
For customers who get the Yearbook Formal Session only:
We will provide you with an on-line photo album through this website to view your yearbook formals from home. Once your photos are uploaded, we will then send a note to the email address you provided to us with instructions on how to see your photos.
We cannot accept any photo selections over the phone.
We would not want to make an error on which photo you have chosen.
If there is a delay in selecting your photo, please let us know and we'll be glad to help out.
For Casual Sessions:
Since we are a 100% digital studio, we do not offer traditional 4x5 paper proofs for you to look at. In the past, paper proofs have taken up to 2 weeks to come back from the Lab.
Today, we will have an inkjet Proof Book ready for you in approximately 5 working days and will call you to make a pick-up appointment to take it home. Having the photos at home will allow you to make your portrait selections in a low-pressure environment.
This Proof Book contains a sign-out sheet, your edited photos, examples and pricing of our digital products plus a pricelist and worksheet to write order notes on.
Some of the photos we take of you will not be included in your Proof Book and are edited out by viewing them on our large computer monitors.
A non-refundable payment of $106.00 is required before the Proof Book leaves the studio. This payment will be applied to your portrait order.
To avoid any confusion about the ordering process we request that a parent or guardian be present when the Proof Book is picked up.
The sign-out sheet must be signed by someone eighteen years of age or older.
When the Proof Book goes home with you, we ask that you come back within thirty days prepared to place your order.
If you need the Proof Book for a longer period, let us know. :)
If there are problems with your portraits, please notify us within 48 hours of your portrait session.
We will re-take a portrait at no charge if we made a mistake with our lighting or focusing.
If the hairstyle or outfit you were wearing is not satisfactory, we will re-take those portraits at the same price as your original sitting fee.
Ordering:
All orders needed for Christmas delivery must be ordered by November 1st.
There is a minimum print order of $100.00 on orders.
We cannot accept orders over the phone for accuracy purposes.
If you only had a yearbook formal taken, ordering through the internet could be an option for you. Payment in that situation can be made via a check.
If you purchased one or both of our casual sessions we ask that you make an appointment to come to the studio and place your order.
Paying with a credit card can only be made by the card holder at the studio.
We cannot accept credit card numbers over the phone or through email.
When you arrive here for the order appointment, it should only take up to 30 minutes to place the order. If you have not decided on the actual photos to order from, that order appointment may take up to one hour.
Remember that $106.00 deposit?
That deposit will be deducted from your order total and then we will ask you to pay 50% of the remaining balance. The final balance is due when you pick-up your finished portraits.
If you have a split order (an example would be wallets getting printed before the rest of the order), the final balance must be paid when that first part of the order is picked up.
We will contact you to pick up the rest of the order when it arrives at the studio.
In a package, 5x7-sized portraits must be ordered in sets of 2. That means one pose only. You cannot split 5x7's into odd numbers in a package.
Add extra poses to any package for $20.00 per each pose added,
(does not apply to Wallets in a package).
All wallets have Studio518.net placed in the bottom corner.
What is a Unit?
Our packages are designed around the "Unit".
A Unit consists of either 2- 5x7s of the same pose or 1- 8x10.
By doing this, we can offer you a flexible way to design your portrait package.
Portrait Substitutions:
If a package doesn't quite fit what your needs are, consider re-arranging the sizes of the photos it contains.
Make changes to your Package in the following ways:
1- 16x20 could equal 1-11x14 & 1- 8x10
1- 11x14 could equal 2- 8x10s or 4- 5x7s
1- 8x10 equals 2- 5x7
These substitutions can be figured in reverse.
Orders can take up to 6 weeks from the date you place your order.
Most orders come back from the Lab in less time.
Please keep this in mind if you have a deadline for your portraits.
When your order is ready to be picked up:
When your order arrives here at the studio from our photo lab, we go over the order for accuracy and proper color rendition.
We will then call you to set-up a time to come in and pick up your portraits.
Your final balance is due at that time.
If there is a need for any portraits to be reprinted from your order, please notify us within 48 hours of taking your finished portrait order home with you.
An order being returned for reasons other than any fault by Studio 518 may be subject to a 50% re-stocking fee.
Any order not picked up in 30 days from the time the order was available for pick up, may be subject to having 10% of the order balance added to the final balance as a storage fee. This will apply for each month we store that order here at Studio 518 beyond the date that the order arrived at Studio 518.
For example, if your order balance is $300.00, the storage fee would be $31.80 with Pa Sales Tax added onto it after the first 30 days. This will now increase the balance you owe to $331.80.
Unfortunately, there are some customers who do not return our calls and/or emails and we are forced to implement this new policy.
Please read through our pricelist for more information.
If you have more questions, don't hesitate to call or email us.
Thanks from the Staff at Studio 518 Photography
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