THE ATJ PROCESS
BEGIN WITH THE
END IN MIND
You know you need family portraits but what are you going to do with them? At ATJ we begin with the end in mind, which means, before we ever pick up a camera, we have a plan for where and how these photos will hang in your home or the story we want to tell in your family album. Do you have a tall, skinny spot above your fireplace? Let’s create an amazing iconic image to hang there. Perhaps you want to start a family gallery incorporating older images with the new portraits you are commissioning. We can make that happen. Are you moving soon or live in a house with no wall space? Telling your family’s story in a luxurious, custom-designed album lets you capture and preserve this stage of your children’s lives. Your unique needs and concerns will guide your one-on-one Design Consultation.
DESIGN CONSULTATION
Your Design Consultation kicks off the ATJ Process. We want the scoop on your family and kids. What are their personalities like? Who’s the dialed-in kid, who’s the rebel? Understanding your family dynamics allows us to capture their personalities and their relationships as they really are.
Your every question will be answered, including:
What types of clothing photograph best?
A full understanding of the investment you’ll be making?
What are the most suitable areas of your home for your family portraits?
And other burning questions such as whether or not to bring the family pet (the answer is, “yes!”)
WARDROBE COLLAB
You’ll leave your Design Consultation with a good idea of what everyone should wear. Between then and your Photo Shoot, we are available to consult about your outfits via phone, email, or zoom meeting. Together, we will finalize outfits at least one week prior to your shoot to allow plenty of time for last minute changes and dry cleaning.
PHOTO SHOOT
If you’ve had your family photographed in the past, you might remember that it can be the teeniest bit stressful. Dad’s not on board and the kids didn’t nap (or woke up cranky). Not to worry. As the mother of seven (that’s not a misprint) Allison is familiar with all types of kid shenanigans at every age and stage. If you can get them dressed and get to the studio, we will handle the rest.
WARNING: You may have to pry your kids out of the studio when the shoot is over because everyone will be having such a great time.
VIEW & ORDER APPOINTMENT
Approximately one week after your photo shoot, you will come to the studio for your View and Order appointment. Your View and Order appointment is the time set aside to finalize your portrait order, so be sure and schedule a time when both mom and dad can be there.
Using our state-of-the-art software and photos of the walls in your home, we will show your portraits scaled onto your walls, which solves the problem of what size to order; not too big, not too small, but just right!
We will guide you every step of the way using your goals from the consultation to achieve your vision for your family portraits.
DELIVERY & INSTALLATION
Most of our clients prefer to have their portraits delivered and installed in their homes. About 8-10 weeks after your order has been placed, your portraits will be delivered and installed in your home. This service eliminates the “a little to the left” fights between well-meaning husbands and micro-managing wives (or vice versa;). Let us handle the heavy lifting and hanging.
TAKE ALL THE CREDIT
The hard work is over. Your portraits adorn the walls of your home. Your family album has pride of place on your coffee table and your phone has blown up with texts about the fabulousness of your holiday cards. Sit back and take credit for creating those beautiful humans that are your children and enjoy seeing the people you love on the walls of your home. Every. Single. Day.
THE LONG TERM PLAN
You’re thrilled that your portraits are hung on your walls with care, but we both know that those kids will keep growing and changing, so what about next year, and the year after that?
Once you’re part of the ATJ Family, we help you create a vision for future sessions based on the ages and stages of your children AND the design vision for your home. Our pieces are curated to look good now AND be able to move throughout your home as we add to your family art collection over time. We work with you and your interior designer to make it perfect.
