We don't think you should need an Accounting degree to figure out what it costs to buy Senior Pictures from us.  We've tried to keep our pricing simple and straightforward so that it's easy to know what you'll pay and what you'll get.

We've included some things we know you'll want as part of the shoot package, regardless of which one you select.  For example, you'll get a private online gallery of your student's pictures that you and your family can use to order products.  You'll also get a free low-res download of the entire gallery suitable for social media sharing (today's equivalent of wallet photos).

But, most important, every package includes a credit or coupon to use toward purchasing products of your choice.  That means you can potentially get everything you want for just the price of the shoot package.

Of course, the real value of Senior Pictures is not just in the pictures, themselves, but in the products you and your family get to display.  We offer a full range of digital downloads, wall art, memorabilia and specialty products (e.g. albums, signs, banners, invitations) that you can purchase directly from the online gallery or as part of an in-person sales consultation (if part of the package).

And one more thing: the shoot package price is what you pay.  It covers sales tax, credit card fees, copyright filing fees - the whole nine yards.  We don't even charge extra for things like wardrobe changes.  We want to give you as much price certainty as we can.

(Just to warn you, there's one exception.  If you choose a venue for an on-location photo shoot that charges a fee, you'll be responsible to pay for it.  Sorry!)

We know how expensive things get when you're the parent of a high school senior, so we don't expect you to pay us all at once.  We've broken your package cost down into pieces, and we'll bill you separately for each one, at the right time. 

You'll need to pay an initial deposit at the time you book your Senior Picture package.  This locks in the time scheduled for your first shoot and your package pricing (including any discount).

The amount of the deposit depends on the type of package you book.

Budget-friendly package - $75

High-value package - $150

(These are the base package deposit amounts.  Any package discount will be applied to your deposit, at the time of booking.)

We'll bill you for each of the shoots in your package, separately.  Your shoot payment is due 2 weeks before the scheduled shoot date, according to the following schedule:

First shoot - $175

Second shoot (if applicable) - $150

Subsequent shoots (if applicable) - $125 apiece

(These are the base per-shoot costs.  Any package discount will be applied to your per-shoot bill, at the time the shoot is booked.)

We've intentionally focused our Senior Pictures business on schools within roughly 15 minutes of our office, specifically so that we don't have to charge our clients for mileage.  However, if you choose a venue for an on-location shoot well outside this range, it may be necessary to do so.  We'll discuss that with you before we schedule the shoot.

We'll notify you by email, with a link to your invoice, when your shoot payment is coming due.  To make sure you don't miss your shoot, we'll stay in touch to and past your due date, if we don't receive your payment.

Just as importantly, we provide you access to your full invoice and payment history on your client portal, so you can make sure that we accurately record all the payments you make.

Like most of you, we've gotten used to buying things online.  And for a small business like us, there are lots of advantages to handling payments that way.  For example, online payments are automatically associated with your account or order, so there's no chance that we'll forget to credit you for a payment you make.

With that in mind, our online booking and gallery store offer full online payment capabilities, supporting major credit cards and PayPal.

But not everyone feels comfortable making purchases that way, so we're also fully equipped to handle in-person payments, including cash, personal checks and card swipes.

Coming to the photography business from a consulting background, we aim to be both professional and personal for our clients.  We want to make sure that we're easy to work with and that you can be confident in the outcome.

We want to give you every opportunity to get comfortable with us before you buy, so we offer a preliminary consultation to talk through any questions you have.  We're available to meet in person, via video call or on the phone.  Our online scheduling makes it a snap to arrange a time that fits your schedule.

If you like what you hear, we can zero in on a package and first shoot date that fit your needs.

We schedule each of the photo shoots in your package with you, individually.  We can do this all at once, as part of your initial booking, or over time, as each shoot is completed.

Once we've agreed on a shoot date, we'll send you an invitation to complete the booking process online, in a matter of minutes.  You can:

Review and sign your shoot contract

View your shoot invoice

Pay your package deposit (for the initial shoot)

As our customer, you'll get access to a private online client portal.  This is the central place to find all of the information for your relationship with us.

You'll have access to your shoots, contracts, scheduled dates, invoices and galleries.  It's also the jumping off point to update your contact info, make package payments and access the online store.

Preparation is key to a good photo shoot.  We do our homework by collaborating with you before each shoot to understand:

Your student's personality and interests

Details of the venue (for on-location shoots)

The student's wardrobe

Preferred shots

Necessary props

Special considerations

Depending on the package you purchase, we offer an in-person sales consultation to help you sort through all of the available products and options.  This can be a great way to:

Zero in on your favorite pictures

Identify exciting products

Visualize wall art in a room

Discuss design options for specialty products

You can receive your products in one of two ways:

In-person pickup - Products are shipped to us for you to pickup.  This allows us to perform a quality check on the products, making us responsible to work with the photo lab if there are any problems.  This is a no-cost option.

Direct shipping - You can have some products shipped direct to you (or a family member) by our photo lab.  We use a highly-reputable lab who will work with you to resolve any issues.  You will be responsible for the cost of shipping.

We'd love to promise your Senior Pictures will go without a hitch, but, since you've got a high school senior, you know that life happens.  Schedules change, the weather won't cooperate, there are bad hair days.  You need to be comfortable that you can count on us even when things don't go according to plan.

We're as committed to keeping our existing clients satisfied as we are to attracting new ones.  For us, that means:

When something goes wrong, we won't ghost you.

We'll collaborate to find solutions that work for you.

We're prepared to be flexible.

If we screw up, we'll own it and work to set it right.

It's important to start out in agreement on the available options to handle the most common problems that may come up, so we've covered them in the contract.  Please review the fine print (not really) before signing, to be sure you're comfortable with what we offer.

We've summarized some of the key provisions, below, for your convenience.  Just be aware that the contract language takes precedence over whatever we say here.

We understand what life is like when you have a senior in the house, so you won't be penalized if you need to reschedule a consultation or shoot.

While we're glad to make rescheduling free, we do ask that you get in touch with us as soon as possible to let us know that a change is needed.  Also, bear in mind, that we can't guarantee that any particular time will be available when you reschedule. 

Although we work really hard to give you a great photo shoot experience, we know there's always the possibility that the pictures won't turn out the way you hoped. 

Because we want you to be fully satisfied, we do offer free retakes.  Understand, though, that you'll have to pick which pictures you want to keep (the original shoot or the retake).  You won't receive both.

As we said, we really want you to be a satisfied client, so we'd like cancellation to be a last resort.  If it does become necessary, however, here's how we'll handle it.

If you've already paid us for a shoot that's canceled, we'll refund the amount you've paid for that shoot.

If you cancel within two weeks of the initial booking date (and no shoot has been held), we'll refund your package deposit.

If you cancel after the two week grace period but before your first shoot, we'll try to schedule another client for that shoot time.  If we're able to do so, we'll refund your deposit.

Be aware that cancelling a shoot ends your shoot package and any associated discount.  Pictures from prior shoots will still be available for purchase through your client portal.