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Liz Viernes Photography is a lifestyle photographer based near Silver Spring, MD
Photography
My first 9 years in nursing was on the maternal-child unit at Howard County General Hospital where I took care of postpartum moms and newborn babies. I LOVED it and that's where my passion for moms and babies came about. One of the best things about nursing is the flexibility of it which allows me to focus on my other passion - photography. You can be assured that you and your baby will be in the best hands possible if you choose to hire me!
Would it surprise you to learn that I'm a registered nurse?
why choose me?
the details
After you've had a chance to look over my website, reach out! You can use the contact form at the bottom of this page and I will respond shortly. We'll schedule a consultation phone call to talk about all details of your photo session and then I'll send you my questionnaire, which will gather some basic information from you. At this point, go ahead and give me a follow on social media as well.
Initial Inquiry
Once we've chatted and you've decided that I'm the photographer for you, we'll choose a date for your session. I'll email the session fee invoice and the contract. Once I have the session fee and the signed contract back from you, I will officially reserve your time slot on my calendar and then the countdown to your session begins!
Ready to Book?
Photos are a big deal! Maternity clients may decide to book a hair and make-up artist and buy a new outfit. I'm happy to help with suggestions on what to wear (you can even search for the blog post I wrote on that very subject) and feel free to email or text me photos of what you have in mind. Make sure that outfits are light-colored and neutral, coordinated not matching - the goal is timeless and classic. If you've booked a newborn session, I'll send a prep email in the days leading up to the session so you'll have everything that you need to know at your fingertips!
Prepping For Your Shoot
On the day of the session, RELAX! Know that you are in good hands with me because my top priority is to deliver you high quality, timeless images that you will love for years to come. I promise we'll have fun at your session - if things go my way, we'll be best friends before it's halfway over. Count on laughter and silliness as I guide you in lifestyle posing that will look effortless and natural on camera. If you leave saying, "that was way easier than I thought it would be...!" then I've done my job.
Your Session Day
After your session, pat yourself on the back for a job well done and then settle in for the long wait. Just kidding. My goal is to have your proof gallery available for viewing within two weeks. I'll probably text you screenshots as I work because we're best friends by now and because I hate to squeal by myself. Those will serve as your "sneak peek" and will hopefully whet your appetite for what's to come. Once you have your proof gallery (in the form of a slideshow), you'll have 24 hours to look over your images and decide on which collection you'd like to purchase. My goal is to make this a REALLY hard decision (wink).
Delivery of Images
from inquiry to delivery
the process
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY?
Lifestyle photography aims to capture the genuine, candid moments that occur when clients are not saying "cheeeeeese" at the camera. My goal is to document the REAL, to freeze authentic, natural expressions and create actual memories of the "in-between" times. That's not to say that I'm going to leave you alone to figure out what to do...nope! Most people aren't that comfortable in front of the camera. I will absolutely be directlng you and giving instruction every step of the way. Trust that there will be no frozen, stiff smiles in your gallery. I promise.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?
My style is light, airy, timeless photography. To that end, I will strongly suggest that you dress in light, neutral complementary colors (think white, cream, mint, light pink, light gray). Ladies, if you show up wearing a long, flowy dress, I will dance with joy. Guys should adhere to the same light color scheme. The lighter you go, the easier it will be to deliver the quality and style for which you have chosen me.
WHY DON’T YOU RELEASE ALL OF THE PHOTOS YOU TAKE?
I will take many more photos than I will deliver. For that reason, I cull repeats, blurred images, closed eyes, goofy expressions, etc. Too large of a gallery with too many of the same poses gets confusing when it comes time to choose a final package. My goal is to make things less confusing and only deliver the best of the best. The images that make up your final gallery will be ones that I would choose if it were my own family.
DO YOU EDIT THE PHOTOS?
I absolutely edit the photos. I only deliver edited jpeg images and will never release the RAW files under any circumstances...so no need to ask :) The only time I'd release an "unedited" photo would be if, for time constraints, I soft -proofed a gallery (corrected for color and exposure) for a client who needed major, time-consuming edits but would only be choosing a handful of files. That way my time is maximized and I only fully edit the images that you choose.
IS STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE?
Yes! My in-home basement studio, which opened in the winter of 2020, accommodates posed newborns, six to eight month sitters and one year cake smash events! The studio features a boho chic bed setup and an all white floor space with white curtains on three sides. The space is perfect for neutral, timeless photos that highlight your most precious family member.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY PHOTOS?
My goal is to deliver your gallery within 2-3 weeks. If, for some reason, it will be longer, I will communicate this to you accordingly.
WHAT IF I NEED TO RESCHEDULE MY APPOINTMENT?
If the session needs to be rescheduled due to weather or illness, I am flexible and will work with you to select a new date. Other reasons will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY APPOINTMENT?
Cancellations will forfeit the non-refundable session fee.
HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I RECEIVE?
It's hard to promise a set amount of images because every session is different. However, for a full session, I can guarantee a minimum of twenty (20) images.
WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT I PRINT THROUGH A PROFESSIONAL LAB?
This is a soap-box issue for me. I never recommend that my clients use a walk-in, one-hour type of photo printing place. The quality is just not up to my (or any professional's) standards and you are not guaranteed that what you saw on your screen in your digital gallery will be what you receive when you get your order. When you go with one of those places, you basically get an untrained worker pushing a button with no guarantee of quality whatsoever. On the other hand, if you choose to print through a professional lab, you'll get a trained technician overseeing the job, monitoring the process, analyzing each batch, regularly maintaining the machines, checking the print quality and catching any problems before the product makes its way to you. You just spent a lot of money to have the pictures taken...shouldn't you exercise the same care in getting the final product up on your wall??
WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD WE SCHEDULE THE SHOOT?
I like to shoot within the first two hours after sunrise, the last two hours before sunset OR on any cloudy day ever. The lighting at these times is soft and flattering and designed to make your photographer squeal with joy. Depending on the location we choose (beach vs heavily shaded), these times can be tweaked but we can discuss those details in your pre-session phone call.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE LOCATIONS TO SHOOT?
I've been doing this for awhile and I have cultivated a list of places that I love to shoot (and I almost always have a running list of places I'd love to try out for the first time so if you're up for something new, feel free to ask me what's at the top of that list!). In our getting-to-know-you phone call, I'll ask you what your vision is for the session and then we'll narrow down the field of possible locations until we've decided on the perfect spot for you!