Question 1

What does a custom session include?

Accepted Answer

You may expect the following from your custom session:

A photography appointment lasting from 45 minutes to two hours.
Sorting, retouching, and editing of photographic products at the photographer's discretion.
A portrait viewing and ordering appointment. You will view at least 30 images one-to three weeks following your session.
A custom session DOES NOT include digital images, prints or other products.
Your $400 deposit will be applied to your order.

Question 2

What happens after my session?

Accepted Answer

I am pleased to offer custom design consultation and in-person ordering for all session types. Following your session, we will set a date to get together at my studio to pick out just the right set of joy-inspiring portrait display items for you. Take a look at our video that describes the process:

Question 3

What if Missy needs to cancel your photo session?

Accepted Answer

Very rarely, Missy will need to cancel a photography session due to fire or other casualty, strike, act of God, another cause beyond the control of the parties, photographer's illness, or family emergency. If this occurs, Missy will make every effort to find a suitable replacement. If no qualified replacement is available, the client has the option of rescheduling the session without penalty or to receive a refund. If the session is part of a package, the client will be refunded a pro-rated amount for the cancelled session.

Question 4

What is a custom session?

Accepted Answer

A custom session is a full length photography session with me, and 90% of my shoots are custom session. Since they are custom, every session is totally different and designed just for you! We will work together to choose a location (studio, home, or outside), clothing, styling, activities, posed and/or more candid portraits, etc. Custom sessions are usually one family (Mom, Dad and kids), but it may include grandparents or pets. This may be a family session that is mostly focused on Mom during her pregnancy, it may focus on a group of siblings, or it may be a newborn baby with Mom, Dad and siblings. There are all different types of families, and I have many ideas and lots of experience with most situations! We will spend around 1-2 hours capturing your portraits, and you will have 30+ gorgeous images to choose from. Custom sessions include complementary hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling.

Question 5

What is a little session?

Accepted Answer

Little sessions are 30 minutes long and result in a collection of about 10 images. These work well for the following:

Families with one child
Baby or child portrait
Maternity session
Environmental headshot

These sessions take place in my studio or at a South Hills nature location on select dates. Little Sessions are not practical for families of more than three, or for sessions that need a little extra time -- newborns, seniors, pets, or multiple toddlers, for example.

Question 6

What is the difference between a headshot and a branding portrait?

Accepted Answer

A headshot will provide a picture of your head and shoulders only. This is best for your LinkedIn profile, your Website, or other purposes in which it's helpful to share your image and personality. We shoot these in our studio and use a simple, neutral background usually.

If you need something a little more specialized but don't have time for a location shoot right now, we offer a compositing service, which means that we can take your headshot in our studio and add your selection from our library of unique and interesting backgrounds after your shoot, using editing tools. We can even simply change the background from a neutral color to the color of your choice.

Headshot:

Headshot of Pittsburgh Physician

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/MN0dlYh75t/resources/u5FUy5vVZk/Headshot%2001.png (Headshot of Pittsburgh Physician)

Composited Headshot:

Composite image headshot

A branding portrait is suited for more involved shoots where you will need a full length portrait, an environmental portrait, or more extensive imagery for the purposes of personal branding or business. This type of shoot is best if you need anything more than a head and shoulders portrait in our studio. For example, you might want to shoot on-location outside or in your place of business. You might want lifestyle-type portraits of you doing your work. You may want to showcase interesting tools of the trade or equipment unique to you and your business. We have worked with everyone from physicians and lawyers to personal trainers, musicians, and real estate agents, and we love coming up with creative and commercially-viable imagery for our clients in their workplaces.

Branding portrait of a personal trainer:

Branding Portrait of a Personal Trainer

https://malcolm-en-gb.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/instances/MN0dlYh75t/resources/aJSkG6k9fg/Parker-020.jpg (Branding Portrait of a Personal Trainer)

Branding portrait of a Pittsburgh Executive:

Question 7

What is the pricing for a portrait session?

Accepted Answer

We serve a range of clients with different needs and budgets. Some want a smaller experience with a curated selection of image files and prints, and some want to be pampered with a full-length photo shoot experience, hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling, and custom portrait design & install.

The following will serve as a general guideline of what people spend when they work with me, though some clients spend outside of these ranges:

Custom Newborn & Family Session spending range is typically $1500-5000+.

Little Session (baby, child, milestone, maternity, headshot) spending range is typically $375-2000.

Once we get to know your needs and expectations, we will design a custom shoot just for you! As long as you are comfortable with the price ranges listed above, we can come up with something that works for you.

Question 8

What is your style?

Accepted Answer

My visual style is clean, simple, and timeless, and my shooting style is fun and active! Please see examples here of my style so that you will know what to expect from your images if you choose me as your photographer.

Question 9

What photography gear do you recommend for beginners?

Accepted Answer

I've compelled a list of some of my favorite gear below. I only promote products that I personally use or can recommend without hesitation.

CAMERA BODIES, LENSES, FLASH

MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

I am using the Sony A7RIII camera body with my canon prime lenses, as well as the Sony G-Master series 24-70 2.8 and Sony G-Master 70-200 2.8 zoom lenses.

I use the Profoto A1X Air TTL Sony flashes and am thrilled with their performance. Profoto also makes Nikon and Canon versions of this light.

Question 10

What printed products do you offer? Do you offer digital files?

Accepted Answer

Missy Timko Photography is a full-service portrait studio and will assist you with every step from styling to professional prints and even hanging your portraits in your home. Most of my clients hire me to create custom wall art and albums for their homes, and I include digital image files in some of my packages. I will help you to design the best products for your specific style at your in-person viewing and ordering session. I enourage all of my clients to design something printed so that they will have an archival piece of artwork to keep forever!

I certainly understand the need to share portraits with friends and family, so once you have purchased your collection of images, I can create digital products for you, such as a custom photo app that you may share and email to friends and family and for you to view any time.

Take a look at our design process here: