Pick a time when you and your group will look and feel the best.
Early mornings are the way to go if you want to steer clear of any crowded areas. While it may be tough to wake up early, your photos will have that magical look of just you in your photos, and no one else. Plus, you’ve got your whole day ahead of you!
The Golden hour/the magic hour: it is the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour of light before sunset.The sun is low in the sky at these times, producing a soft, diffused light that is much more flattering than the harsh rays of the midday sun.
Midday between 11 am and 2 pm is generally the worst time of day to shoot, as the sun can create harsh shadows and squinted eyes.
Sometimes clouds are Your Friends. Clouds will offer soft filtered light. If it’s your shoot week and clouds or a shower is in the forecast, fear not! I love taking photos with clouds and under umbrellas (which make for great props!) Don’t fret if it turns out to be a cloudy or even a rainy day. I’m equipped for any situation and know how to capture the best photos no matter what Mother Nature has in store!
Showcase Your Personality: I want to capture YOU! Wear something that you feel comfortable and confident in. Be true to your personal style so that your best self can shine through in the photos.
For Beach Photos: All white never fails. I recommend white dresses, white polo shirts, and white linen for your beach photoshoot apparel. A white wardrobe looks beautiful against the colors of the sand, water, and sky at the beach.
Bright and bold: For those looking for photos with a bit more pop, try dressing in bright yellows, teals, or tangerine! These bolder colors simply scream summer fun, sunshine, and smiles.
Bring as many outfits as you like. I can help you pick.
Picking clothes is great, but don’t forget the shoes. Nothing kills a great photo like a bad pair of shoes.
For Families: For starter, pick a few colors. Go above and beyond and try to use different tones, like blue, earth, neutrals, pastels, and so on. That way, it’ll be much easier for the whole family to express their own style, but within the chosen color palette. The end result is that the whole group will coordinate beautifully. Pick a color combination for your family to work within. I don’t want everyone to match perfectly or wear nothing but a single color, but I also don’t want everyone to wear different colors and patterns. When having no idea what colors to wear for photos, wearing any combination of cream, grey, and tan, always looks good in almost every setting. Those softer, neutral colors provide more focus for the people posing in the photos. If you have small children, I highly suggest bringing a back up outfit. Accidents can happen and it’s best to be prepared!
It’s also good to think about what you plan to do with your images. Will you be displaying them on a wall in your house? Perhaps then you’d like to compliment the colour palette in your home.
If you are coming with small children I suggest bringing a package of wipes. You may need to wipe some crusties off or a dirty face after a snack. Also think what could make for a nice prop to play around during the session. Interaction with an item will help loosen them up and make the session more enjoyable.
Let’s face it, snacks are king when it comes to little kids. Some snacks are better than others. Try and select snacks that aren’t messy or sticky such as: goldfish crackers, plain biscuits, cheese cubes, dried fruit. Leave the lollipops, chocolate and anything that takes a long time to eat until after your session.
I always suggest you bring a brush and extra hair ties. Sometimes it can be windy and if you or you kids have long hair, you may decide you want it out of your face.
Bring extra powder and lipstick if you think you may need a touch up. This is especially important on a hot, sunny evening.
Always have a tissue or towel with you to keep your face free from sweat.
Bring some props: If you’re particularly nervous or shy about having your photos taken, photo props can be a great way to distract you!
For Families: Bring an activity that you enjoy doing together as a family. This gives you something to do with your hands and feet, engages the little ones, and brings an authentic smile to your face. Do you love to read together? Bring some books. Is your favorite dessert ice cream? Bring some ice cream bars or drumsticks to your session. Love to play board games or cards? Plan to play a round of Uno or Monopoly during your family photo session. Other ideas include: football, piggy back rides, races, bike riding, hiking, singing, picnics, the ideas are endless. When families are engaged in doing something that they love together, I will have the opportunity to take some beautiful and authentic photographs.
Most Importantly: HAVE FUN. Joyous and happy photos come from the source – your energy. Have fun, be silly, and don’t be afraid to dance and laugh and jump. You can wear the most beautiful outfit, but if you aren’t having a good time it will show in the photos.
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Your session will take place outdoor on location of your choice.
I offer 45 and 90 minutes photo sessions. If you want to have a bigger variety on different locations to shoot, or if you want to change clothing several times, I recommend to book a 90 minutes photo session. You can always extend your sessions for 15/30/45/60… minutes. I charge $50 for every additional 15 minutes.
I will give you cues and prompts so that I can capture natural moments between everyone. Don’t worry, I will never leave you hanging! For sure we will try to get a few images of everyone looking happy at the camera, but I will also be guiding you to interact with each other so that the magic can really be captured! Be playful with your kids, tickle them, give lots of hugs, laugh! I love capturing these moments.
Let your kids be themselves. Every child is different. Some are slower to warm up, while others are a ball of energy. However your child shows up is OK! I promise. Let go of any worries about them acting wild or misbehaving and do your best to just go with the flow. I find sessions go best when parents allow me to direct their kids and follow my prompts and directions. When parents focus on interacting with their kids, rather than telling them what to do or not do, kids are happier and more relaxed and this results in images that parents love. If your child wants to wander and pick up a pretty leaf off the ground, let him. But if your toddler just wants to be in your arms, that’s okay too. I’ll capture her sweet cuddles with you.
Expect the unexpected. This may be the hardest tip to embrace. But I think it’s one of the most important tips to a successful family photo session. I get it. You want everything to be perfect. I do too! But the truth is that no matter how carefully we plan, we can’t control how everything will go. Kids and babies have off days, even when they’ve been fed and are well-rested. Maybe little Jack just doesn’t feel like looking or smiling at the camera. When this happens, some parents get overly anxious and start to issue commands to their kids to “smile, or else….” Kids pick up on this so quickly. Trust me. This will NEVER lead to happy smiles. The best thing you can do when this happens is to take a deep breath and trust me to see and capture the beauty in your family’s moments.
Focus on your why. Why did you book your family photo session? Was it to get family photos for a vacation card? Sure, that might be one reason, but hopefully it’s not your main reason. If you’ve chosen me to photograph your family, you’re NOT looking for stiff smiles or perfect Pinterest poses that aren’t true to who you are as family. You want photos that capture your family’s love and connection and essence. You want images that will evoke emotion, and trigger a memory of how life in that moment felt. You want photos that will become family heirlooms. So remember that when little Johnny starts to cry and try not to stress. Close your eyes and let your baby bury his head against you. Remember that those tender moments of motherhood are worth capturing too, not just the wide-eyed joyful ones. As your photographer, I’ll capture all of the emotions–whether it’s you and your family giggling or your husband comforting your crying baby. Because those moments reflect your family and tell your story.
Look at your kids, smile at your spouse. Yes. I mean really look at them. Breathe them in like the first time your baby was placed in your arms. Hug them and kiss them. Think of how much you love them, even if they’re not cooperating. In fact, even when they’re not cooperating, keep smiling. When parents’ eyes are on their children, they give the most natural, relaxed and beautiful smiles. I cherish these types of images the most and I hope you will too because they portray your family’s connection and love. Remember, not everyone has to be looking at the camera at the same time in every image. In fact, if you’ve hired me for a lifestyle family session, you know this is not the goal of your session. The goal is to interact with your loved ones.
Relax and have fun. You got your family dressed and ready and arrived on time for your session. Congratulations! I know it isn’t easy. Now it’s time to relax, have fun and enjoy spending time with your loved ones. Let me do all the work. Hey, that’s why you hired me. I’ll handle all the directing and if your toddler needs some time to run around, no problem. I’ll capture a few shots of you and your spouse. I find that giving kids a few moments to explore, while I focus on other family members often makes them want to be part of the picture. I’ll guide you into genuine interactions with your family. You’ll snuggle, hold hands, laugh, play, give hugs and kisses, and tickle your children. I’ll show you that your children and your family are beautiful, just as you are!
Use the contact form on my website and request an appointment. If you prefer to do things the old fashioned way, you can also call, text or email me. All of the relevant contact information is located on the contact page.
What is the turnaround time on photos and videos? - After the session, I will prepare the photos for you to make your selection (the photos are not edited in detail yet). This will usually take 2-3 days. I will inform you before, if it will take longer. After you selected the photos you want to purchase I will edit all details. This will take another 2-3 days.
- Your photos will be sent to your email/messenger/What’s App and delivered digitally via a Dropbox link. I will optimize your images for online uses and basic print solutions. The downloadable link has an expiry date of 14 days. If you need more time, please advise me.
A 50% deposit is required to confirm any booking of Tanja Mikolcic Photography. Dates will only be secured upon receipt of the deposit. You may pay deposits via Bank transfer, PayPal (+5% fees) or in Cash (if applicable). Balance is due the day of the session; All prices listed on any of my marketing materials or my website are before 21% IVA tax issued by law in Spain. Prices are not final and are subject to change. Prices do not include prints. I will send all files digitally. Payments in USD or any other currency according to the current exchange rate. (Please check Google.) No images will be released until final balance is paid in full.
- Contact me within 48 hours of paying your deposit for your photography session for a full refund of your deposit. After 48 hours there is no deposit refund since I am reserving the date and time for you and blocking my calendar, booking Airbnbs and travel tickets… Rescheduling may apply. Contact me. No shows will result in deposit loss, and if you wish to reschedule you will need to repay the original deposit. Understand that there are processing fees for every transaction that you forfeit when you request a refund.
- Tanja Mikolcic Photography is the author of all images made hereunder and as provided for. Tanja Mikolcic Photography shall retain the copyrights in perpetuity, regardless of possession or ownership of photographs, digital files or any other format of reproduction. The Client is prohibited from altering the photographs in any way. This includes but is not limited to: cropping, converting color or any other means of changing the original artwork. Upon final payment by the Client(s), limited copyright ownership of the resulting images will be transferred to the Client(s) under the following conditions:
- The photographs are the property of Client for personal use and for the purposes of the reproduction and giving of photographs to friends and relatives. Any photographs uploaded online will be clearly and distinctly attribute credit to „Tanja Mikolcic Photography”.
- The Client(s) must obtain written permission from and compensate Tanja Mikolcic prior to the Client(s) or its friends and relatives publishing or selling the photographs for profit.
- The Client(s) hereby grants to Tanja Mikolcic Photography the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish photographs of the Client or in which the Client may be included, for editorial, trade, advertising and any other purpose and in any manner and medium; to alter the same without restriction; and to copyright the same. The Client hereby releases Tanja Mikolcic Photography from all claims and liability relating to said photographs.
- Due to the unique and custom nature of the service and products offered, no refunds are available once images have been approved and delivered.
Tanja Mikolcic Photography is a one-woman show. I do everything by myself. I am responding to your emails, taking the photos, traveling, and editing, all while doing it with a quick turnaround time. I can communicate with you in German (my origin), English (preferred) and Spanish (I might not understand every word). I am equipped with all the professional equipment required to complete any of my services. I am located in Málaga, Spain. I am a passionate traveller and I am available from March to October all over Spain.From November to February I’m available all over Costa Rica, Panama (Bocas del Toro), Mexico (Mexico City, Playa del Carmen), Guatemala (Guatemala City, Antigua, Lake Atitlan) and I’m all year available for worldwide bookings.
- All photos that you receive as Preview photos can be purchased. Please check the price for additional photos on my price list.
- No. All delivered photos will be always edited. If you are planning an event it might be possible to receive a version of light edited photos for a package price. This is ONLY available for event photos and not for any other sort of photography offered. Please reach out for this BEFORE the photo shoot to talk with me directly about this.