Frequently Asked Questions
How many years of experience do you have?
Photography by Melissa has been open since December 2009. Before then, we loved and explored photography as a hobby.
What are your hours?
Photography by Melissa (PBM) is by appointment only so that we can offer each session our full attention. Our business hours are flexible but please keep in mind we book up quickly and usually far in advance, especially in the spring or fall/autumn season. Please contact us to see if the day and time you desire is available.
What style is your photography?
With us, you always get two photographers with every session, so we have a blend of several styles of photography. We love working with natural light and our available surroundings. We often blend lifestyle/candid shots with a photojournalistic approach. We try to stay away from overly posed sessions and try keep the poses limited so your session has a good mix of posed, candid and a photojournalistic feel.
However, we always discuss all of our client's wants/needs prior to their session or wedding day to make sure we understand the style of photography they desire and to ensure we capture everything they consider to be important details/moments. Pinterest is a great tool and we often urge our clients to get inspiration from there and discover what type of poses are more their style. This helps us in so many ways to better understand you as a client and how we need to better prepare for your wedding and/or session.
Will my photos be retouched?
Some photographers choose to only retouch images you order. With us, once a session is complete, we go through every single image taken and professionally retouch every "good" image from your session. Blurry images, images taken while you were talking etc. or any images that do not meet our quality standards will be deleted. Any images printed through us, using our professional lab, will include extensive retouching to ensure the best print quality.
If there is a specific concern or issue you are wanting retouched, such as acne, scars, bruises, cuts and scrapes etc.. please be sure to let us know and discuss this when you book your session.
What type of photography or sessions do you offer?
Photography by Melissa specializes in weddings, as well as engagement and bridal sessions. If our schedule is not full during wedding season we also offer portraits, maternity, family, children, newborn, birthday/smash cake and pet photography sessions.
Do you have backup equipment and are you insured?
YES and YES! We believe in being prepared as much as possible so we each bring plenty of backup equipment for those moments when "life happens".
How much does a session cost and what does it include?
The cost of a session depends on the type of session you need. For example, bridal sessions cost a little more than engagement sessions because extensive editing is involved, and usually those sessions are longer to allow for delicate posing to avoid getting your dress dirty. For wedding packages we ask for a 50% deposit fee of whichever wedding package you choose. This deposit fee is non-refundable and will reserve your day and time. All of our sessions include unlimited clothing changes within your allotted time frame, as well as unlimited poses.
There will also be a fee added if you require us to travel more than 20 miles from Mt. Pleasant/Concord. There are also some locations that charge a fee to use their venue/facility and location; if you choose to have your session at one of these locations you will be responsible for paying the additional fee. If you have more questions about pricing or would like a custom package to fit your wants/need please contact us.
How can I prepare for my session?
As your scheduled session date gets close we will contact you to discuss any and all details related to your session. We also urge all of our clients to scroll through Pinterest for inspiration and/or send us photos of locations they like. Seeing Pinterest photos you love and locations you like help us better understand your vision and style for your session. If you have specific poses you want or a specific theme to your photos we love discussing all of these details well in advance before your session so we are prepared. If you need any help with clothing suggestions or what we recommend please contact us.
For sessions with children try to bring along your child's favorite items, such as, a favorite blanket or favorite stuffed animal. This allows children to get comfortable with the session and, most of the time, the photos with these items turn out adorable.
Please make sure all clothing is wrinkle-free and bring along your makeup for touch-ups during longer photo sessions, especially bridal sessions. For sessions that include pets, please try to bring along their favorite treats to keep them interested, as well as their favorite toys.
Do you ever run any sales or specials?
Yes we do! We sometimes will run sales - especially around certain holidays. We sometimes offer discounted themed mini sessions at different times throughout the year (usually around holidays). We also currently have a wedding package special. To find out about all current specials please contact us.
Do you have a referral program?
Yes! We definitely appreciate any referrals sent our way! If you refer a bride and they book a wedding package with us we will send you a gift card to your favorite store/restaurant of up to $100 (details apply). Please make sure the bride mentions your name or make sure to contact us and let us know who you have referred to us. For more details about our referral program please contact us.
How long is the wait to see my photos?
We always edit sessions and weddings in order of when the photos were taken and we edit every image that meets our quality standards. We do not send our image files off to be edited by someone else and we do not batch process photos when we are editing. We edit each one individually so that they can look their best. Because of this and other factors, we never give an exact time frame on how long edit time will be.
We can give an approximate time frame but please contact us for those details, as that time frame will depend on our current schedule of sessions and weddings and if your session or wedding falls within our busy season. We can also offer rush editing if there is a specific deadline that needs to be met - please contact us for more details.