For outdoor portrait sessions, late afternoons are the best. In photography we refer to the few hours before sunset as the golden hours or “magic hours”. In the winter, you can shoot almost anytime of day, because the sun is so low in the sky and the snow (if present) can act as a big soft reflector. Also, if it is overcast day – the light is flattering all day. Studio sessions can be scheduled anytime after noon.

A minimum of 2 weeks, recommended is 3 weeks. I generally book weeks and sometimes months in advance as it is never too early to sign up for a session (especially for busy seasons like summer or for newborn sessions). If you have a desired date in mind, please be sure to book as early as possible to secure that date.

Accepted forms of payments are: Email Money Transfer (EMT), Cheques (1 week delay), Cash or PayPal (Paypal fees applicable).

Session may take place Downtown or North York. You have a selection of beautiful backdrops ranging from the Lakeshore, the Lake, Park, Buildings, CNE grounds and much more.

Yes, all clients are required to sign a contract with Sin-Design & Photography prior to Session.

The baby bump get nice and big around the 7th or 8th month and yet you are still comfortable to enjoy a great shoot! This is the ideal time to book your pregnancy photography session. As babies tend to run on their own timeline, it’s probably best not to leave it much later.

The best time to photograph a newborn is between 6-10 days after birth. Ideally this requires the Dad or Mom to schedule the session as soon as the baby is born (or days before due date) to ensure date availability.

Since the session is all about your family doing normal activities and having a good time together, I keep the atmosphere light and all focus on making things fun. During our consultation, you can tell me about your kids and we’ll plan the session around what they’ll enjoy. I’ll also send some ideas to keep in mind, and we’ll be sure to go over any specific concerns you may have in our consultation before the shoot.

I love to shoot couples in love and engagement sessions but at the moment I do not offer wedding photography services. However I’d be happy to refer you some talented colleagues in the field who do specialize in Wedding Photography.

No, however if you wish to hire a professional make up artist for the shoot, I can certainly recommend someone for you. Alternatively you can also schedule a makeup session with popular makeup retailers such as MAC or Sephora. They offer free make up application with a minimum purchase. See those stores for details.

Absolutely! Pets can be a big part of our lives and so including your pets in your session is a great idea. I suggest bringing treats and toys for easy management on the shoot. I also suggest to bring a friend or relative who can watch your pet while not being photographed so you aren’t distracted or stressed during the session.

Many reasons! I get to learn more about you and listen to what you would like to do with your session. Every session is beautifully unique, as are the people in it. So by learning more about you I can create the ultimate photography experience that’s catered to your unique goals. Some of the things we may discuss are: the purpose of these photographs, what you’d like to do with the photos (whether you need digital files or prints), best wardrobe selection, colour influences (if the pictures are to be printed and placed in specific home decor), location, date and time. We’ll also go over any questions or concerns you may have. And finally, I will happily share tips and tricks to make the session fun and stress-free.

Typically, the post-production phase of photography takes longer than the actual session because it includes the careful culling of images, editing, color correction of each image and so much more. Why? Because being a perfectionist, I expect the work that you receive to be just right.

The short answer: Sessions last up to one or two hours (depending on the photography package), and we can use that time however you wish. The real answer depends entirely on your goals. These photos are about who you are and how you want to be photographed. During a family shoot, it’s ultimately your interactions with your family and the genuine expressions that will make you treasure an image, not so much what you’re wearing or where you’re standing.

If you’re shooting for headshots, your goals may be different and require different background or looks (casual vs professional business attire).

In our consultation, we’ll discuss what “look” you’re after for the shoot and the goals for your shoot. This approach allows you to relax into the session and enjoy yourself while I create a wide variety of images. Depending on your goals for the session, a change or two may be in order, but the more changes you make, the less time we have to simply interact and have fun. The best photographs are created when you’re having a great time and not worrying about what’s happening next.

I know that life can get crazy and that sickness might creep up on you. Please try to contact me at least 48 hours in advance in the event that you need to reschedule. We will find a time for you! If notice is not given within 48 hours, you will forfeit the session fee (deposit).

Once your session fees are received, I turn down any other sessions for that time/date. The session fee guarantees that your booked time is held exclusively for you. For this reason, if your photo session has to be cancelled, your session fee is non-refundable. If any other payments have been made above and beyond the deposit, those will be refunded to you.
In the event of inclement weather or emergency, I maintain the right to reschedule.

I want you to enjoy your photographs. To help you have the best photographs in the best format, I ensure not to “rush” the job so I can offer the best of my abilities in culling and editing your photographs. Rest be assured, I will contact you as soon as it’s ready.

You will then receive a private proof gallery that will be up for a week. You will be able to see the pictures that were culled and edited from your session. There will be no ‘hard sell’ ~ I let the images and products sell themselves! You can order during this week with the incentive and there is a 10% OFF discount on the purchase of the CD of all edited photos, should you wish to place your order at this time. Please note that full payment is required for all digital and print purchases.

The exact number of images that make it from my camera to your proof gallery will vary. I take many photos during the session, and afterwards I select the very best to edit. The final proof gallery you see contains all the culled images from the session. The individual images you purchase will then retouched by hand to correct anything you need to fix, retouch for a flawless print/digital file. Every image you will see represents the best of the session. Overall, I don’t shoot simply for volume of photos, I shoot so that you will get highest quality of images that you can hang it on your wall with pride or display as a profile photo. People who commission images from me are not expecting to hire a person who can mindlessly click through the entire session and hand over all photos, instead they value my carefully crafted work and trust my eye to create and select the best for them.

No matter how many images are created, I find that my clients consistently seem to have ten to twenty absolute “favourites” that they want to print and use frequently. Depending on the package you select, for most sessions I guarantee 50 images by contract, though many people end up with 70+ to choose from.

High Resolution means the image has more “dots per inch” (dpi), and the photo or image can be decreased to any appropriate size, and the image will still look exactly the same without the image looking too pixelated and fuzzy. High Res images are usually meant for printing.

Low Resolution mean the image has a lower “dots per inch” (dpi). Because of space and time, most images on the web are at 72 dpi. Having a lower resolution means less download time for smaller photo/images. While high Resolution photos/images are LARGER, and takes a longer time to download.

The process of Editing images involves culling the images from the session, removing photos are that unusable (like blurry, out of focus, blinking eyes, etc). The images are then put through a series of tasks if needed – some of which are straightening, cropping, exposure correction, adjusting temperature, white balance and saturation. I do this manually which allows me to make these adjustments to each individual image as I see fit and is something I can proudly show to the client. Unedited raw files or SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) files are never delivered to the client.

The process of Retouching can be Basic or Extensive – it all depends on what the situation calls for. Basic retouching includes further adjusting exposure, removing blemishes, decreasing the severity/removing under-eye circles, or removing distracting elements from the background. Extensive Retouching can involve anything from adjusting misaligned tie, removing harsh shadows, removing fly away hair, “slimming”, etc. Retouching is offered as a FREE service to any digital file purchase. You also receive 3 Retouched Images of your choice as part of the full High-Res CD purchase. Additional images can be Retouched for a small fee. Please inquire for rates.

See example below for a better understanding.

See below for animation of the before/after.

I do EDIT each image individually to make sure the color, saturation, and lighting are true, also to polish and enhance what is already a great photograph to begin with. However I do not retouch all photos. Retouching is a much more labor intensive task that is offered FREE as part of any digital file purchase and CD purchase. Retouching can also be purchased “a la carte”. Please inquire for details.

Of course! There’s no greater gift than one that lasts a lifetime. Contact me for details.

My clients spend between $400 to $1200 on their custom portrait experience.

Whilst your privacy is always my top priority, the copyright for all photos remain that of Sin-Design & Photography. I retain the copyright to all my images. However, you are welcome to buy individual images or the complete set of print-ready digital files on CD, which can be taken to any photo lab for prints. You will be granted a license to reproduce the images for your personal use, or to give to family and friends. You are not permitted to enter the pictures into any competitions, or to sell them onto third parties such as stock libraries.

Head on over to the Headshot Photography. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

I’d be happy to answer your questions, please email me directly at suvi[at]sin-design[dot]ca