Portraits To The People FAQs

Before Booking Your Photo Shoot

I hate having my photo taken! 

No problem! 99% of my clients dislike and/or absolutely hate having their photo taken. This feeling is totally normal, and I will do my best to alleviate any anxiety you have before/during/after our photo session. Getting your picture professionally taken should be fun, and we work to make sure that my clients are relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. I would say that most of my clients even end up feeling like the entire experience was painless!

I'm still on the fence about working with you. I need further convincing.

No problem, check out my Yelp page or read some reviews on Google. You might find it super helpful to hear what my past clients have to say.

How do I go about contacting you for a shoot?

Please go to my BOOK NOW page, fill in the quick form, and submit it. Within 48 hours, I will contact you to begin scheduling your shoot. I am a digital business, and I book/confirm my shoots entirely over email, though I can make an exception to jump on a call, if that is easier for you.

Scheduling Your Photo Shoot

When are your hours?

Emails are answered 7 days a week and photo shoot occur on the following days - Monday-Saturday. I do not work on Sundays.

Who IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER?

Sarah Deragon is your photographer, and I also happen to be the founder and owner of the company. I have spent over 10 years working with individuals and companies to achieve the kind of portraits that are right for them. Whether it's a simple headshot in Golden Gate Park or a multi-city corporate headshot session for over 200 people, I have done it all and everything in between. My super power is helping people relax and getting folks to a place where they can enjoy their photo sessions.

DO YOU OFFER STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY OR OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY?

Since Covid hit, I’ve been less inclined to shoot indoor studio, so as of today, 99% of the photography is happening outside. But I do own studio lighting equipment and multiple backdrop stands/paper, so if indoor is of interest to you, we can talk!

Outdoor Photography Information
Most of my photo sessions arer done outside in various outdoor locations around San Francisco and Oakland. Why? Because it's fun and I love shooting in natural light. When we shoot outside you get a variety of different backgrounds, like graffitied walls, greenery, and various textured wallls. I also like it because San Francisco's notorious "Karl the Fog" actually provides fantastic lighting for portraits. As far as locations, once you send in a form I will provide you with a location guide that will help you choose where we should do your photo session. You can pick from our list of common locations like Golden Gate Park, Hayes Valley, Palace of Fine Arts, Outer Sunset, Dogpatch, Financial District, and various locations in the East Bay too. I also have a Petaluma Special if you’re interested in driving up to Sonoma County. We can amp up or play down the "artsy" or "creative" aspect as much as you like. My outdoor portraits have been used on book covers, websites, magazine articles, and every other professional platform possible. 

Do you offer family SESSIONS or Newborn/maternity sessions?

I do offer family photo shoots and newborn/maternity sessions. Most sessions are an hour in duration and we can shoot at a variety of locations and sometimes even in your home.

Do you charge extra for traveling outside of San Francisco?

I do not charge a travel fee for shoots in Oakland and San Francisco. If you need me to travel beyond that, I will charge a travel fee to be discussed at the time of booking.

When am I considered officially booked for a photoshoot?

When you have officially booked a session, you will receive a FINAL CONFIRMATION that includes all the details of your shoot, a resource guide to help you prepare, plus all of our policies. If you do not receive this contract, you are not officially booked. During the booking process, we may discuss times, dates, and even get close to confirming the shoot, but again, until you receive the contract, the booking is not considered official.

DO YOU "HOLD" DATES?

We do not hold dates for clients. We are a high volume photography company that gets multiple requests for dates daily and books weeks in advance. Therefore, our dates are offered on a first come, first served basis. During the booking process, if you see a date you must have, we recommend filling out the intake form ASAP and emailing us right after.

Do you do weddings?

Unfortunately, I do not shoot weddings. 

How long do shoots last?

Basic sessions generally last around 30-45 minutes, while Deluxe sessions tend to last around 45-60 minutes. Combo packages vary in length, depending on driving times and the number of locations.

Preparing for the Photo Shoot

How should I prepare for our photo shoot?

Once you are confirmed with me, you will receive a link to my resource guide that includes extensive information on how to prepare for your shoot, including tips on makeup, grooming, what to wear, etc. 

Do you offer hair and makeup services?

While we don't offer hair and makeup services directly to our clients, we do have a list of vetted artists we work with that we would be glad to recommend to you. All booking and payment is done directly with the artist. While you are scheduling your photoshoot with us, you can contact a stylist to make an appointment earlier the same day. I’m sending everyone to either:

Christina Choi Cosmetics or Fiona at Urban Beauty Loft

What if it's raining the day of my shoot?

If heavy rain is forecast for the day of your shoot, I will try to reschedule you as soon as possible. If the forecast is light or intermittent rain on the day of your session, I generally wait until about an hour or two before the shoot to make the decision. I will most likely text you if we need to reschedule.

During the Photo Shoot

What happens when I show up for an outdoor photo session?

Once we've arrived at our agreed upon location, we will probably spend a few minutes getting to know one another a bit more before starting the shoot. I strive to create a blend of candid photojournalistic shots and posed portraits in each shoot, and I’m not shy at all about positioning you in the most flattering ways. I will always give you a lot of direction and provide you with plenty of positive feedback. My hope is that when you look at your photo gallery, you think, "Yes, that totally looks like me!"

What is considered an "outfit"?

An outfit is a shirt, tie, and pants; a dress; or a t-shirt and jeans, etc. If your package includes multiple outfits, then please bring extra clothes with you to the shoot. If you aren't sure what to wear, bring a few things and I can help you put outfits together. With all of our packages, even those with only one outfit, it's possible to add or remove layers, like putting on a vest or a scarf, adding jewelry, taking off a suit jacket, etc. Our LookBook will provide a ton of inspiration for you to find something you feel awesome in! If you’re still struggling on what to wear, let me know and I can look at photos of what you’re thinking about wearing beforehand and we can decide together.

After the Photo Shoot

How can I pay for my session with you?

You will be invoiced for your session a few days before your scheduled date. Payment is due at the end of your shoot. Please note that your photos will not be processed or returned to you until payment is made.

What happens after our shoot is over?

Within 10 days to three weeks of your session, your images will be ready to view. You will get an email from me with the subject line, “Your Photos Are Ready.” This email will contain a link to an online gallery, where you will be able to view the images and download them one by one. You will also receive a .zip file with all of your photos. If you do not receive this email, please check your Spam folder and if the pics aren't there, just shoot us an email.

What if I need my photos back faster than two to three weeks?

This is negotiated on a per shoot basis. Please mention this to me when you send in your form. 

How much retouching do you perform on the photos?

I do minor retouching and processing of photos in Adobe's Lightroom, which is the industry standard for editing and processing photographs. This includes removing minor blemishes, doing color correction and minor skin smoothing, and adjusting clarity and vibrance. This does not include narrowing or slimming down body parts, head swapping, or eliminating wrinkles or any other further edits. If you want additional retouching on your photos in Photoshop, we can possibly do that for a fee, depending on what’s needed, but this service is not guaranteed. Just FYI, less than 1% of the photos on our website have additional retouching, so it's not usually necessary unless there are major adjustments you want to make. Additionally, Portraits To The People does not offer graphic design services, like cropping, resizing, adding vignettes, etc. You are welcome to hire someone else to do that once you receive your photos. My newest add on for retouching is the blue/purple anti-glare added to folks glasses, you’ll learn more about this once we confirm your session.

Do you offer prints?

As a digital business, we do not offer prints. We recommend doing research online to find a printing services that offers the types of prints you want at the price you are willing to pay. We often recommend Social Print Studio to our clients.