Friday, August 29, 2008

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting DreamTime Photography's new and revamped website. You can access our galleries and information pages either by scrolling down, or by clicking on the title of the appropriate post in the right hand column, just below the music playlist.

We are located in Cambridge, Ontario, and will do in-home sessions within the KW area. If you have any questions or would like to book a session, leave a comment for me or call me at (519) 653-2844. Comments will not be posted publicly but will be emailed to me directly.

Have fun looking through our galleries, and I hope that these photos inspire you, as they've inspired me, to appreciate even more the miracle of life.

Kathryn

Maternity Gallery















Newborn & Baby Gallery































Toddlers & Children Gallery













Adult and Wedding Gallery











Products and Pricing

Session Costs
-$150


Each session is in done in your home or other location of your
choosing such as a park, river, etc.
(Note - due to rising gas costs, a small additional gas
charge may apply for sessions outside of the KW/Cambridge area.)

Each session automatically includes an album
with a minimum of 24 4x6 photos.


Photo CD
-$25


A photo CD will include all of the images from your album in several
different finishes. For example, if a photo in your album
is black and white, the photo CD will include this version of the photo
along with a full colour version, a sepia version, and often
several other versions.
A photo CD will also often include many other images that were
not included in your album.

By purchasing a photo CD you also purchase the rights to
reproduce and reprint these images yourself
rather than ordering extra copies from us.

Additional Prints
Should you choose not to order a photo CD, additional prints
of any photo can be ordered through us for the following costs:
4x6 - $1
5x7 - $2.50
8x10 - $5

These prints can be picked up at a Zehrs or
Superstore of your choosing.

Collages
8x10 - $25
11x14 - $30
16x20 - $35

Collages can be customized with any information or
phrases of your choosing


Custom Products
If you have an idea for a photography product that you'd like
that isn't listed here, let us know! We love trying out
new ideas. Some examples of our custom products are below.



Discount Packages

Available to any client -
Two separate sessions (usually a maternity session and
a newborn/baby session), including two albums and two photo CD's.
-$275

The following package is available only to clients of
the Cambridge MidWives and parents of
children with special needs.

One in-home or on location session, including album
plus one Photo CD
-$125

Cross - Promotional Deal

Place any order with My Little Impressions
www.mylittleimpressions.ca
and save $25 on any DreamTime Photography session.
Clients of DreamTime can also receive $25 off a
future order from my Little Impressions.
(Photo courtesy of mylittleimpressions.ca)

FAQs & Session Details.

When is the best time in a pregnancy to have pictures taken? What about newborn photos?
Barring any complications or suspicions that you may have pre-term labour, pregnancy photos are usually best taken at about 36 weeks for a first pregnancy, and a week earlier for subsequent pregnancies. The bigger your belly is, the better the pictures will look - but in your last month you may be too uncomfortable to change positions easily, and any swelling may become more pronounced (which often seems to happen a week or two earlier in pregnancies beyond your first).
Newborn photos should be taken as quickly as possible after the cord stump falls off. The safest thing to do is to book a session at around their two weeks after their birthdate, since the cord stump has almost always fallen off by then. At two weeks old, babies still tend to fall asleep quite readily, which always makes for good photos.

How far in advance do I need to book my session?
Not far at all. Maternity sessions may be a bit more predictable, but babies tend to be born on their own schedule, whether you have a session booked or not. A fair portion of our business is last-minute, simply due to the nature of babies and pregnancy. Don't feel bad calling and booking a session with little to no notice - we'll do our best to accommodate you.

How long does a session last?
That varies a lot depending on what type of session it is and how many people are involved. Maternity sessions usually take at least an hour (including the time needed to set up and take down the equipment and backdrop), often longer if older children are involved. Newborn sessions often run between an hour and a half to two hours. But with all things involving children, it varies a lot.

My baby can be a little difficult to keep happy, especially when we're all tired. What happens if the baby cries a lot?
Every one's babies cry during photo sessions. Don't think this is unusual of feel guilty in any way. Over the course of an hour, a baby will likely get hungry, want lots of attention, get tired, get cranky, and go through about a million emotions in between. Take as much time as you need to calm your child, feed them, rock them, and do whatever works best for you (and them). Don't be surprised to see me snapping photos while you're taking care of your baby. Clients are often surprised when they get their album because some of the pictures they like best are of their baby crying or being soothed, simply because those moments are truthful and capture your child as they really are.

What should we wear?
Adults and older children look best in faded jeans or khakis and a light-coloured, close-fitting shirt. Button down shirts or polos usually work best for men. Newborn photos usually turn out best when taken in as little as possible - either naked (pictures will NOT show any genitalia) or in just a diaper. (Just in case, all of our backdrops are both water-resistant and machine washable.) If you're not comfortable with photos being taken of your baby in just a diaper, a white onesie or solid coloured outfit works best.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

About DreamTime


DreamTime Photography was started in mid 2005 around the time of the birth of our second child. Being very interested in photography but unable to take pictures of myself, I had searched for a professional photographer to do some maternity photos. I found a number of local photographers - all of whom wanted about $400 for a session, plus a very high cost for prints. Those costs simply pushed it out of the realm of financial possibility for a young family that is trying to be financially responsible.

My husband and I were both disappointed that we were unable to find a photographer for a feasible cost. It didn't seem fair that only those who could afford hundreds upon hundreds of dollars should be able to have such a precious time in their lives captured on film. And so, we created DreamTime Photography so that other parents could have those memories affordably. I don't pretend to be a highly-trained, life-long professional, and I won't charge you as if I were. I'm a Mom with a passion for photography and babies, and I'm just bringing those two things together.



I've been to the Cambridge MidWives office more times than I can count in the past few years. They have helped me through both some of the most beautiful and some of the most difficult times in my life. I also have a young child with autism, and many of my days are filled with parenting struggles that I never imagined myself dealing with. To show my appreciation to the Cambridge MidWives, and to show support for all that parents of children with special needs do for themselves and everyone around them, I offer a special package rate for clients of the Cambridge MidWives and for parents of special needs children. More information on that package is in the "products and pricing" section.

My aim is to make this an enjoyable experience for YOU. I come to your home, on your schedule, so that both Mom and baby can be comfortable. That is, as comfortable as it's possible to be at 9 months pregnant or shortly post-partum. If you have any special requests, please let me know!

To reach me, feel free to leave me a comment on the blog. Comments will not be publicly viewable, but are emailed to me directly. I can also be reached by phone at (519) 653-2844.

Thanks for taking the time to check out DreamTime's webpage!
Kathryn