“I KEEP MEANING TO SCHEDULE FAMILY PHOTOS - I REALLY DO!

LIFE IS JUST SO BUSY…”

Sound familiar?

It certainly does to me… not only can I personally relate 100%, but I’ve also heard this statement or some version thereof countless times over the years from nearly everyone who knows I’m a family photographer, whether it’s a friend or someone who’s just reached out to me about booking a session.

- Here's the Problem -

Life is seriously busy. Before we have kids, we have all kinds of goals and plans for parenthood - we’ll be endlessly patient, make time every day to get down on the floor and play with our kids, cook wholesome meals, whatever it is - then reality hits (most of) us like a brick wall and we find ourselves frantically scrambling eggs for dinner for the third night in a row while cursing the Lego you just stepped on and yelling loudly at the kids to stop fighting and clean up their toys already.

Anyone? Just me??

- Here's the Solution -

I read a business book not too long ago where the author encouraged businesses to automate their processes. That way every client gets the same experience every time--and hopefully one that you've designed to be REALLY GOOD.

Thanks, in part, due to that advice, I have tried to automate all sorts of things in my life--chore charts for the kiddos, contributing to a charity I believe in, even something as simple as getting kitty litter delivered at the same time every month.

Having a system lets everyone know what to expect and gets things accomplished with minimal effort on your part.

Sound great? I think so.

So I figured, why not create a way for my clients to do that with their family photos?

HERE ARE ALL THE DETAILS:

Important Info to Know:

• I'm limiting the number of FLC memberships to keep my schedule manageable so that I can truly give members a premium experience.
• I’m keeping the enrollment period short so that I have a clear picture for the year of whether and how many additional one-off sessions I can accommodate. Enrollment will start at 9am on 7/19, and will remain available until 11:59pm on 7/26 (unless the membership fills up before that).
• I will post my availability calendar twice a year: once on the first day of enrollment for the fall/winter season and again in the last week of January for the spring/summer season.
• The calendar will be self-scheduled by the members themselves on a first-come, first-served basis (so joining the membership early during the enrollment period will be particularly beneficial if you want first dibs on those coveted peak fall spots, especially Saturdays).

1. for both the fall/winter and the spring/summer calendars, I will guarantee that there is at least one slot open for each member (likely several more), such that in the unlikely case that every member wanted to schedule in a single season, there would still be room.
2. in future years, existing members will have access to the fall/winter calendar the day before new member enrollment begins, making it beneficial to be an early joiner both in terms of price and scheduling priority.

• Rescheduling for reasons of bad weather, illness, etc. will be handled the same way it always is - we’ll look at the calendar and figure it out. If you realize your date won’t work for another reason - a travel or work conflict, for example - I will work with you to find a new date - just reach out as soon as you realize the issue.
• Once your year is complete, members will be asked whether they would like to renew or terminate their membership prior to the new membership enrollment period. There is no commitment beyond the year, and there will be no surprise renewals.
• If you choose to renew but would like to change your subscription level (up or down), you are welcome to do so without penalty, though offerings and pricing may change year to year.

Here's What it Costs:

*a 6% PA SAles tax will be applied to all memberships

HERE’S HOW YOU JOIN:

ENROLLMENT will open on 7/19 and run THROUGH 7/26 AT 11:59PM

(UNLESS MEMBERSHIPS FILL BEFORE THEN).

When it's time, GRAB YOUR SPOT HERE:

enrollment is open on an invite-only basis until 1/24/2024

FAQs

Q: Will I get my digital files right away, even if I’ve only made one or two payments before the session?

A: Yep! Once you sign up and make that initial payment, you can book your session immediately (you’ll get the link for the fall/winter calendar right away). Further, you will receive your gallery on my normal schedule (typically 2-3 weeks after the session), and will be able to download your files and use your print credit as soon as you have access to the gallery.

Q: I don’t really think I need family photos every year. Can I buy a membership this year, drop out for next year, then join again later?

A: In theory you can… but there are a couple of important issues to consider. Issue 1: My guess is that even if the membership doesn’t fill completely this year, by next year it will be full and spots might get hard to come by if members continue to renew. Issue 2: it’s likely that the price will increase in future years. By maintaining continuous membership, you’re guaranteed to be locked in at the current rate. If you drop out and re-join, you will have to do so at the rates offered that year. Pro Tip: You are allowed to skip a year and “roll over” your sessions for future use as long as you maintain your membership. If, for instance, you are planning to have another child in a year and would like to have two full sessions during those first months, you can plan accordingly and skip a full session the year prior (perhaps replacing it with a half-session).

Q: What if I sign up and there aren’t any session dates available that work for me?

A: While I can’t guarantee that a specific date and time will be available when you go to sign up, I am putting absolutely everything I can on the self-scheduling calendar. There are currently between 13 and 17 sessions available during every month of the fall/winter calendar, most of them on Fridays and weekends. Even if the membership fills completely and every single member wants a fall/winter session, there will be more than enough to go around, so the likelihood is that if you don’t drag your feet to the very end of enrollment and have at least a tiny bit of wiggle room in your calendar, you'll have several options.

Q: What will I be able to get with my $200 print credit?

A: I offer a lot of really lovely items in my online store, and the print credit can be used toward any of them. Wood block prints are a perennial favorite, as are albums (you can put that $200 toward an album upgrade if you’re a Level III member and want a bigger book, more pages, OR the upgrade leather album). $200 more than covers a deckled print, or the accordion books that are accessible only to you. There are several other options, but those should give you a sense!

Q: Can I join the Family Legacy Club if I don’t live near Lebanon, PA?

A: You certainly can, with a couple of options: First, you can plan to travel to or near Lebanon (within 25 miles) for one of my listed session dates. Second, you can schedule your session outside the normal member calendar and pay a flat travel fee for me to come to you. Rates vary dependent upon mileage.

Q: Can I purchase a membership as a gift?

A: Yes, but please note that the family that is photographed during the first year of enrollment will be the only family who can use that membership in future years.

Q: How many photos can I put in my album if I join at Level III?

A: Albums are 20 pages long, so they will most likely hold as many of the images from your session as you'd like to include. That said, if you like album designs with fewer images per page, you may want to add pages. As I mentioned earlier, your print credit can be used toward album upgrades!

Q: I don’t understand the half-session thing.

A: The half-session option is something I wanted to offer to members simply because sometimes they come in handy. Let’s say you want to get a few professional family photos when your parents and siblings all come to town for an event, or you’re pregnant and would like a few photos of your belly but would rather schedule your “real” session when the baby comes, or you and your partner both need updated headshots… these are all examples where a 30-minute session with 10 files is plenty. I'll also have upgrades available if you want to have your complete set of images from your half session. I don’t offer these very often to the general public, but they’re going to be an option for all my members at any time, assuming I have availability (for instance, we can find 30 minutes during your pregnancy, but if your family is in town when I’m out of town, that might be trickier… all I can say is I’ll do my best). Use them whenever you want to document a special moment!

Are we friends yet?

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