“I keep meaning to book in our next family photos. Life is just so busy!”
Here’s the issue:
Life is busy – really busy. It’s hard to keep up with everything we’d like to do for our families. And documenting your family regularly? That one seems to be an easy one to let slide..
Obviously I’m biased, but I really do think that’s a shame. It’s a wonderful thing having regular photos to look back on.
Here’s my solution:
In April 2022, I set up a membership programme to have family photos on subscription: an easy way to schedule and pay for sessions, spreading the cost over the course of a year – with a whole host of perks and savings.
I’m delighted to have 18 members already, and am excited to now extend the invitation to join the membership to you.
As we all know, subscriptions make it easier to budget every month, instead of paying lump sums. They also mean less planning, and one less thing on your to-do list.
Each year’s membership will result in beautiful prints and albums, creating a set of beautiful heirlooms to pass down through the generations.
Best of all, the basic level of membership costs the same as just booking a regular session!
“I’m so glad we joined as members. Having membership has helped ensure that we continue to get those special annual photos of the children as they grow up. It was something I was always keen to do but now I get a useful prompt to book in the session, knowing I’ve already paid for it throughout the year. We’ve also used the additional mini sessions offered for some special family birthdays, and I’ve been so impressed at how many gorgeous photos Louise is able to capture in such a short space of time.” Isabella
Membership:
You can choose between three levels of membership, which start from just £660 per year / £55 per month.
For the same cost as a standard session, the membership includes some pretty amazing things like priority booking, extra store credit, significant savings and exclusive mini sessions – plus even more perks that aren’t available outside the membership.
Here are all the details:
Each year, members will receive:
√ A 2-hour family session
√ All the digital files
√ £125 online store credit, which you can use on prints, frames or albums
Other perks include:
√ Priority booking
√ Self-scheduling
√ Automatic monthly billing
√ Exclusive opportunity to purchase mini sessions
√ The option to renew your membership at the same, locked-in rate
√ Simple solution for creating beautiful family heirlooms
√ An annually-updated prep guide
Special offer: two year subscription
√ A free mini session (worth £345)
Here’s what it costs:
There are three membership options – choose the one that suits you best:
1. BASIC MEMBERSHIP
£55 per month / £670 per year / total value £825 / saving of £155
You’ll receive one 2-hour family session per year, along with a complete set of digital files from your session, and £125 online store credit to be used on prints, frames and albums.
If you subscribe for two years, you’ll also receive a free mini session (worth £345).
You’ll also receive all the additional perks and member benefits detailed above.
2. PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP
£80 per month / £960 per year / total value £1,275 / saving of £315
As with Basic Membership, plus two Mantlepiece Folios (only available to members), which each hold three fine art prints.
The linen covers are available in six colours – choose a different colour each year to build a colourful collection.
These make ideal gifts for grandparents.
Upgrade the cover with embossed text (£30).
3. LUXURY MEMBERSHIP
£110 per month / £1,320 per year / total value £1,775 / saving of £455
As with Classic Membership, plus an 8×12″ Heirloom Book (exclusive to members).
Heirloom Books are a beautiful way to enjoy your favourite photographs. You can choose a different colour cover each year, to create a colourful collection of books over the years. I really love the thought of these books stacked together on your shelf!
They have a leather-style cover, in 13 colours. Upgrade options include embossing the cover (£30) with your family name and the year, having a leather cover (£100, 18 colours available) or adding a matching leather tie band (£30) around leather covers.
Here’s how to join:
Enrolment will be open from 10am on Monday 10 October to 11:59pm on Monday 17 October (unless memberships fill up before then).
FAQS
Q: Will I get my digital files straightaway, even if I’ve only made one or two payments before the session?
A: Yes! Once you sign up and make that initial payment, you can book your session immediately. You’ll receive the link to your online gallery as usual (a week after your session), and will be able to download your files and use your store credit as soon as you have access to the gallery.
Q: What will I be able to get with my £125 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. Fine art prints are a perennial favourite, as are albums and storyboard frames. £125 more than covers three 5x7” prints, or you can use that credit towards a frame or album.
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 around 15 sessions available every month, including weekend sessions, so it's likely there'll be a good few options that suit you.
Membership is capped at 30 families, so the likelihood is that if you don’t drag your feet to the very end of your subscription year, and have at least a tiny bit of wiggle room in your calendar, you'll find several dates that are convenient options for your family.
Q: How many photos can I put in my Heirloom Book if I join the Premium membership?
A: Heirloom Books are 16 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 designs with fewer images per page, you may want to add pages. Heirloom Books can be increased by page counts of 4, up to 48 pages long. An extra 4 pages is £30.
Q: What are mini sessions?
A: I’m offering mini sessions to members simply because sometimes they’ll be handy. Mini sessions are £345 each, including a 30 minute session with 10-15 digitals. Let’s say you want to get a few professional family photos when your parents and siblings all come to visit for an event, or you’d like to celebrate getting a new pet or to mark a child’s birthday. These are all times where a 30-minute session with 10 files will be plenty, and you don’t want to commit to booking a full 2-hour session. Book a mini session instead!
I don’t offer any mini sessions to the general public, the only way to book a shorter session is as a member.
Mini sessions are available for members to purchase throughout the year - as many as you'd like, or none at all. If you don’t need an extra mini session, no problem; if you want one, it’s there as an optional extra.
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?
Issue 1: My guess is that even if the membership doesn’t fill completely this year, by next year it will likely be full and spots might get hard to come by if members continue to renew (I don't anticipate adding new memberships, just offering any un-renewed spots during the annual enrolment period).
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.
Tip: Remember that you can schedule your session at any time during the membership year, so from year to year you can adjust the spacing by up to 23 months (September 2019 and August 2021, for instance).
Q: What happens if we move out of London?
A: Your sessions will need to take place within an hour’s drive of my home in Balham. If you move further away than that, we can plan your session for a weekend when you’re visiting London.
If you’ve still got questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. I understand that this is a new concept, and am more than happy to chat through anything that you’re unsure of!
Important things to know:
- I’m limiting the number of memberships to keep my schedule manageable, so that I can truly give members a premium experience.
- I’m keeping the enrolment period short so that I have a clear picture for the year of how many 30 minute mini sessions I may need to accommodate.
- I’ll publish my availability calendar twice a year: once on the first day of enrolment, and once in April.
- The calendar will be self-scheduled by the members themselves on a first-come, first-served basis (so joining the membership early during the enrolment period will be particularly beneficial if you want first dibs on a particular date).
- For both calendar periods, I will guarantee that there is at least one slot open for each member (likely several more), so that in the unlikely case that every member wanted to schedule in a single season, there would still be room.
- Optional Mini Sessions are available to members to purchase throughout the year. These are 30 minutes long, and take place in the client’s home. Mini Sessions include 10 digital files, and cost £345 (invoiced separately). The full set of digitals can be purchased for an additional £100. These sessions are not in any way expected or required, but are offered in case members need a one-off for something like maternity photos, photos with grandparents, etc. Please note that dates for mini sessions are subject to my availability, and need to be scheduled directly through me (rather than through the self-scheduling calendar). Planning ahead is recommended!
- Rescheduling for reasons of illness, travel or work conflicts etc. will be handled the same way it always is – we’ll look at the calendar and find a new date. Just let me know as soon as you realise the issue.
- At the end of each membership year, members will be asked whether they would like to renew or terminate their membership prior to the new membership enrolment period.
- There is no commitment beyond the year.
- If you choose to renew but would like to change your subscription level (up or down), you are welcome to do so, though benefits and pricing may change from year to year.
I’d really love to have you on board as a member!