Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about our services that can’t be found within our pages? Browse some of our most frequently asked questions below.
faq
General
Our studio is located in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria, however we can come to you or the location of your choosing anywhere in Melbourne. We have a professional portable photography studio that is completely transportable.
Yes, we require a 50% deposit to secure your booking. All deposits are non-refundable, however we are happy to reschedule wherever possible.
It is best to book as soon as possible to have the greatest chance of securing your preferred session time. The studio is generally booked out for portrait and pet sessions a month ahead, with Saturday sessions being the most popular and therefore booking out first.
Go directly to our Contact page to get in touch today.
We accept all major credit cards along with EFT bank transfer. We will also consider payment plans on request.
We cover all areas of Melbourne.
We always recommend wearing outfits that you really like and are completely comfortable in. The more comfortable you are the easier it will be to relax. If you are unsure you can bring a few outfits just in case. When selecting your outfits, think about the type of images you are being taken and how these images are being used. If you are only getting headshots taken, then only your top will be visible in the shot. If you are getting corporate group shots, then you may want to instruct your staff on attire to ensure you are all coordinated.
Answer Coming Soon
We can accommodate any requirement and have pricing available for a combination of services. Simply give us a call and we can talk through your requirements
We accept cash, direct bank deposit, eftpos and credit card.
50% deposit is required at the time of ordering and balance required before collection of final artwork.
We also offer interest free payment plans.
Answer coming soon
faq
Headshots
Depending on your package. The shoot normally takes approximately 15 minutes to 4 hours from the time we start shooting. The shoot is a process of learning about your face and your expressions and what makes YOU look your absolute best in a photograph. You would appreciate that everyone’s face is different and hence your pose, the expression in your eyes and the angle of your face will be slightly different than the next girl or guy.
You will only need to think about Tops as its a Headshot shoot. I would expect that you might bring up to 5 tops. They could be shirts, jumpers, crop tops, tank tops, I only want you to bring tops that you really really like. My theory is that if you really like the top you are wearing then you are going to feel more comfortable and its going to be easier for you to relax.
Obviously, if you are looking for Corporate Images you might need to wear a shirt & tie for men or a corporate type shirt or blazer for women. The same thing applies though. I would still expect that you feel comfortable in the outfit you choose.
Make up should reflect the type of look you want. If you are a Model or an Actor then light fresh make up that allows casting agents & directors to get a feel for your face is important.
If you have scars or permanent blemishes on your face, there is no point covering them over with make up because they will see them in a meet & greet anyway and they will be annoyed if they discover them at that time.
If you are looking for Corporate Headshots then I would suggest the make up that you would wear to a job interview or to a normal day at the office.
I have a professional make -up artist that works with me that can attend your shoot. She can give sound professional advice as to the type of make-up that would suit you. Please ask about make-up & I can include it in my quote.
Your choice of hair style should reflect you! For those with short hair it should be clean & neat. For those with long hair you have more versatility.
Usually during a shoot we do some some shots with it out, back, up, pony tailed. This gives you a number of options to choose from when you go to select your final Images to edit.
I have a professional hair stylist that works with me that can attend your shoot. She can give sound professional advice as to the type of hair style that would suit you. Please ask about hair & I can include it in my quote.
You will be accosted and mugged, then immediately invoiced for the full shoot fee. Just kidding! (or am I?)
Fear not, the session is super-relaxed. We work hard, but we don’t work stressed. After a cup of tea and a chat, we’ll have a look at your clothes and talk about what you want to get from the session. Before the shoot starts, you will be given full instruction on what to do. Everything is taken out of your hands.
There are rules to follow that make ANYONE look good in a shot. You get taught these rules, and then we’re ready to go. I’ll show you how to move, how to ‘look’, and how to express yourself, along with giving queues throughout the shoot on what to do.
The one thing you won’t feel during the session is unprepared. This part of the session is super-important and useful to helping you understand exactly what a casting director is going to respond to, and how you can effectively communicate your casting potential to the camera, and ultimately, to the person booking you for an audition. The session progresses at an unhurried pace, although I do push the pace a little if the light is particularly amazing and looking like it won’t be around for long. In these instances, though, it’s not about pressure, it’s something fun. There’s never any stress in my studio, it’s about two people connecting as a team and getting work done without anxiety.
We shoot approximately 100 images per clothing change, then we switch everything up for the next look. Deciding on the looks is a collaborative process, and before we do anything, a small discussion takes place to make sure we’re picking clothing and light in a combination that best represents your casting potential, your personal aesthetic preference, or both! We run through this process until the four looks are complete, and then we review what we’ve done.
Throughout the shoot you will have full access to the laptop that displays all the images being shoot in real time, and although everything is out of your hands and my responsibility, you are welcome to have as much (or as little) input, direction, and control as you would want. Once the session is complete,
I will sort through the images of the day, removing any that aren’t useful, and a gallery of curated images will be uploaded to a provide space and emailed to you and anyone else you specify ready to pick for retouching.
OK, so this is the most important responsibility you have regarding your headshot session (apart from turning up alive). The clothes you bring are very important, so if you’re someone who only wears black, you’re going to need to head out and buy some stuff and keep the labels on to return them after.
Here we go: Bring lots of clothes – lots. You’ve got four looks, but that doesn’t mean you should only bring four things. We need a variety of options to mix and match, and also for fail-safes – not everything you own suits a headshot as much as it suits you in real life. Bring VARIETY. Don’t just bring 52 of the same tshirt, as so many often do. Bring shirts, t shirts, anything unusual (nothing “silly” or “ironic”).
Make sure that whatever you bring is ironed. Don’t just bunch it up into a ball and stuff it into a bag. Please please try to avoid plain black and plain white, and also anything burgundy or royal blue.
Avoid white shirts unless they’re absolutely essential. Only smart-casual. Anything grey is A-OK. Bring it. Denim shirts = excellent. Pastel colours = brilliant. That awesome t-shirt with the cool picture: leave it at home. Collars – fine, but nothing crazy or too big unless useful for a casting.
Neither of these things means you can’t have an amazing headshot that you’ll love, and I’ll prove it to you. Taking a photograph is about acquired technique, not talent or looks. I’ll tell you in plain English how to look and how to move, and what to do with your face in order to create confidence and mask nervousness. It works every single time, and the best part is that you can see it on the back of the screen.
I sit every single client down and I run through everything as part of a mini-workshop, so you’ll be comfortable before we even step in front of the camera. Everyone thinks they’ll be the one person my techniques don’t work on, well, I’m 1500 clients in, and I’m yet to meet that person!
faq
Personal Branding
If you’re a blogger or doing seasonal work, you should be planning one season ahead. For example, in October you should be working on Christmas material. Otherwise, I suggest planning your session 1 to 1.5 months before you plan on using the images in your content calendar, social media, blog and email marketing etc.
Please note, I’m often booked about 1-2 months in advance for branding sessions but please reach out regardless as I often have clients reschedule. Lastly, it takes 2-3 weeks to edit your images and send your gallery so please plan accordingly.
Between 2-3 weeks depending on the season! If it’s wedding season, the delivery time will be at the longer end of the spectrum.
Your images are delivered in an online photo gallery. From the gallery you can download your images directly to your computer, phone or Dropbox in both high resolution and web-sized.
Yes, all images are edited and no, I don’t watermark your final images.
Depending on the season, outdoors is almost always client’s go to depending on the content we’re shooting. If you’re needing an indoor space, I recommend one that’s bright, full of natural light and that has neutral walls so they don’t reflect a colour cast onto your skin.
More is always better when it comes to props. If you’re unsure, bring it. It’s always best to have more options than not enough. When we meet for our first in person meeting over coffee, we’ll craft a list together for your very first session that’s personalized to your brand.
Common items that clients bring are:
mug
coffee / tea to fill the mug
day planner
laptop
notebook
fancy pen
products, if applicable
cellphone
outfits
Yes and no. It really depends on where the locations are and if things “make sense”. Sometimes it’s easier to talk it out in our first in person meeting over coffee 🙂
1-2 depending on the distance, time of day and outfit changes.
More is always better. I suggest bringing more than you think is necessary just in case. I always suggest bringing a different outfit for each photo idea.
For example:
Photo set 1 – me at laptop (1 outfit)
Photo set 2 – me taking photos of clients (1 outfit)
Photo set 3 – lifestyle headshot (1 outfit)
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faq
Events
One of the areas Westend Photography specialises in is event photography. We capture all of the moments and details of events.
A few examples of events are: conferences, trade shows, public event, corporate event, galas, and many more.
The short answer is yes. Westend Photography specialises in photography for commercial businesses and organisations.
While we offer an array of photography services at our Hoppers Crossing studio including business and personal portraits as well as special events, our main focus centres on corporate photography.
Answer is coming
Social media is an important part of any event, and you want your conference to have an impact on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
To accommodate this need, Westend Photography will identify key photos from your conference shortly after the day has ended so you can use them across all social media outlets and corporate presentations to showcase your function quickly.
Ownership of the images from your conference is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Westend Photography may like to feature some of their favourite images from your event on our website. However, we realise there are times when images from your conference may not be appropriate to share, and for this reason, we are flexible on ownership and use of images.
While Imran is the principle, we will discuss the specific details of your event and determine how many shooters will be necessary to achieve the coverage you’re looking for.
faq
Portrait
We offer shoots Monday to Friday 9:30am-6:30pm and Saturday 9am – 4pm.
Our Indoor Studio options are available during all opening hours.
Our Outdoor Studio options are weather and daylight dependant and vary in availability according to time of year.
We are on hand to answer any questions, give us a call to discuss what the right options are for you.
Children and often adults get much better results in the morning, after a good nights sleep, having eaten and are feeling happy! Although this all depends on your usual routine.
There is no limit to the number of family members you can include. During the shoot we will photograph each person individually as well as combinations; ie: Mum and Dad, Mum and kids, Dad and kids, Siblings, the whole family.
We understand that each family is unique, and we will discuss the images and combinations you are wanting during our design session.
Absolutely! We understand that pets are a part of the family and have photographed everything from snakes to horses.
Photographing some animals requires special preparation so let us know who will be coming with you to the shoot.
If someone is not feeling well, we will simply re-schedule. We just ask that you let us know as soon as possible.
We style your session to suit your personality. We suggest you bring things that represent your style, personality and hobbies.
Do you or your family play any sport or musical instruments, what are your hobbies, do you collect anything? What is your favourite way to spend your spare time?
For young children, think of what you would bring along on a day out. Snacks, wipes, favourite toys, blankies. Steer clear of snacks like cheezles, that stain faces and fingers. Also hold back on the sweets, sugar highs can come crashing down mid-shoot.
These are all things we discuss during your design consultation.
We suggest bringing a few changes of clothes with you on the day to give you a few options. Natural, earthy tones are suggested; blues, greens, browns, creams all work well together. Steer clear of bold patterns and logos – you don’t want to distract from your faces.
Go for texture rather than pattern, and layering is a great way to add interest while giving you the ability to change the look of your outfit quickly by removing a layer or two.
Everybody wearing the same thing, such as blue jeans and white shirts, can sometimes resemble a uniform.
Of course these are all just suggestions, if bold patterns and bright colours are part of what make you wonderful, wear it!
Nope. Why? Everyone is different and we want to celebrate that!
We recommend that you do what makes you feel your best – after all, when you feel your best it really shines through in the photos.
If you get your hair coloured, do that before the shoot, if you like having your nails done, do that.
Make-up, we suggest doing the same as you would for a nice night out, although if you love to be pampered and made up by someone else and feel that this is what makes you shine, go right ahead!
Gents, have a shave before you come in – or don’t – it all depends on how you feel your best. Just remember the old rule… two weeks to a good haircut!
For the kiddies, full make-up on a child is unnecessary, hair out of eyes is suggested.
Pay special attention to nose, eyes and mouth, make sure there are no remnants of breakfast, snacks or the backyard 🙂 Wet wipes are always a great asset.
At the conclusion of the shoot we will make a sales appointment. This will generally be a week after the shoot date. This is where you will view your photographs from the session and decide which images and products you wish to purchase. For more information head to the General section on this FAQ page.
We include one viewing session per photographic session, therefore it is important for all decision-makers to be present at this time. As there are important decisions being made, we suggest that this is a child-free meeting to ensure you can concentrate on making the right decisions without distraction.
We offer you a selection of tried and tested premium products. Visit our products page to see all that we offer.
Sessions fees start at $195
Artwork ranges from $175 for a mounted print, to over $3000 for our largest pieces of premium wall art.
Digital Packages start at $500
From our experience, most people invest between $750 and $3500 on their custom artwork.
STUDIO TERMS AND CONDITIONS/POLICY
FULL Family group portrait Session
All adults must attend both the photography session and purchasing appointment
A $50 deposit is required to secure your booking into our dairy for all appointment. This deposit will be refunded or credited towards your order on the day of your design appointment. The deposit is not refunded if you give us less than 3 days notice for your appointment. This covers the loss of the appointment sessions and design appointment and your photographer’s time. Booking deposits are non-transferable.
Session must be booked prior to expiry date
No kids under 5 after 5 pm
Images are not to be used for commercial use
One gift voucher, per family, per year (for experience-based clients)
Opening time 10-6 pm, plus one Saturday of every month
Please advise us of any injuries, food allergies or special circumstances that may affect your pet during the session
Photography sessions can be quite active and involve physical activities. Any injuries need to be told to the photographer prior to the session. You must participate in your photography session at your own risk.
Any offers may not be used in conjunction with any other offer and voucher and is not redeemable for cash or any other goods and may only be used as described. Offer is not transferable.
Your cinematic reveal + design appointment must be scheduled no longer than 2 weeks from your photography session to redeem your gift voucher benefits.
Management reserves the right to refuse service at any time
We respect your privacy and personal information is not shared with any third party or other organisations.
Special offers cannot be used to purchase fine art portraits in any form, from a previous portrait session.
All images are products included in a single offer or special, must be a full family portrait and all of the same portrait.