Myrtle Beach Photography
Important Information To Prepare For You Session
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Appearance:
Hair

The average wind speed at the beach is 10 to 15 miles per hour.  You hair is going to blow and you need to make sure that it is secure before going to your session.  Even if you never use hair spray or other products to hold hair in place, it is a good idea to use it before coming to the beach for the beach portrait. Even a small breeze can blow hair in front of eyes and cause people to keep moving their arms and hands to remove it. My advice is to use some before you arrive or bring it along in case you need it. Hair bands and ponytails are another good alternative.  The photographer is very busy out there and it is very important that you pay attention to you hair as he/she can't reasonably fix everyones hair.  

Sweat

No one wants to talk about it but it is hot on the beach.  It may be wise to bring a small towel to the beach with you to wipe away sweat.  Sweat causes shine on the face and dark spots on clothing.  If you sweat a lot, you can purchase underarm pads that will reduce the sweat on clothing.  Sweat also causes the sand to stick to your body parts that touch the sand.  Be aware of this and wipe away the sand upon standing up.  Sandy legs make for an unpleasant image.  Each person is responsible for making themselves as neat as possible.  Our graphics department can remove sand but it is a very difficult process and can get costly for the customer, graphically. 

Short Skirts and Baggy Shorts

While we are on the topic of unpleasant things.  Women often wear skirts to the beach.  Many times you will be up on a dune and the photographer will be shooting up at you.  While the area between the skirt hem and you leg often will show your undergarments.  It may look blacked out to the photographer's naked eye, once the flash goes off, that area will be  illuminated.  Be aware of your leg position and try and wear skirts that will cover those areas while seated.  Same message goes for men in baggy shorts.  Guys sometimes sit with their knees up and open.  This same thing can happen with you.  Be aware!  

Transition Lenses/Sun Glasses

Please be aware of your eye wear.  Transition lenses become very dark on the beach and even if you need them to see, consider taking them off for your photograph.  Same goes for sun glasses.

Shoes and Socks

Many times older people refuse to remove their foot wear.  Please discuss this in advance and decide if socks and shoes on one or two people is the look you want for your family portrait.

Personal Belongings 

Don't just toss your personal belongings such as purses, glasses, keys etc. down beside you.  Be sure that these items are not in the photographers shot.

Props

Small Children sometimes have a favorite beach toy that they like. It sometimes makes a great shot if they are allowed to hold it. Depending upon the child, it is sometimes the only way to get them to sit still for a shot.
Older children may want to bring a surfboard or skim board, or some other favorite beach item. It all adds to the personality of the shot.  We do have props available upon request.  (some charges may apply)

Clothing

Clothing is as important to the success of the shot as location, lighting and posing.

Classic Beach Portrait
For the look of the classic beach portrait everyone should dress in coordinated outfits. Young girls look beautiful with white dresses, and young men look smart with tans, pressed collared white shirts and old worn blue jeans. If all the women dress similarly and all the men dress similarly then the photo has a more formal professional look. During cooler weather, hooded sweatshirts  work well

Some Alternatives:
All white dresses for women and little girls and straw hats can add another dimension to this classic look.

To make it different you can choose a pastel or light color instead of the white for shirts and tops like sky blue, light pink or pale creamy orange. The alternative to pastel for shirts is bright highly saturated colors like red, and pink.

Another alternative is red or navy shirts and tops and white pants and shorts. Red is perfect if you intend to use one of the photos for a Christmas card.

Another way to make this classic look a little different is if all of the men and boys wear a darker color on top, like a Denim shirt, or Navy or Black Polo shirts.

Another alternative is for everyone to wear Blue Jeans instead of Khakis.

Multiple Families

When shooting multiple families together - if you would like to differentiate each family, each sub family can wear a matching color shirts.

Clothing and Accessories for Women

Women look best in v-neck and scoop neck tops. Short sleeve and sleeveless make this look very summery. Keep Jewelry simple.  Try and cover the parts of your body that you don't want to show the world.

Clothing and Accessories for Men

Men should wear shirts with either crew or polo open neck shirts. Avoid button down shirts unless they can be pressed crisply for a clean look and avoid pleated front pants as they are not flattering on most people. Short sleeve shirts look more summery than long sleeve shirts. Remove large dark colored watches.

Shoes
For summer portraits, we suggest everyone to be barefoot. This uniformity works best and also creates a more summery image.

Cool Weather Cover Ups
Sometimes after a storm in the summer there may be a cool breeze on the beach. If the weather is cool please bring sweatshirts and sweaters in colors that work well with the outfits that you have chosen.

Infants and Small Children

It is helpful if they are rested and fed before they arrive for the photo shoot.

Dogs
We can work with dogs, but would like the owners to have realistic expectations about how much time a real pet portrait takes. The activity of a lot of people moving about around the dog on the beach is usually to distracting to get the dog to sit still and look in the direction of the photographer for very long.

Absolutely No Personal Cameras

One of our biggest challenges is customers bringing their personal cameras to the beach and shooting behind our photographer.  We reserve the right to end the photo shoot without refund if this happens.  It is not only rude but distracting to the subjects as well as the photographer.  The photographers uses his/her knowledge to pose, position according to the sun, and for someone to stand behind him/her with a personal camera and shoot is not acceptable. 

Bring the Photographer's Phone # With You

Please be sure to ask for the photographers phone number if we forget to give it to you.  Many times, customers and even photographers become stuck in traffic or get lost.  It is necessary to inform the photographer if this happens as they will do the same for you.  Our roads are named by numbers and North Myrtle Beach has the same number system as Myrtle Beach so be sure and be aware of the location of your shoot.  Make sure you ask our reservation department if you are unsure of your location.  Don't depend on GPS because it sometimes becomes confused if you are not exactly sure about the location. 

Q&A

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Where do we have our Beach Portrait taken?
We can certainly come to your hotel or accommodation, although most of the time that is not the best idea and we cannot guarantee you will like your background.  We have chosen many spots along the Grand Strand that work best for beach portraits. Usually  hotel beaches are very cluttered and the dunes have been trampled.  We will suggest a location within minutes of your accommodation.

How far in advance to we need to book our beach portrait?
Since we have limited availability, we recommend booking your beach portrait as soon as possible so that you are assured of a time that is suitable for you. If, however, you decide last minute to have a beach portrait taken, please call us. We may be able to accommodate you with very little advanced notice - possibly even the same day!  We do not take a deposit although we do hold your reservation with a credit card.  For some reason, if you do not call to cancel or you no-show, we reserve the right to charge your card for the session fee.  

When is the best time of day to have our beach portrait taken?
The lighting is best either early morning (6:00am or 6:30am) or early evening (6:00pm to 7:00 pm). We do offer earlier times in the evening but prefer to shoot as close to sunset as possible.   The exact time varies depending on the time of year. We will be able to give you an exact time when you book your beach portrait.

What should we wear?
Covered in detail above.

What if it’s an overcast day?
Great!  Overcast conditions actually provide excellent lighting for portraits.  Think about it … you won’t have to squint from the bright sun and there won’t be any harsh shadows on faces or elsewhere.  Clouds act as a natural diffuser to give us nice soft lighting.  So . . . DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE CLOUDS!

What if it rains?
If it looks like rain, we will wait until the last possible minute to see what happens.  Many times the rain misses us and we are able to continue with a great shoot.  If it does actually rain, we will contact you by phone to reschedule your shoot.  

How many pictures do you take?
As many as it takes! It doesn't cost you any more whether we take 50 shots or 150. Our goal is to provide you with as many quality proofs as possible. If that means you want 30 different shots of the same child, just let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you. Remember, this beach portrait is for YOU. We want to give you what you want!

Do you take just “family” shots?
Absolutely not. We usually start with a few “family” poses. However, when we are done with those shots we will break down your family as many ways as possible. For instance, we will take pictures of just the kids together; the kids individually; the boys with dad; the boys with mom; the girls with mom; the girls with dad; mom and dad, etc., etc., etc. You get the point. Remember, it doesn't cost you any more for us to take all of these pictures. We want your family beach portrait to reflect every aspect of your family. A basic session is 30 to 40 minutes so if you have a family of 6 or 7 and want a lot of extra shots, you may want to consider the premier that lasts a bit longer.  

Is there a minimum purchase requirement?
Not at all. You purchase what you want . Period. We don't assume to know what your needs are and do not force you to buy more than you want. We are very flexible and we want your beach portrait to be as positive and as memorable as possible.

How do we view our proofs ?
You will be able to view your proofs on our website approximately one to two days after your shoot. (This time  frame may vary in certain situations - your photographer will tell you at the end of your shoot when you can expect to view your proofs) . You will be instructed to call our office at 843-444-5600 the morning after your shoot.  We will give you instructions from there.  You may also make an appointment to view proofs at one of our two locations.   Keep in mind, proofs are not retouched and have not yet been corrected for color and density and clutter in the background as your final prints will be.

What if I need my proofs retouched or altered?
Your final portraits will be corrected for color and density and clutter.  They will be cropped to fit the format of the size you order.  We offer a wide range of digital “fixes” such as the removal of unwanted objects or people, the removal of eyeglass glare and head swaps.  Because these can only be fixed through corrective artwork which is done on a per pose basis, the costs usually range from $10 to $60.  You will need to consult with our staff for a quote.

How do I place my order?
Orders may be placed online, via phone or email or in person.  Please note, some options, such as packages and different media selections (fine art paper, metallic paper etc.) may not be available online in which case you would need to email us or phone in your order.  Payment is due when you place your order.

How do I know what size wall portraits to order?
Typically, the more people there are in a photo, the larger the wall portrait should be. As a rule of thumb, the faces in a group wall portrait should be 2 to 5 inches in height to be visible from across the room. If your group portrait consists of 6 or more people, we recommend a minimum of 16 x20 for large families and  20x24" or 24x30" will be even better.

Do you offer Christmas/Holiday cards ?
Absolutely!  Go to our packages page and you can find samples and prices.  Some of our larger packages include holiday cards.  We can custom quote for very large orders.

Do you take credit cards ?
Yes we do. We accept Visa, Master Card and Discover. 

 Will we get wet ?

This will be up to you. Many times at the end of the photo session if you are willing to jump in and get wet we can take a lot of fun in the water photos.  I can't tell you how many times we have started a session and the young children run for the water dressed in their  best.  Pay close attention to your kids.  

Can we make copies of the prints we order?

No that would be a copyrights violation. But you can buy a master DVD of all your edited photos that will include rights to make your own prints at any size and amount.  Even if you are willing to bend the copyright law and make your own prints, they generally turn out badly and are not going to be something you will be proud of.  

Can we buy a master DVD of our images and then make our own prints?

Yes we can sell you a master DVD of all your images. We offer this service in high resolution and low resolution.  The low resolution is suitable for web and computer use.  Thinks like facebook and social networking as well as emailing. This cd is unedited and priced accordingly.  We offer two high resolution CD's.  They are  printable images which will come with 100 edited images of your choice from your session (Premier CD) and 50 edited images (Basic CD).  You will also receive a letter from us giving you co copyrights and permission to edit and make as many prints as you wish in any size you want.

Please come prepared to enjoy the process and have fun with your families making wonderful Myrtle Beach memories that will last for a lifetime!  We can't wait to meet our new friends and welcome back our return friends.

Quick Links - Site Map (click here for sitemap)

Myrtle Beach Photography: Myrtle Beach Studio: 3926 Wesley St. Suite 504, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
832-236-5403  1-800-290-3727
North Myrtle Beach Studio: 120 Pinnacle Place # G, Little River, SC, 29566

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Pricing:  

Wedding-.   A deposit of 50%  is required at the time of booking.  Date is confirmed once funds have cleared.   A 20- refund policy exists and a written cancellation must be received before the 20th day to receive a full refund of deposit.   If wedding date falls within the 20day period, no refund policy is void.  All posted prices at the time of  booking will apply  regardless of  price changes. The balance is when proofs are completed and either delivered or posted online.  

Beach Portraits- Session fees are not due until proofs are provided or posted online.  No images will be posted online until the session fee is paid  in full.  A credit card number will be taken when session is reserved.  Credit card will not be charged unless customer  does not show for session or if customer does not contact studio after  session has been completed for 30 days to make arrangements for payment of session.   

Cancellation: If MB Photo Inc fails to perform any duty for any  reasons beyond their control, MB Photo Inc.'s  liability shall be limited to only refund of any  monies paid to  MB Photo Inc. and will not be responsible for any other consequential damages, emotional or otherwise

Privacy:

MB Photo Inc. owns all images and customers of MB Photo Inc.  do not own the copyright in the photograph(s), and waive any right to inspect or approve the finished use of the photograph(s) and that the copyright of the photograph(s)  belong only to MB Photo Inc. unless otherwise expressed in writing. All MB Photo Inc. customers release and discharge MB Photo Inc from any liability whatsoever, for their use of images taken of clients and understand that MB Photo Inc.  owns and can use images for the purpose of promotion and display.  

Artistic License: MB Photo Inc. shall  be granted artistic license and released all liability for any images taken during sessions. MB Photo Inc. agrees to not take any images that are obscene or in bad taste,  Customer agrees to release MB Photo Inc. of any liability due to weather or other acts of nature that may disrupt session or alter the appearance of image(s). MB Photo Inc. will attempt to reschedule customer if weather conditions are not appropriate for conducting a session  Customer also releases MB Photo Inc. from liability due to  the weather and the willingness of subjects  to capture all the photographs requested. The photographer  shall also be granted artistic license during the editing and post-production process.  MB Photo Inc. is not responsible for consequential damages, emotional or otherwise

PRIVACY POLICY:

MB Photo Inc.  will make every effort to keep customers images password  protected while on our site. We will use the information that you provide us only in order to contact you and will not provide your contact information to any other companies. We reserve the right to update or change this privacy policy at any time.

Limitation of Liability and Disclaimer: MB Photo Inc. agrees that every effort will be made to provide high quality photographic services.  In the unlikely event  mechanical failure of  equipment or for any other unforeseen reason,  MB Photo Inc .is unable to provide agreed upon photography services and/or products, or if the quality of the services and/or products is deemed to be substandard by the customer, MB Photo Inc.  is not libel or responsible for any other consequential damages, emotional or otherwise and that MB Photo Inc.'s  liability shall be limited to a monetary refund for percentage of  incomplete  portion of job whether full or partial . Neither party shall be liable for indirect or consequential loss.

Fulfillment of Contractual Obligations: Customers of MB Photo Inc. agree that not all images provided or attempted to capture  by MB Photo Inc.  will be successful.  MB Photo Inc. will make every attempt to capture a reasonable number of images per session.  MB Photo Inc. in no way guarantees a certain number of images per session.  It is the policy of MB Photo Inc. to shoot over the average standard so once editing has occurred, the customer will be provided a reasonable number of images.  It is up to MB Photo Inc'.s  discretion to determine which images are suitable for viewing by the customer.  Customers  of MB Photo Inc. do not have any rights to demand to see every image taken during a session.    

License to Reprint & Redistribute: Where negatives or high resolution images on CD are provided to the customers of MB Photo Inc, customer will be given license and right to reprint those images for personal use only. They may not be sold or used in any commercial publication or website without the written consent of MB Photo Inc.  . Where negatives or high resolution images on CD are not provided, MB Photo Inc.  reserves the sole right of image and my reproduce, use in marketing and advertising and promotion. 

COPYRIGHT NOTICE :

This site is owned and operated by MB Photo Inc. DBA Myrtle Beach  Photography.  All of the content shown on this site, including, but not limited to photographs, images, text are the exclusive intellectual property of  MB Photo Inc.  The Content is protected by US and international copyrights. No Content may be downloaded, copied, reproduced, republished, manipulated, altered, transmitted, or distributed in any way, express of MB Photo Inc Use of the content for any other purpose, than  informational  is a violation of  MB Photo Inc.  copyrights. In the event of an infringement of these user agreement terms, you will be notified and invoiced the industry standard Triple Fee for unauthorized usage and/or prosecuted for Copyright violations.

Myrtle Beach Photography
3926 Wesley St. Suite 504
Myrtle  Beach, SC 29579
843-444-5600, 1-800-290-3727

Myrtle Beach Photography is a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina company that has been serving the Grand Strand area for ten years. Our photographers are the finest most professional photographers in Myrtle Beach. We specialize in Family Beach Photography, Beach Weddings, Family Reunions, Corporate Events as well as Commercial and Product photography in Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas. If you are considering a photography session during your visit to Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Little River, Cherry Grove, Surfside Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island or Georgetown, please give Myrtle Beach Photography a call.