From the moment you reach out to the moment your gallery lands in your inbox — here's exactly what working together looks like.
the EXPERIENCE
You know that slightly anxious feeling after you reach out to someone new?
Wondering if they got your message, what happens next, whether you said the right things?
Yeah. We're eliminating that completely.
From the very first email to the moment you download your final gallery, every single step of working together is intentional, communicated, and designed to make you feel like you're in the best possible hands.
Here's exactly how it goes.
Nobody should ever feel lost after hitting send on an inquiry form.
WHAT TO EXPECT
your JOURNEY
Step by step. Start to finish.
It starts with you filling out my contact form — just a few questions about your brand, what you're looking for, and where you want to go. There are no wrong answers here. You don't need to have everything figured out. Just tell me where you're at and what you're dreaming of.
I read every single inquiry personally and respond within 48 hours. No automated replies, no generic responses. Just me, genuinely excited to learn about your brand.
Once I've had a chance to review your inquiry I'll reach out to schedule a short discovery call — usually about 20-30 minutes. This is where we actually get to meet, talk through your brand in depth, and figure out together which session style and package makes the most sense for what you're trying to build.
This call is completely pressure-free. My goal isn't to sell you anything — it's to make sure we're genuinely a great fit before either of us commits to anything. If we are? Amazing. If for some reason we're not the right match, I'll tell you honestly and point you in a better direction.
This is honestly one of my favorite parts of the whole process — and most clients say they didn't expect to love it this much.
We schedule a dedicated planning call where we map out absolutely everything. Your shot list. Your locations. Your wardrobe. Your brand colors and how to bring them into the session. The mood, the energy, the story we're telling. I'll ask you questions you haven't thought to ask yourself yet about your brand — and by the end of the call you'll feel more clear and excited than anxious.
Within [X days] after our planning call you'll receive your custom mood board, your finalized shot list, and your detailed style guide so you know exactly what to bring, what to wear, and what to expect on shoot day.
Once we both decide we're a great fit — and yes, this is a mutual decision — we make it official. Here's what that looks like:
You'll receive a contract and invoice via email. A [X%] retainer secures your date and the remaining balance is due [X days] before your session. Once everything is signed and your retainer is in — your date is locked, it's real, and the fun part begins.
The week before your session I'll send a detailed prep email covering everything you need to know — what to bring, what to eat the morning of, how to prep your skin, what to do with your hair, how to get into the right headspace, and a final rundown of our timeline for the day.
You will be so prepared it almost feels like cheating.
I also send a day-before reminder with your shoot day details — location address, parking info, what time to arrive, and a little hype message because honestly you deserve it.
Here's what shoot day actually looks like:
You arrive. We hug. We do a little walk around the space together before we even think about picking up the camera — just getting comfortable, getting grounded, getting in the right energy.
Then we start slowly. The first few frames are almost always warm-up shots — we're not going for the hero image in the first five minutes. We're easing in, finding your rhythm, figuring out what makes you light up.
By the time we're an hour in you'll forget there's a camera at all. That's when the real magic happens.
I'll coach you through every pose, every transition, every moment. You'll never stand there wondering what to do with your hands. I've got you.
At the end of our session we'll do a quick back-of-camera review together so you leave feeling confident about what we captured — not anxious and wondering.
Once we both decide we're a great fit — and yes, this is a mutual decision — we make it official. Here's what that looks like:
You'll receive a contract and invoice via email. A [X%] retainer secures your date and the remaining balance is due [X days] before your session. Once everything is signed and your retainer is in — your date is locked, it's real, and the fun part begins.
our gallery is ready.
You'll receive an email with your private gallery link, download instructions, and a guide for how to best use your images across different platforms — website, Instagram, LinkedIn, press features, all of it.
Download everything. Back it up somewhere safe. And then — go show the world what your brand actually looks like.
The gallery delivery isn't the end of our relationship — it's usually just the beginning.
I genuinely care about what happens to your brand after our shoot. I'll check in after [X weeks] to see how you're using your images and whether there's anything else you need. Past clients get priority booking for future sessions and exclusive access to mini session dates when I run them.
And honestly? Most of my clients become people I genuinely root for. I'll be over here celebrating your wins, sharing your launches, and cheering you on long after the shoot day is a memory.
Don't just take my word for it
— MAYA REYES, Coastal Copy Co. San Diego, CA
was genuinely dreading being in front of the camera. I'm not photogenic, I'm awkward, and I had convinced myself the photos would be terrible. I cannot explain what happened during that shoot but I felt like a completely different person. The photos don't even look like me — they look like the version of me I always wanted to be.
— SLOANE WHITFIELD, Sloane Whitfield Wellness Encinitas, CA
The planning process alone was worth the investment. I've never felt so prepared and so clear on my brand before a shoot. She asked questions that made me think about my business in a completely new way.
— WAVERLY JAMES, The Slow Brand Laguna Beach, CA
From the first email to the final gallery delivery — every single touchpoint felt thoughtful and intentional. I've worked with photographers before but nothing like this. This felt like a whole experience.
— CAMERON ELLIS, Ellis & Co. Creative San Diego, CA
I booked my session on a Tuesday and had my sneak peek by Friday. By Saturday morning I had already updated my website hero image and gotten three DMs from people saying my brand finally felt cohesive. Three DMs. In one day. Emery's work does not play around.
Brand photography is an investment — and I want you to go into it with complete clarity on what that looks like financially. No surprises, no awkward "we'll talk about pricing later" conversations.
Sessions start at $[XXX] and vary based on session length, location, and deliverables. Full investment details including package breakdowns and add-on options are on my Services page.
Transparent pricing because you deserve to know what to expect.
READY TO TALK NUMBERS?
A few more things people always ask.
still have questions?
Life happens — I completely understand. Rescheduling requests made more than [X days] in advance can typically be accommodated based on availability at no additional charge. Please refer to your contract for full rescheduling terms.
For outdoor location sessions, we'll make the call together the morning of your shoot based on the forecast. I always have backup date options available for weather-related reschedules. Honestly some of the most beautiful light happens on overcast days — don't count us out just because it's cloudy.
For most sessions I actually recommend coming alone or with minimal support — extra people in the space can sometimes make clients more self-conscious rather than less. That said, if having your assistant, business partner, or a trusted friend present would genuinely make you more comfortable, let's talk about it during our planning call.
In my experience this hasn't happened — but I take it seriously as a concern. The reason the planning process is so thorough is specifically to make sure we're completely aligned before we ever show up to shoot. When the mood board, the shot list, and the styling are all mapped out together in advance, the final gallery reflects exactly what we planned. If there's ever a specific image or edit that isn't working for you, I'm always happy to revisit it.
That's exactly what the discovery call is for. I'd much rather spend 20 minutes on a call making sure we're aligned than have either of us commit to something that isn't the right fit. Reach out and we'll figure it out together.
You've seen the process. You know what to expect. Now let's begin.
The hardest part is always just starting. Reaching out. Saying yes to the thing you've been putting off because it never felt like quite the right time.
Here's the truth — there's never a perfect time. There's just now, and the brand you're building, and the photos that could change everything.
I'm ready when you are.
