10 Questions with Samantha Bryce Photography

1. What kind of experience do you have as a photographer?

My name's Sam, I'm a wife and Mummy of 2 beautiful girls. I have been the owner of Samantha Bryce Photography for the last 6 years.

I have ALWAYS had a camera in my hand, even in Primary School but when I picked up my first professional camera it was huge overwhelming and I completed multiple courses to master it and all types of lighting.

Specialising in newborns and babies was a no-brainer for me. I absolutely adore these new little people and all the emotions and moments that come with them.

Recently I have been capturing a lot more families as my original newborn client families have finished building their family's and have been returning for me to capture their completed family memories.

I honestly wish I had photographs of my babies the way I capture my clients babies and families.

2. What type of photography do you specialise in?

I specialise in Maternity and Newborn Portraiture but I also love doing Sitter sessions (older babies) First Birthday, Cake Smash and Family photography sessions so I can be there to capture my clients as their families grow.

3. Where are you located?

My studio is based in South West Sydney, NSW. I am located at 54 Wyattville Drive, West Hoxton.

Most of my sessions are held in my studio however, for a large part of my career I was a mobile photographer setting up my studio in clients homes. I still offer this if it's requested and still love heading outdoors for fun family sessions where the kids can run around and just be kids.

4. When should clients book their photography sessions?

The right time to book a Newborn Session is as soon as you know you want to do one, it's NEVER too early.

I do like to photograph newborns within 14 days of birth but no matter what age your baby is I will ALWAYS get beautiful portraits of your little person. I can be booked out a few months in advance sometimes but will always try and accommodate clients that have forgotten to make a booking, left it to the last minute or just had no idea they needed to book so early.

I do offer limited weekend sessions per month. These must be requested upon booking and are subject to availability.

5. What kind of prices and packages do you offer?

A session with me is $200 and includes the session, a 6x8 framed enlargement and your ordering appointment where you choose which high resolution digital images you would like in your chosen package.

All of my packages include high resolution digital images delivered in both colour and black and white.

My clients spend an average of $1200. Usually this is a mix of their chosen package as well as frames, canvas or albums that they may have added to their order in their ordering appointment.

I am not into hard selling as I know it makes me uncomfortable when I look from my clients position, so you will get no sneaky sales tactics here. This is also why I have NO minimum spend and you are welcome to spend as much or as little as you like.

6. How should customers prepare for their photography sessions?

I provide my clients with a very detailed Preparation Guide before their Newborn Session.

Generally it covers things like:

• Feeding your baby before you leave home to come to the studio.
• Make-up and Hair options for Mum
• Wearing simple black, white or neutral clothing with no logo etc so the focus is on you and your family and not your clothing
• Staying calm during your session if it's not going to plan because the baby can feed off your emotions. I'm a 'baby-led' photographer, which means if baby is having a bad day (like we all can) I work around what your little person wants to do so they are as calm and safe as possible.
• Always bring sentimental things or family heirlooms. Special things like these make your session a much more personalised and memorable experience.

7. What should customers expect during a photography session?

Newborn sessions start at 10am and generally go for approximately 2-4 hours. If your baby or their sibling is having a bad day (like even us adults can), if they want to cluster feed or they aren't settling quickly due to wind, reflux etc this can all contribute to how long your session goes for.

I am a 'baby-led' photographer which means I take my lead from the baby. If they want to be awake I capture their beautiful facial expressions and let them kick around until they're ready for sleep again. It helps to create a stress free environment for the baby as well as Mum and Dad.

I will always try and get any shots you have your heart set on but at the end of the day your baby is my boss.

Maternity, Baby, Cake Smash, First Birthday and Family Sessions usually take 1.5 hours.

8. How do you ensure safety of the newborn during the session?

Firstly I will say, the babies that come into my studio and their safety are my biggest priority. I have listed a few of the major things I have in place to make sure of this:

• I have been trained to safely pose newborns and would never force a baby into a position that is unsafe or that they weren't comfortable with.
• Weights are used in the bottom of all buckets and bowls to prevent them from tipping.
• Babies are never left unattended during a session.
• I am fully immunised.
• I have First Aid Training.
• I have a Working With Children Check (WWCC).
• I have completed the Australian Governments COVID-19 Infection Control Training
• My studio and any props I use in my sessions are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before and after sessions.
• I only take a limited amount of sessions per month so I'm not over exposed to too many people and have ample time to clean and sanitize everything properly.
• Everyone's temperatures must be taken before they enter my studio and hand sanitizer must also be used.

9. How soon will customers be able to get their photos?

Either an hour after your session or the following week (decided upon by both parties) you return to the studio to view your images at your ordering appointment. This can also be done as a Zoom Meeting.

You can expect to view up to 120 images from your session. You will choose which images go into your package from these.

The images you choose will be delivered in both colour AND black and white.

Your chosen images are hand edited and product orders are sent to reputable pro labs for printing and framing. This whole process can take up to 6 weeks to complete.

Once your order is received and all quality checks have been completed by me, I contact you with the good news that everything is ready to be picked up!

10. Do you have anything else you would like to tell us?

Another thing you may like to know about me is that I am a Volunteer Heartfelt Photographer. Heartfelt are a community of photographers volunteering their time and talent to capture irreplaceable memories for the parents of stillborn babies and terminally ill children. It is an organisation very close to my heart.

Beyond everything in this interview, I pride myself in the fact that my Google and Facebook reviews prove that I build wonderful relationships with my clients and most of my work comes from referrals from these clients singing my praises at just how patient and kind I am while providing their families with high quality services and products.

I would love nothing more than to talk to you about your own vision and answer any other questions you might have.