FAQs
What is CLP Portraits?
CLP Portraits is the portrait focused division of Chase Lanier Photography, LLC. Chase has worked with the camera for over 20 years and has been in various parts of the photo industry over the past 15 years. Since turning his sole focus to his own business six years ago, he realized that it would eventually need to be split into various specialties. Portrait clients have different needs from your typical wedding client or commercial contact…
Where is CLP Portraits located?
We are located in Decatur, however we frequently travel all over the metro Atlanta area (and beyond) for photos. We are not a studio based portrait business, so the world is our backdrop.
How far will you travel for photos and is there a cost?
Typically most of our sessions happen within an hour’s drive of Decatur… This includes all of the metro Atlanta area (including Woodstock, Villa Rica, Peachtree City, McDonough, Covington, Madison, Monroe, and Swanee). For locations outside of an hours drive from Decatur, there are travel fees to cover the cost of gas and the extra time in the car. Certain locations also impose photography fees for location usage (Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Swan House, and many others). For locations that require a fee, the client is responsible for covering that cost.
Do you have a studio?
No. All of my sessions are done on site. I’ve done studio portraiture before in the past, however I never really enjoyed that type of photography since it felt so formulaic… The first few weeks were fun, however I found that I was rarely needing to think about how I was taking the photos since so many of the lighting setups and posing was already decided well before a client walked in the door.
Do you work with studio lighting?
Yes and no… I always bring multiple flash units (wireless speedlights for off-camera flash) and modifiers to each and every session. I never know what the light is going to be like, so I like to come prepared for anything. If the light is great, we can utilize the ambient light, however if it’s less than ideal, then I’ll have you covered.
Do you work with props?
Yes and no… Since all of my sessions are done on-site, I do not bring any photography props to the session, however I encourage for clients to bring personal objects to the session since their own possessions tend to make the photos that much more personal.
Can we incorporate our pets in the photos?
Absolutely! I love working with animals and our pets tend to be another member of the family… Unless they are super well-behaved, I would suggest planning on incorporating the furry friends for some, but maybe not all photos during the session.
What is the photography process like?
My sessions tend to be a mix of lifestyle and formal portraits… I will make suggestions about different areas that will work well for photos (great scene or awesome light). After getting into the scene, I like to provide little prompts to get people into a comfortable ‘pose’ that looks natural in front of the camera… After working in an area for a few minutes getting different variations of photos, we’ll move onto the next great spot. Along the way, I love for people to be themselves… Because of this, many sessions include giving time for actives to happen, where I’m just documenting (typically towards the end of the session if working with kids).
How long is the typical session?
Typically, sessions last around 60 minutes. That’s usually adequate time to get plenty of great photos without feeling rushed from spot to spot.
What if we need less time for the session?
We can certainly plan for less time, however I typically find that 60 minutes tends to be the minimum amount of time needed to get a good portfolio of images for client.
What if we need more time for the session?
Additional time can be added to any session as needed for $75/ half hour of additional coverage.
How long does it take to get photos back?
Edited digital files are guaranteed back within 14 days of the session. Edited digitized film files are guaranteed back with 50 days of the session. Once final selections are made, the hand-edited cosmetic files are delivered within 14 days of the final selection.
What happens during the normal editing process?
The first part of the editing process is culling the images. Over the course of a session, I’ll take a couple hundred photos… A lot of those will be repetitious, however I always like to make sure that I have one perfect photo from each setting. Once the images are culled all images are adjusted for color and tonality in Adobe Lightroom to insure accurate colors and skin tones during printing.
What happens during the hand-editing process?
For the images that are selected for hand-editing, they are brought into Photoshop to make further cosmetic changes to make sure everything looks as perfect as possible before delivery. This includes removing distracting elements from the scene, whitening teeth, fixing hair, adjusting figure, cleaning up skin blemishes, or swapping faces for group photos.
Why shoot film?
Film has a certain qualities that can be hard to replicate in digital imaging. It simply renders light and color differently. Film has less resolution and typically more grain, however each film stock provides a unique look and characteristic that makes the images stand out from the sea of digital images that we see on a daily basis. I also find that film images tend to have a slightly more timeless
Why do film images take longer to get back?
The joy of digital is that it is instant… I can start work right away on digital files once I’m back in front of the computer. Film, however has to be sent off to the lab, where they develop in batches… Sometimes I can get film back within a week, however other times it takes over a month until it’s processed at the lab. Once I receive the film back, I digitize it and do the same editing process that I use on my regular digital files.
What kind of equipment do you use?
I use full-frame digital cameras along with a 35mm film cameras. For lenses, I use a mixture of fast zooms and prime lenses with focal lengths anywhere from 17mm-300mm with plenty of lighting equipment and modifiers. For film shoots, I typically like to use a mixture of Kodak Portra and Ilford HP5, however there are dozens of different film stocks that can be used to unique results.
What is the booking process like?
To book a session, there is a $100 deposit to hold the time. The deposit will go towards your session fee. Along with the deposit, I have a Session Agreement that will need to be filled out. The Session Agreement covers all of the important information for the session (names, timing, location) so that we know exactly what your needs are.
How far in advance can I book?
Monday-Thursday sessions can be booked up up to 6 months in advance. Friday-Sunday sessions can be booked up to 2 months in advance.
Is the deposit refundable/ what if I need to cancel?
The deposit goes towards holding the date, to guarantee that photographic coverage will happen (regardless of other inquires that might come in for that same time). Because of that guarantee, if the client cancels the session within 14 days of the session, then the deposit is forfeited. If the session is canceled between 14-28 days from the date of the session, then there is a 50% refund given from the previously paid deposit. For sessions that are canceled more than 28 days prior to the session, then there is a 75% refund given from the previously paid deposit.
What if we need to reschedule?
If the date is rescheduled within 7 days of the session, then there is a $25 rescheduling fee. If the session is rescheduled more than 7 days from the event, then there is no rescheduling fee.
What if there’s bad weather for the day of our session?
Georgia weather is extremely unpredictable, so it’s not at all uncommon for sessions to be rescheduled due to poor weather. Since the forecast and weather can change so quickly, I usually don’t recommend fully rescheduling the session until we are certain that the weather will be poor for the day of the session. Contrary to popular belief, cloudy or overcast days are actually preferable for photos. If a session does need to be rescheduled due to weather, we’ll be glad to reschedule the session to another day that fits availability with no additional deposit or rescheduling fee.