Essential Session
$350

Editing included. A focused, one-hour session ideal for individuals, professional images, personal brands, or portrait gifts.

  • One hour at a single location
  • 5 professionally edited portraits
  • High-resolution digital delivery
  • All editing included — no additional fees
  • Within 30 miles of Lafayette, IN or Urbana-Champaign, IL
Something more

Multiple locations, a larger selection of edited images, ongoing brand work, extended collaboration — if your brief is bigger or different, get in touch and we'll figure out the right scope together.

Multiple locations Extended editing Ongoing brand work Custom scope

Scoped to your brief

Tell me what you need

The Essential session makes a good gift — milestone birthdays, dissertation defences, graduations, partners, parents. If you're booking for someone else, mention it when you get in touch and we'll arrange the details to suit.

Travel

Available beyond Lafayette

I work out of Lafayette and Urbana-Champaign, but I travel. Fees below cover the extra time and distance.

Lafayette & Urbana-Champaign
No additional fee

Sessions within 30 miles of Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana or Urbana-Champaign, Illinois are included in the standard rate.

Indianapolis
+$100

Either session, same approach.

Chicago
+$200

Either session, same approach.

Somewhere not listed? Get in touch.

What to expect

What you're actually getting

Here's roughly how it goes: you email, we talk. We figure out a location that makes sense — somewhere you know, somewhere you've been meaning to go, or somewhere I suggest. I show up with one camera. We wander, I take maybe 200 frames. You won't get all of them. You'll get the ones that work. A week or two later, they're in your inbox — edited, ready to use, no asterisks.

A pre-session conversation

Before we shoot, we talk. What are you looking for? What setting feels right? What do you want these portraits to do for you? That conversation shapes everything.

Professional editing

Every delivered image is colour-graded, retouched, and ready to use — editing is included in the price.

Digital delivery

Your final images are delivered via a private online gallery, available to download at any time.

Single-location focus

Sessions are at one location — this isn't a limitation, it's a choice. Staying in one place lets us go deeper, settle in, and find the images that live there rather than rushing between spots.

For people & brands

Personal portraits or brand work — the format doesn't change much. You still need images that look like the real thing, not a stock-photo version of it.

Usage rights

All delivered images are yours — personal use, commercial use, print, web, whatever you need.

Questions

Common questions

Do I need to have photography experience?

Not at all. Most people feel a little awkward in front of a camera — that's completely normal, and part of my job is helping you get past it. We'll take our time, and by the end of the session you'll have forgotten the camera is there.

How do I choose a location?

We figure this out together in our pre-session conversation. It might be somewhere meaningful to you, somewhere that reflects your aesthetic, or simply a well-lit space that suits the mood you're going for. I'll make suggestions if you'd like them.

How long does editing take?

Typically 1–2 weeks after the session. You'll receive a link to a private online gallery when your images are ready.

Can I book for a special event or celebration?

Yes. I'm happy to work around events — engagements, birthdays, graduations. Mention it when you get in touch and we'll plan from there.

What if the weather doesn't cooperate for an outdoor session?

We'll reschedule at no additional cost. Weather happens — I'd rather get the session right than push through conditions that don't serve the work.

I'm a researcher, academic, or faculty member — is this right for me?

Yes. I'm in university towns, and I know the brief: something for your faculty page or research profile that doesn't look like it was taken at a school photo day. We'll make something that actually looks like you work there on purpose.

Can I book for my small business or brand?

Yes. I work with small businesses on brand imagery — the kind that looks like you made it, not like you bought it from a template site. Tell me what you're building and we'll figure out the right approach.

What if neither session is quite what I need?

Get in touch and describe what you're after. The two formats work well for most things, but not everything — if you need multiple locations, a bigger edit, ongoing work, or something I haven't listed, I'd rather figure out the right scope in conversation than have you pick a box that doesn't fit.

From clients

What people say.

Zach really helped me shine. It was comfortable, casual, and professional. He’s the kind of photographer I’d want to work with over and over.

Alex Non-profit branding
Book a session

Not sure which session?

Get in touch and we'll figure out what fits.