Rebecca Yale

If you’re thinking of sending out custom holiday cards or having a portrait taken as a gift, you’re going to want to do it right. Photographer Rebecca Yale explains how the process works, including the question she’d ask someone taking her photo. Plus: She knows retouching!

Why should I use you instead of an online card-making service?
There are wonderful online card-making services out there, but none of them come with a professional photographer to take your photo! I can speak from experience from years of my father begging everyone to pose for a family picture where our photos always ending up featuring grumpy, out-of-focus faces—getting nice photos of the whole family is hard. Leave it to a professional who knows the right light and the right poses, and you’ll end up with amazing photos of all of you together. I’m also an award-winning documentary photographer, so I love getting beautiful candid moments, too.

What if I don’t like the photos?
I’ve never had that happen! My clients choose the setting, and I work hard to make sure we shoot at the right time of day in that setting or I bring portable lighting to make sure everything looks perfect. I shoot with top-of-the-line digital equipment so I’ll often show clients a couple of images as we go. The process is very collaborative—I’d never make you do anything you’re uncomfortable with. (I’m also an expert retoucher!) I love what I do, so I work hard to make sure you love my photos as much as I do.

How does the custom-card process work? How long does it take?
The first step is a 90-minute shoot that takes place in your home, Central Park, Battery Park City, the streets of Tribeca—anywhere in New York you can think of. I travel with a full studio light kit so, really, the sky’s the limit. You’ll get an online gallery of all the images, from which you can pick which one (or ones) you’d like to use in your card and if you purchase my Gold Package you get a VIP in-home consultation where I talk you through all of the images and help you decide which to use for your card, prints, and mini book (which are all part of the Gold Package). My turnaround time is very fast. I have your online gallery ready for you within 72 hours of our shoot and then the print time for the cards is about a week from when you decide on the final card design.

Do you have references?
Of course! A lot of my business is word of mouth, and I have many great Tribeca, Battery Park City, and other Manhattan families and couples who would be happy to talk to you about my work. I also have a client testimonials section on my website that includes some of the feedback I’ve received. My work has been featured in galleries, magazines, and major parenting blogs across the country.

How much does it cost?
As a special for the holidays, both the Silver and Gold Packages are about 40% off my normal à la carte prices. They include holiday cards, prints, and a iPhone- or iPad-compatible digital brag book. The gold package also comes with a hardcover mini photo book and a CD of all the image files. The silver package is $300 and the gold package is $500.

If you were hiring a photographer to take your photo, what would you ask him or her?
Like most photographers, I don’t usually like having my picture taken, so the first thing I’d ask is how would you make me feel confident in front of the camera? My answer would be that I’m very outgoing, and I’ll go the extra mile to make you feel great in front of the camera. I can help you find flattering poses and I have an extensive knowledge of lighting, which is crucial. I’ve been known to do everything from a marathon game of peek-a-boo to get a baby to smile to putting on music and dancing around to make my shy adult clients laugh. There is nothing better than laughter and genuine smiles in photography and I’ll do whatever it takes to get those moments.

Rebecca Yale can be reached at 310-562-8377 or rebecca@rebeccayale.com.

This post was sponsored by Rebecca Yale Portraits.