What can I expect from a session, start to finish?
You will start off by booking your session. Kara communicates primarily with e-mail in order to keep organized, but sessions can always be arranged by phone. You will receive a confirmation e-mail one week before your session and Kara will answer any questions you might have. On the day of your session, Kara will meet you at the specified location and will lead you through a fun and relaxed series of what she likes to call “created candid moments”. Candid pictures are beautiful, but it’s no secret that even some of the best pictures have a little help getting started! Payment will be collected before the end of the session and your pictures will be ready at the specified time (2 to 3 weeks and sometimes longer in the busy spring and fall seasons). You can go home and relax after all of your hard work at the session and Kara will select and edit your images. Kara will contact you when your pictures are ready, provide you with gallery info, and notify you that your final package has been mailed. Prints and other materials can be ordered once the final package has been finished. Please do not inquire about the completion of your pictures. This takes precious time away from working on your pictures. Rest assured that you will be contacted the moment your pictures are ready and not a moment later.
How do I book a session?
Booking your session is as easy as sending an e-mail to brightshotphotography@gmail.com. Once your inquiry e-mail is received, a session can be planned via e-mail, or phone with Kara. We are happy to do consultations in person with prospective brides and grooms for wedding packages. Kara will help you to select a date and location and plan to meet at the specified time to begin your session. Once the session date has been selected, clients will be required to sign a short contract in order to secure their date.
How do I pay for my session?
Session fees must be paid the day of or before the session, unless otherwise arranged with Kara Proehl. Sessions can be paid for by cash or check written out to Bright Shot Photography. Prints can be purchased online out of your gallery by credit card.
What is included in my portrait package?
Everything that is listed under your specific package on our website is included with the session fee.
Are there any hidden fees?
There are only two additional fees that may come up for your session. They are as follows:
1. $75 Rush Fee. You may opt to add a $75 Rush Fee to your session fee if you need your images to be completed sooner than the completion time specified in your package. This is based off of the current workload and may or may not be available during busy times of the year.
2. Travel Fee. We do our best to keep our prices low and serve the St. Louis metropolitan area without charging travel fees, but will need to charge a specified travel fee if your session location is further than 30 miles one way from the heart of St. Louis. Please note that our policy will be changing on this by July 1, 2011 due to our change of location. The fee is as follows:
$30 initial fee for locations further than 30 miles one way, + $1 for every additional mile (one way).
Please consider the time involved in driving to a long distance location. Additional hours of driving require hours away from the office and from editing and working on previous sessions. This has been factored in to the pricing of our travel fee.
Please note that travel fees do NOT apply to weddings unless they will require significant travel costs and or overnight lodging. Travel fees for weddings can be discussed in your initial consultation.
What if I decide that I want more digital images than those that are included with my session?
You can purchase additional images from your session for $10.00 each or in package deals for discounts starting at 15%. You can view prices and terms on each portrait webpage.
Why don’t you sell prints on your website?
Print sizes and pricing are available in your online gallery. If you need a specialized size or type of print, please don’t hesitate to inquire with Kara at brightshotphotography@gmail.com.
Are you insured?
I protect myself and my clients with business liability insurance and through being members of the PPA, or Professional Photographers of America. The PPA’s Eligibility and Indemnification Trust protects us in the unlikely event of destroyed or lost work or digital property, and in the highly unlikely event that an emergency would prevent us from your session. An official letter of our participation in this Trust and proof of liability insurance can be provided upon request. I also carry business liability insurance through a major insurance company
Are you a “real” business?
We definitely pay taxes and are a registered LLC, as Bright Shot Photography LLC. We do business under the name of Bright Shot Photography in order to simplify the name. Kara Proehl is the sole owner of Bright Shot Photography LLC.
Do you have a studio?
Like many of the photographers in the area, we are mostly on location photographers. We will be happy to come to an outdoor or indoor location of your choice, including your home. We love the outdoors, and outdoor pictures are always the best – as long as the weather is nice!! 
Return Policy
All sessions are non-refundable and may not be exchanged for products or services unless approved prior to the session date by written e-mail from Kara Proehl to the client. Photo related items, including but not limited to: prints of all sizes, photobooks, storyboards, albums, flushmount albums, DVDs or CDs of any kind, and custom labeled DVDs are non-refundable. In the event of a defective item, the defective item must be returned by US mail to Bright Shot Photography PO Box 511054 St. Louis MO 63151 in care of Kara Proehl. Client must pay shipping and handling to return the item. The return of a defective item does not guarantee replacement of the item. After the item is received by Kara Proehl, it will be reviewed and possibly exchanged for a replacement item equal to the value of the original item.