City Headshots & Wildflower Photography
Shoot Policies
We're very much looking forward to working with you!
To prepare for your shoot, we first recommend you check out these two fun articles:
After you read those, if you're interested in our specific policies, feel free to continue reading :)
To prepare for your shoot, we first recommend you check out these two fun articles:
- What to Wear on Camera (we don't carry any clothes in-studio)
- How to Get the Most Out of Your Photoshoot
After you read those, if you're interested in our specific policies, feel free to continue reading :)
General Reschedule & Cancellation Policies:
For questions or clarification regarding any of the policies on this page, feel free to email [email protected].
For further details on our refund/reshoot policies, you can read below:
- Please arrive on time or 5-10 minutes early to your shoot (but not more than that). If you are more than five minutes late, your shoot may be cut short or rescheduled. Traffic is unpredictable and trains are often delayed, so please plan accordingly.
- If last-minute rescheduling is necessary, the initial deposit payment will be forfeited (for corporate accounts, your company will be invoiced this fee). This is because we still have to pay our team for their time, and we also turn away other shoots to hold your slot. To schedule a new time, you will need to place a second payment. In no event can your package be changed to a lower priced option due to lateness.
- Ho Ho Kus Studio: 611 North Maple Ave., Ho Ho Kus, NJ 07423. When you arrive you can pull into the parking lot around the back. The office is located upstairs in Suite 9.
- Midtown Studio: 2 West 46 St., Suite 1500. We're located right off the corner of 46th St. and 5th Ave. When you arrive downstairs, simply tell security you're there for City Headshots on the 15th floor and you will be asked for ID. There are numerous parking garages in the area (street parking is minimal).
- You may reschedule once as long as you let us know 24 hours in advance via email. Less notice than that will forfeit the deposit payment. Reschedule dates must be made within a month of your original shoot date. Additional reschedules after the first will forfeit 50% of the deposit payment.
- Note: In cases of extreme weather conditions (temperatures above 95° or below 25°, severe thunderstorms, hail, snow, or wind), you may email to reschedule at least 4 hours in advance, and it will NOT count against your one allowed reschedule. This only applies for outdoor shoots (or if the weather causes you to physically be unable to make it to your session). Regular rain is NOT considered an extreme weather condition because we shoot underneath overhangs and the rain does not affect the shoot.
- In the event of a full cancellation, the deposit payment is non-refundable unless you give us at least 72 hours notice (see the contingency below). In order to hold time slots, we have to turn away other clients and our team members still bill for their time regardless of whether the shoot takes place, which is why we cannot refund payments without at least 3 days of notice. However, we understand that emergencies happen, and will try to work with you as best we can. Note the following contingencies for full refunds:
- Refund contingency: If you request a cancellation due to something that was not an error on our end, we can either (a) offer you a gift card of the full value of the payment you made or (b) refund the money to your card, less a 10% fee that covers incidental costs on our end, including credit card fees and other costs we incur (this is similar to a restocking fee at a store).
- Cancelling makeup for your shoot with less than 72 hours notice will result in a forfeiture of the makeup payment. If you had booked the makeup artist and just want to cancel that service, your full makeup payment will be forfeited because we still have to pay the makeup artist for his/her time and availability.
- If you booked a makeup artist, they will do full makeup for camera and light hair touchups. Please note there will not be enough time for full hairstyling, so please make prior arrangements with a salon.
- Outdoor Shoots: For all shoots within walking distance of our studio, we will meet at the studio unless we confirm a different meeting location beforehand.
- Shoots are sent by 8pm: All photos are sent out from each days shoots by no later than 8pm, so if you haven't received your link by that time, please email us and we will resend the next day. Sometimes the links go to spam or somehow disappear and need to be resent a second time.
For further details on our refund/reshoot policies, you can read below:
Refunds & Reshoots:
By placing a booking deposit and doing a photo session with City Headshots or Wildflower Photography, you agree to and accept the terms outlined on this page. The photos on the portfolio pages of this website and our sister sites prolevelportraits.com, actors.cityheadshots.com, wildflowerweddingstudio.com, and wildflowerfamilyportraits.com are indicative of the quality and style of photography you will receive when shooting a photo session with us.
To ensure excellent quality in every session, the photos will be shown to you for approval as the session progresses, and you should let the photographer know if there is anything you want done differently, so long as the style you request is similar to the photos shown on our sites. By personally approving the photos as they are shot, and by paying for and accepting the images at the end of your session, you agree to the following terms:
To ensure excellent quality in every session, the photos will be shown to you for approval as the session progresses, and you should let the photographer know if there is anything you want done differently, so long as the style you request is similar to the photos shown on our sites. By personally approving the photos as they are shot, and by paying for and accepting the images at the end of your session, you agree to the following terms:
Reshoot Policy:
Free Reshoot:
If during the headshot session, when the images are shown to you, you disapprove of certain aspects, it is your responsibility to communicate your concerns to the photographer, and he/she will do his/her best to accommodate your needs. The photographer will not take offense, and in fact appreciates when clients are very specific about their wants. If you disapprove of the images and the photographer is unable to do anything to improve them to your satisfaction (and the quality is not similar to the photos on our websites), you may ask us for a refund of the initial payment and opt to end your shoot early without paying. However, once you approve of the images, pay for, and receive them, we can no longer offer refunds or free reshoots (except as outlined below).
Rare Cases:
In the extremely rare instance that you do a headshot session and personally approve of the images, but are told by others later that the images are unsatisfactory, you may request a reshoot. However, please note that this only applies if both parties agree about the unsatisfactory quality of the images based on the following: If the final images (after any necessary lighting adjustments have been made to the RAW files) strongly resemble those shown in the portfolio pages of this website or or our sister websites, and both parties did not agree to a different style of photography via email before the shoot, a free reshoot cannot be granted, but a discounted one will.
Discounted Reshoot:
If you have approved of and accepted the images, and then decide you would like a reshoot because of something that was not an error on City Headshots' part (i.e. you didn't like your outfit or decide you want a different backdrop), we offer a 50% discounted reshoot policy. To receive the discount, you must contact us within fourteen (14) days of the original shoot to schedule a reshoot sometime within a thirty (30) day period of the initial reshoot request. After that time frame has ended, discounted reshoots can no longer be granted.
Equipment Failure:
City Headshots has a range of high-quality cameras, multiple light backups, and many other failsafe protections in the event of an equipment failure. However, in the extremely rare instance that there is a technical failure that cannot be fixed, we will offer to reschedule the headshot session on a separate day at a discounted rate of 50% as an apology, and you will not be charged for the original shoot. You may also ask for a refund of the full amount you have paid, including the booking deposit if you do not want to do a reshoot.
Inclement Weather:
On the day of the shoot, if the weather does not look good and you want to do an outdoor shoot, it is suggested that you call to reschedule. As long as you call at least four hours before the shoot, we can re-apply the initial payment to a new date. Generally, light rain and breeze don't affect a shoot too much, as we can shoot in covered areas. However, in cases of extreme cold, snow, pouring rain, or high wind, it is suggested you reschedule. If you arrive and the weather is unsuitable to shoot in, we may recommend an indoor shoot. If you still request to shoot outdoors in bad weather and are unhappy with the results of the final images (hair, in particular), we cannot be held liable and a full refund or free reshoot cannot be granted.
Makeup and Hair:
It is your responsibility to communicate with the makeup/hair stylist your desires if you need something very specific. There are 45 minutes added to shoots for women, and 20 minutes added to shoots for men to accommodate for makeup and light hair. This is enough time to let the stylist know if you have any specific requests or if you need some adjustments made after the makeup has been applied. Refunds for makeup are generally not granted because our makeup artist ensures you approve of the makeup when we show you a test shot before the shoot begins. If there is an error made on her part that causes your shoot to run overtime, you will not be charged for the extra time. If another shoot is starting and there is no additional time, we can reschedule your shoot or ask the next client to wait a few extra minutes.
You may opt to use your own hair stylist or makeup artist for your shoot, however please note that there will be no additional time added for styling. It is recommended that you come camera-ready and then your stylist can make some quick touchups before we begin shooting. They are more than welcome to stay during the shoot to ensure you look your best.
Image Cropping:
One reason people ask for reshoots is due to the crop factor of headshots. However, after reading the article below, most clients opt not to do a reshoot. If showing the entire top of your head is of paramount importance to you and you need horizontal shots, please let the photographer know at the beginning of the session. If you do not notify us before or during the session, we cannot be held accountable for dissatisfaction with the shots. Please note that business headshots always show the full head, and are usually done vertically. Actor headshots are taken much closer in, and both horizontally or vertically may crop the tip of the hair.
Article: Why Crop the Hair?
If during the headshot session, when the images are shown to you, you disapprove of certain aspects, it is your responsibility to communicate your concerns to the photographer, and he/she will do his/her best to accommodate your needs. The photographer will not take offense, and in fact appreciates when clients are very specific about their wants. If you disapprove of the images and the photographer is unable to do anything to improve them to your satisfaction (and the quality is not similar to the photos on our websites), you may ask us for a refund of the initial payment and opt to end your shoot early without paying. However, once you approve of the images, pay for, and receive them, we can no longer offer refunds or free reshoots (except as outlined below).
Rare Cases:
In the extremely rare instance that you do a headshot session and personally approve of the images, but are told by others later that the images are unsatisfactory, you may request a reshoot. However, please note that this only applies if both parties agree about the unsatisfactory quality of the images based on the following: If the final images (after any necessary lighting adjustments have been made to the RAW files) strongly resemble those shown in the portfolio pages of this website or or our sister websites, and both parties did not agree to a different style of photography via email before the shoot, a free reshoot cannot be granted, but a discounted one will.
Discounted Reshoot:
If you have approved of and accepted the images, and then decide you would like a reshoot because of something that was not an error on City Headshots' part (i.e. you didn't like your outfit or decide you want a different backdrop), we offer a 50% discounted reshoot policy. To receive the discount, you must contact us within fourteen (14) days of the original shoot to schedule a reshoot sometime within a thirty (30) day period of the initial reshoot request. After that time frame has ended, discounted reshoots can no longer be granted.
Equipment Failure:
City Headshots has a range of high-quality cameras, multiple light backups, and many other failsafe protections in the event of an equipment failure. However, in the extremely rare instance that there is a technical failure that cannot be fixed, we will offer to reschedule the headshot session on a separate day at a discounted rate of 50% as an apology, and you will not be charged for the original shoot. You may also ask for a refund of the full amount you have paid, including the booking deposit if you do not want to do a reshoot.
Inclement Weather:
On the day of the shoot, if the weather does not look good and you want to do an outdoor shoot, it is suggested that you call to reschedule. As long as you call at least four hours before the shoot, we can re-apply the initial payment to a new date. Generally, light rain and breeze don't affect a shoot too much, as we can shoot in covered areas. However, in cases of extreme cold, snow, pouring rain, or high wind, it is suggested you reschedule. If you arrive and the weather is unsuitable to shoot in, we may recommend an indoor shoot. If you still request to shoot outdoors in bad weather and are unhappy with the results of the final images (hair, in particular), we cannot be held liable and a full refund or free reshoot cannot be granted.
Makeup and Hair:
It is your responsibility to communicate with the makeup/hair stylist your desires if you need something very specific. There are 45 minutes added to shoots for women, and 20 minutes added to shoots for men to accommodate for makeup and light hair. This is enough time to let the stylist know if you have any specific requests or if you need some adjustments made after the makeup has been applied. Refunds for makeup are generally not granted because our makeup artist ensures you approve of the makeup when we show you a test shot before the shoot begins. If there is an error made on her part that causes your shoot to run overtime, you will not be charged for the extra time. If another shoot is starting and there is no additional time, we can reschedule your shoot or ask the next client to wait a few extra minutes.
You may opt to use your own hair stylist or makeup artist for your shoot, however please note that there will be no additional time added for styling. It is recommended that you come camera-ready and then your stylist can make some quick touchups before we begin shooting. They are more than welcome to stay during the shoot to ensure you look your best.
Image Cropping:
One reason people ask for reshoots is due to the crop factor of headshots. However, after reading the article below, most clients opt not to do a reshoot. If showing the entire top of your head is of paramount importance to you and you need horizontal shots, please let the photographer know at the beginning of the session. If you do not notify us before or during the session, we cannot be held accountable for dissatisfaction with the shots. Please note that business headshots always show the full head, and are usually done vertically. Actor headshots are taken much closer in, and both horizontally or vertically may crop the tip of the hair.
Article: Why Crop the Hair?
Refund Policy:
Because your digital images are delivered only after you have approved of and paid for the images, refunds can only be granted in extreme cases or if you lose the photos from the session and we do not have a backup copy for you as outlined below. You may opt for either a full refund or a free reshoot in such case.
As a safety net, City Headshots keeps a copy of all high-resolution photos from the headshot session for a minimum of thirty days after the session has ended as a personal service to each client. If the link you were sent at the end of your session is destroyed or lost, simply contact us and we will send you a new link.
After the thirty day time frame has ended, the full resolution backup photos are usually deleted from our system. At that point, we can no longer be held accountable for the images (but if you lose yours, you can still ask us for them – we might have them on a backup drive but cannot guarantee this, and a $50 image retrieval fee would apply). Reshoots or refunds can no longer be granted after the 30-day mark. Please make sure to back up your images to at least two separate drives or computers to protect from hard drive failure, etc.
If after the thirty days have ended, you still have your original shots and would like an image retouched, you may simply email the image to us so we can retouch it for you.
As a safety net, City Headshots keeps a copy of all high-resolution photos from the headshot session for a minimum of thirty days after the session has ended as a personal service to each client. If the link you were sent at the end of your session is destroyed or lost, simply contact us and we will send you a new link.
After the thirty day time frame has ended, the full resolution backup photos are usually deleted from our system. At that point, we can no longer be held accountable for the images (but if you lose yours, you can still ask us for them – we might have them on a backup drive but cannot guarantee this, and a $50 image retrieval fee would apply). Reshoots or refunds can no longer be granted after the 30-day mark. Please make sure to back up your images to at least two separate drives or computers to protect from hard drive failure, etc.
If after the thirty days have ended, you still have your original shots and would like an image retouched, you may simply email the image to us so we can retouch it for you.
Questions?
Please contact us at [email protected] or (212) 706-1902.