What Happens After Your Photo Session | Ashleigh Shea Photography

What Actually Happens After Your Photo Session

You've booked. You've turned up, the kids have (mostly) behaved, and you've had a brilliant session. You drive home glowing — and then you wonder: so what happens now?

It's one of the questions I get asked most, and I think it's one of the most important ones to answer honestly. So here's exactly how it works at Ashleigh Shea Photography, from the moment your session ends to the moment your photos are on your wall.

First — the editing

Once your session is done, I get to work going through every image and selecting the very best ones. Then comes the editing — careful, considered work to make sure every photograph looks exactly as it should. Colours, light, skin tones, all of it.

This takes around a week. I know that sounds like a long time when you're excited to see them, but I promise it's worth the wait. I'm not rushing through a hundred images in an afternoon — I'm giving each one the attention it deserves.

Then — your view and order appointment

This is the part I love most.

You come back to the studio in Orpington, usually about a week after your session, and you see your photographs for the first time. On a proper screen, full size, properly edited. Not on your phone, not as a link in an email — in person, with me there to walk you through them.

It's an experience, genuinely. I've watched parents cry, grandparents completely lose it, couples reach for each other's hands. These are your people, captured properly, and seeing them that way for the first time is something special.

Choosing your products

Once you've had a chance to take it all in, we go through what's available — prints, frames, wall art, albums, digital images. I'll show you everything in person so you can see the actual quality and get a real sense of what different sizes look like.

Products are purchased at your view and order appointment. I'd always recommend coming without little ones if you can manage it, and if you're ordering as a couple, bring your partner — these are decisions you'll want to make together.

There's no pressure and no hard sell. My job is to show you what's possible and let you choose what feels right for your home and your family.

What about digital images?

Yes, digital images are available to purchase at your appointment. If you're someone who loves having images on your phone to share, or you want files you can print yourself down the line, we can talk through the options that make sense for you.

A note on session fees

I want to be clear about this because I think transparency matters: your session fee covers my time and the full editing of your gallery. It's not a deposit towards products. Products are a separate investment made at your view and order appointment, once you've seen the images and decided what you love.

This means you're never paying for photographs you haven't seen. I think that's the right way to do it.

Any questions before you book?

I'm always happy to talk through the process before you commit to anything — just get in touch. There's no obligation, and I'd rather you feel completely comfortable before you book than have any uncertainty on the day.

Get in touch with Ashleigh Shea Photography