What do you do?

Halcyon Hills Photography serves six photographic markets, either from our studio in Fort Mill or on-location:

  • Portraits
    • Individual
    • Family
    • Groups
    • Business headshots
    • Maternity
    • Even pets!
  • Real estate
    • Homes
    • Commercial
  • High school seniors
  • Events
    • Corporate functions
    • Reunions
    • Church directories
    • Social events
    • Private events
    • Dance schools
  • Commercial products
    • Individual items
    • Products
    • Articles
  • Scan-and-repair work on old, precious family photos

Do you do weddings?

No, we don’t photograph weddings. There are qualified local photographers who do, and we have chosen to focus on six markets where we have proven skills and strength.


How does a business headshot session work?

The delivered product from nearly all business headshot sessions is a group of digital files (usually 5) suitable for display on the internet (websites, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.) We have a fixed sitting fee that covers 30 min. of photography in our studio, using at least 2 different backdrops and lighting setups. We allow unlimited clothing changes within the allotted time. After the session, we post the best images online and send the link and password. The customer picks the five they like and we email the images to the customer.

A pre-session consultation, usually done by phone, is required to make sure we understand and can meet all your needs.

This plan is completely customizable based on customer needs, and also can be done on location in one of our outdoor spots or in one of the customer’s choosing.   Our on-location surcharge is $50.


How does a family/group session work?

The delivered product from family and group sessions is usually a mix of prints, a photo album or both. We have a fixed sitting fee that covers two hours of photography in our studio, using several different backdrops and lighting setups. We allow unlimited clothing changes within the allotted time.   We will make sure you have our price lists for the most common print options before the photo session begins.

A pre-session consultation, which can be done by phone but is best done face-to-face, is required to make sure we understand and can meet all your needs.

After the session, we invite the decision-makers back into the studio to review the photos on our projection system. At this point, orders can be placed or requests for additional retouching can be made. We normally will retouch all photos before showing them to you, but you may desire more. Any additional retouching is included in the session fee, but prints are an additional fee.


How do senior modeling sessions work?

The delivered product from a senior modeling session is usually a mix of prints plus some digital files and perhaps a photo album. We have fixed sitting fees for our three different levels of the experience (1 hr, 2 hr, or four hours of photography in three separate locations with unlimited clothing changes).  The top level experience includes a makeup artist.  We will make sure you have our senior model program brochure, which describes the program and print options, before the photo session begins.

A pre-session consultation, which must be done face-to-face, is required to make sure we understand and can meet all your needs. This is the time we select the locations and plan the theme of the session.

After the session, we invite the senior plus parent/guardian back into the studio to review the photos on our projection system. At this point, orders can be placed or requests for additional retouching can be made. We normally will retouch all photos before showing them to you, but you may desire more. Any additional retouching is included in the session fee, but prints are an additional fee. The session fee does include ten internet-ready digital files.

ALSO, each year we offer two FREE senior modeling sessions to rising seniors that express an interest and willingness to tell about their experience to their friends. This is our Senior Model Ambassador program (see below). Our ambassadors get the full senior model session free, and also receive a discount on print orders.


Do you have a Senior Model Ambassador program?

Oh yes, we love our senior model ambassadors. Each year, we identify two rising seniors that express an interest and willingness to tell about their experience to their friends. We provide them a full and complete senior modeling session, as described above, but at no charge. Plus, they receive a discount on any print orders, AND they receive 25 free digital files from the session instead of the standard ten.

We do this in hopes that our ambassadors will tell about their wonderful experience and show their beautiful images and thereby interest their friends into our standard senior model session.


How does an event photography session work?

The delivered product from event photography (corporate functions, reunions, church directories, social events, private events) is usually a CD of digital files, and perhaps some prints. This work is nearly always done on-location at the event.

We quote a fee in advance that meets the needs of the situation. Oftentimes, both walk-around candid photos are requested in addition to setting up a portrait stand for groups or individuals.

After the session, we deliver the requested products to the customer, but also can post photos online for other attendees to view and order. This is a totally optional feature.


How does the scan-and-repair program work?

Older family photos are precious things, but often have incurred damage (fading, tears, staining etc.) over time. We can take these photos, scan them on our professional scanner, repair them in Photoshop and provide replacement prints. We normally will deliver the original, the new print, the original scanned file and the repaired file.

We can handle original print sizes up to 11×14, and we have done repair of both color and black & white images. Pricing depends on the size of the original, the number of new prints required and the nature of the damage. The worst type of damage is badly faded color originals. In some cases, it is impossible to tell the original hair and skin color, and all skin texture information (pores, moles, etc.) has simply vanished. With these files, a degree of repair can be done but the new print will not have all the features of the fresh original.


Can I order prints and digital files online?

In some cases. For some clients, we post the photos in our customer viewing area and allow online ordering. For others, particularly for family portraits and senior model portraits, we review these images with clients on our projection screen in the studio. These clients also can take advantage of discounts on multiple print orders.


Can you provide makeup artists and hair stylists?

Yes, we work with a mix of skilled makeup artists and hair stylists, who can meet us at the studio and work their magic on you! These must be scheduled in advance and their services are an additional charge.


Do you offer discounts for multiple print orders?

In some cases. For images posted in our customer area online, only a la carte pricing is available. For portrait sessions that are reviewed in the studio on our projection system, we offer several types of Collections where there is a discount applied to orders of multiple prints.


Do you offer framing?

Yes, we do. We have a set of frame and matte examples in our studio to choose from, and we also can advise you on framing issues, or can simply make a good decision for you, if you’d like to delegate that to us. We have several framed prints in our studio gallery.

We also work with a local frame shop who does quality work and has more framing options, if this is preferable.


Can you customize a photo session for my needs?

Oh yes, that’s what we’d rather do!   We’ve put together some plans and programs so you can see some examples and perhaps make your choices simpler. But if you know what you want, we have no desire at all to cubbyhole you into some standard program.

The Halcyon was the mythical bird that stilled troubled water, and our choice of that symbol was intended to show that we want to be easy to work with and offer you a stress-free pathway to beautiful images. We’ll do our best to do exactly what you want, whether that is following your plan to the letter, or relieving you of that burden and making as many decisions for you as possible. Whatever works for you is what we want!


Do you do maternity photos?

Yes, we love to do maternity sessions!  I like maternity sessions best outdoors, but we can work in the studio if that’s what you want. These are best scheduled in the 8th month, so there’s plenty of tummy to show but you’re still reasonably comfortable and mobile.

There are several ways to do these, and we will talk with you first to work out a clear plan. Then we can give you a quote that covers everything you want.

You might want to check out our maternity gallery here:  Maternity Gallery


What options for prints do you offer?

Pretty much everything there is. We use a professional photo lab and can get any size print on conventional paper, metallic paper, on metal or on canvas. We can provide canvas/gallery wraps and canvas standouts as well as printed photo albums. All of these products are available for viewing in our studio gallery.

We also offer printed holiday cards, calendars and all types of other objects, including cups and mouse pads.

In addition, we offer matting and framing. We have examples in out studio, and we also have a local frame shop we work with for specialized needs.


Besides weddings, what else do you NOT do?

We don’t serve these markets, as they are outside our areas of strength and skill: Newborns, Journalism photography and School/sports photography.