Let’s start by asking “what is the real meaning of a Baptism?”

Many Christians believe that a baptism is important because Jesus was baptized, and after his resurrection he told his disciples that they should be baptized too. This tradition has carried on centuries into our modern day society for those who are part of the Christian Church. It is an act in which water is sprinkled onto a person’s forehead (or sometimes a full immersion into water) and it symbolizes rebirth or a purification. This is how one gains passage into the Christian Church.

Beautiful interior of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Ascension

I’ve been a witness to so many different Baptisms and each are unique in their own way. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing a Greek Orthodox Baptism, in which after the immersion the family, godparent and priest circle the baptismal font three times. I’ve photographed a Polish Orthodox Baptism, and Baptisms in the Catholic Church. Prior to becoming a photographer, I didn’t know much of a difference between all of these different types of Ceremonies. Now having been a part of these celebrations, I’m fascinated by how each culture has it’s differences.

Now let’s talk about what gets photographed

Prior to the Ceremony, many families ask to have photos of the baby “getting ready”. If you remember the getting ready part of your Wedding day, you will find it’s very similar to this. I always ask that parents have the “details” ready. This includes the following:

• Pre-Ceremony Outfit

• Baptismal Outfit

• Baptismal Cross and Chain

• Olive Oil

• White hand towels

• Baptismal Candles

• Martyrika-in some cultures these witness pins are used which are handed out to guests at the end of a ceremony

•Additional items include shoes, a copy of the invitation for the guests, florals, or any other details you see fit.

If time allows, I usually like to get some family photos done prior to the Ceremony, but at this point in time I primarily focus on candids.

The Ceremony

Again, depending on the type of Baptism your child receives, a ceremony can be anywhere from 45-90 minutes. During this time I confirm with the Priest where I am allowed to stand and photograph. In most cases they allow me onto the alter to take close-up photos of the baby being submerged. Other than that we have the lighting of the candles and the blessings which are typically done while the Godparents, family and baby are seated in the pews. Having done many Baptisms, I am very familiar with the timing of these events.

After the Ceremony

Immediately after the Ceremony concludes I ask the Priest to jump in for a family photo. After that, we will proceed to the remaining family portrait combinations. To learn more about what types of family photos I typically take during an event you can refer to my recent blog post “Family Portrait Combinations”

The Reception

Now it’s time to have fun! During the reception I will be capturing the decor details, cake, food, cocktail reception and plenty of candids! At this point all the family photos and important rituals are covered, so parents get to sit back and enjoy. I hope this post helped those of you who are planning a Baptism in the future and be sure to send me a message with any questions you may have!

This one is great for clients and photographers!

Many of you don’t know this, but I photograph about 50+ Weddings a year! 😱 I work for an awesome company called Milton Gil Photographers, which I’m sure if you are based in New Jersey you have probably heard of them. Seeing that I do so many Weddings, your probably wondering why I don’t advertise them. To be honest, it’s not my passion and it is much more manageable for me to prioritize my portrait work while still having a side hustle (because who doesn’t love a good side hustle?!). That being said, I am happy to photograph small events, anything up to 8 hours maximum. These include Baptisms, Mitzvahs, Baby or Bridal Showers, Engagement Parties, you name it.

Since I do so many events throughout the year, I’ve really nailed down exactly how much time is required for everything to be photographed. My hopes is that whoever is reading this post really gets something out of it whether you are trying to figure out how many hours of coverage is right for your Wedding/Event, or if your a photographer breaking into the field.

building a timeline is how you manage your clients expectations.

Where to start…

When having a consultation with a client you should be prepared with a list of questions. What time does your event start? Would you like photos getting ready? Who absolutely needs to be photographed? What time are guests arriving?

I send all my clients a questionnaire using an awesome booking software called Session. I’ve heard you can do the same with programs such as Honeybook. These questionnaires are essential in planning your clients day because if you don’t schedule enough time to capture everything they requested, that’s on you, not them.

That being said, it’s important I mention the next point…

Photographers don’t take “one or two” pictures of things.

This one is really important. I hear a lot “I only need one or two pictures of…”

But I’ve never had someone complain that I gave them “Too many pictures.”

The same way you wouldn’t want your hairstylist to rush through your haircut, we don’t want to be rushed to take a photo. We risk someone blinking, having their mouth open, the picture being out of focus or maybe the exposure wasn’t ideal because we were trying so hard just to get the shot in a matter of seconds.

It’s also nice to have a few different versions of the same type of image in case you want to make an album or product after the fact and we have different options to work with that will best fit the layout. If we take “one or two pictures” of everything we might miss something like an awesome candid moment or an opportunity to create a different look using lighting.

There will always be one family member that is running late for group photos.

How to plan for this…

If your scheduling group photos for 3:00 pm, tell everyone 2:45 or maybe 2:30 for that person you know is always late. There will ALWAYS be that one person that is stuck in traffic or forgot something at the hotel room or can’t find the spot where we are taking photos or maybe forgot about the pictures all together and is now hitting up all the stations at cocktail hour 🙈 I’ve seen it all! It’s better to have everyone ready a little bit earlier so we can get through the family photos quickly and easily.

If you want to learn more about different types of family photos I take with larger groups, check out my recent blog post.

Tell your hairstylist or makeup artist you need to be ready 15 minutes prior to the time the photographer actually arrives.

Let me start by saying I LOVE all my friends and family members that are hairstylists and makeup artists because I know a lot of them and they are probably rolling their eyes at me right now 😅

Not all the time, but a lot of the times our schedule runs behind because hair and makeup needs more time. Let me say this is usually not their fault! Same way that we can’t rush a photo, they can’t rush putting makeup on your face. If my start time is 12:00, I usually ask my client to let the makeup artist know I will be arriving at 11:45 and they need to be finishing up by then. This gives everyone a little extra time to work, and more time means less stress for everyone!

Companies I highly recommend: D’Amelio Cosmetics, The Lounge Hair Studio, Beauty on Demand, The Real Beauty and the Blush, Allyson Rubin Cosmetics

If your having “getting ready” photos done, here are the details we usually photograph to have them ready for when we arrive.

I always start with photographing details such as flowers, invitations, shoes, etc. Having all the details set aside for when we arrive so we aren’t interrupting you while having your hair and makeup done is super helpful! Here’s examples of details that are usually photographed:

Invitations
Flowers
Balloons
Rings/Jewelry
Cufflinks
Hair pieces
Clutch
Dress/Tux
Baptism, Communion or Mitzvah attire
Shoes
Any customized details such as signs, shirts, flasks, etc.
Family heirlooms

Basically anything that is important to you on your special day!

The timeline is not written in blood.

Expect the unexpected and be prepared for the timeline to change. I’m saying this for both clients and photographers because it is super rare that things go according to plan, and that’s ok! Your still going to have an incredible day and we are going to capture awesome images of you. I always try to create the timeline so I have enough wiggle room for things to change and be able to adapt to what’s happening in the moment. After all, being prepared to capture spontaneous moments and documenting the day is our job!

What you’ve all been waiting for…Here’s a sample of how I build my timeline!

First, I find out what time the ceremony/event is going to start. Let’s say I have a client for a Baptism and the ceremony starts at 12:00 pm…

If they want “Getting Ready” photos, I start 2-2.5 hours prior to the ceremony.

Here’s the breakdown…

-5-10 minutes to set-up

-30 minutes to photograph details

-30 minutes to photograph “getting dressed” and individual portraits

-1 hour to photograph family portraits (see blog post to see all the different combinations covered in a typical session)

-Break down and travel time

Without “Getting Ready” photos but family portraits prior to the ceremony, I usually start 1.5 hours ahead of time.

This also depends if the family portraits are at the same location as the ceremony, and how large the family is. Again, I always count on someone being late, so I like to allow for enough time.

No getting ready or portraits prior to the ceremony, I usually arrive 30 minutes before start time.

This allows me to have an adequate amount of time to set up my gear, check out the space, evaluate lighting, and meet my client prior to the start of the event.

If you do not do family portraits prior to the ceremony start time, it’s really important to stay organized.

If the Baptism is at 12:00, the reception following will most likely start at 2 or 2:30. A ceremony such as a Baptism typically takes around 30 minutes unless it is a Greek baptism for example which tend to take longer. The hardest part about having the portraits done after the ceremony is organizing everyone together because everyone starts to mingle, talk, or head out to the reception. In my experience the priest/pastor/rabbi has always made an announcement at the end of the ceremony to let guests know that there will be photos proceeding the event.

Also, you have to be sure that the Church does not have any events immediately proceeding. I usually encourage my clients to take as many family photos as possible prior to the ceremony for this reason.

Cocktail hour

Again, if all the portraits are not completed prior to the ceremony or at the church I will reserve a portion of cocktail hour for photos. Keep in mind, everyone wants to enjoy cocktail hour so it is important that if your using this time for any family photos you discuss this with the client prior to the event so they can let their family members know.

If you already did family photos, take a few pictures of the cocktail hour layout! ESPECIALLY if there are any ice sculptures, signature cocktails or custom decor.

Finally, if there is a separate room for the reception with decorations, be sure to reserve enough time to go in an photograph the tables, details, and an outside shot of the building.

Reception

Candid time! If your event has any special entrances or surprises be sure to let the photographers know ahead of time. This is where we capture speeches, people hitting the dance floor, cake cutting and lots of reactions from the guests! If you require any additional group shots this can be organized with the DJ to help bring guests together.

Night shot

This is more common with wedding photography but if you are working an event that goes past sunset be sure to take your clients out to create a memorable night photo!

I hope this guide helps anyone reading it plan their event or feel more confident when booking clients. If you are looking to schedule an event with me or have questions click here!

Baptism Photography