Information:

Our Philosophy - [back to top]

Brick Lane Studios is a family business.  The photographers, Andrew and Lisa Olson, share a common goal – to present each client with a portrait that reflects the personality and emotion of the subject that can be treasured for a lifetime.

Using relaxing surroundings – our home studio, your home, your garden, a favorite park, or other location, Andrew and Lisa strive to capture your individualism, the innocence and playfulness of childhood, the beauty of pregnancy, and the closeness of family.

Few props will be used, instead we believe that the person makes the portrait, the face and expression stand out and tell the story.

About our Studio - [back to top]

Our primary Studio space is located in our comfortable home in Happy Valley, OR.  One of the reasons we purchased this particular home is because it allows us to have a dedicated studio space.  While visiting our studio, you will have access to a changing area and bathroom.

We also love to do outdoor photo sessions.  In fact, for large groups or active children we encourage moving outdoors.  We can suggest many locations that we've used in the past, and we are open to any suggestions you may have.  Depending on the distance from our studio we may charge an additional fee to cover our travel time.

We use professional quality digital camera equipment to ensure you receive the best possible images from your session.  In addition, we shoot your session with our camera tethered to a laptop computer.  This allows us to get instant previews of the images and gives you a sense of what your pictures will look like.

About 1 week after the session you will be sent a password via email granting you access to your private online gallery.  Just click on the Login link at the top of this page and enter your password.  Here you will be able to view your pictures and decide which images to print/purchase.  Your online gallery also functions as a secure shopping cart allowing you to select size, style, and add any comments (e.g. - please crop, retouch blemish, etc).  Feel free to share your password with family and friends so that they can view the images and order prints.  We use PayPal secure checkout for credit card payment (PayPal account not required), or you can print out your order details and send us a check if you prefer.

We don't believe in the high pressure tactics that some studios use - forcing you to come back to our studio and place your order within 7 days of your session (some will even make you choose your image before you can leave the studio on the day of the shoot).  You will find your experience at Brick Lane Studios to be quite the opposite.  We try to promote a comfortable experience from the time we schedule your session to the time you receive your picture order.

Tips for a Successful Session - [back to top]

We want our clients to have the most enjoyable session possible, with the very best results.  The information below is intended to assist you in preparing for your portrait session.  These are only recommendations, but they are based on our experience with past clients and are only meant to be helpful.  Please contact us with any questions you may have as you prepare.

  • Plan for a couple of hours.  Especially if young children are involved, we always expect that a session lasts for one hour, but when scheduling we allow for two hours whenever possible.  We know that babies and small children have needs and we do our best to prepare for them.  If you bring extra clothing, blankets, diapers, snacks, etc., this will help you relax and enjoy the session. 

  • When scheduling your session, determine the session time based on your child's needs.  If your baby naps at 10am, it will be tough to schedule a 9:30 session.  If possible, plan to arrive and start as soon after a nap as possible to hopefully allow for more "happy" time.  We expect that babies will need to be fed and changed during the session.  As they are most popular, we try to reserve our morning sessions for babies and young families. 

  • If you've seen a particular pose or have a certain look in mind, please let us know.  Whether it's one of our images or something you've seen in a magazine, we will do our best to capture the same look and feel.  In fact, if you can share the image with us before the session or bring a picture along when you come, we will have a better sense of how to set up our studio for your visit.  While it can be difficult to exactly reproduce a particular style,  it will help us understand what type of images you are interested in.

  • Simple is best.  While we want personality to be evident in the images, we also want the person to be the star.  That is why we recommend simple and basic clothing for portrait sessions.  This is usually true for any age.  Avoid clothing with strong patterns, words, brand labels, etc.  These can all be very distracting to the eye.  We always consider socks and shoes to be optional.  Bare feet are great, and on little kids, they are just the best.  If you are looking for a more formal look to the portrait, of course plan on footwear and consider it when putting together group outfits.  Everyone should blend nicely. 

  • For group and family portraits, keep to the same or similar colors.  If everyone wears navy blue pants, but one shows up with a pair of khakis, that is where you will look when viewing the portrait.  White shirts and blue jeans look great in color and black and white and varying shades tend to blend nicer than other colors.  However, color can definitely add more personality to the picture.  We recommend that you put everyone's clothing on the bed at one time and be certain that you like the way it all looks together.

  • While we recommend solids and basics as a general rule, there are lots of ways to make things a little more fun.  Bring some flowers, a favorite hat, a favorite dress-up item or tutu, chunky sweaters, etc.  Not only do these things offer lots of color and texture but they can be a great way to cheer up an otherwise grumpy toddler.  We have a few dress-up type items, but experience has shown that usually a personal item tends to be preferred.  Whatever the wardrobe, we want you to have fun and love the results.

  • If you have chosen an outdoor setting, consider the ground conditions when dressing for the day.  If it is wet and muddy, barefoot may be less desirable.  Likewise, wet and muddy may limit seated poses to benches, etc.

  • Consider the season when picking your wardrobe.  It is nice to get holiday pictures taken early, however the surroundings are important.  If you want a picture of your daughter in her holiday dress, please consider the studio instead of the park in summer.  Everyone will be more comfortable, and the picture will be more seasonally appropriate.

  • We ask for 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your session.