Frequently Asked Questions

One thing is for sure, we can always fit you in! I always try to be available to do the shoots, however I am a growing business and with so much demand I am not always personally available. I work with closely with Picture This Studios so if it isn’t me, there will be a very talented photographer on hand. If you do want to guarantee me for your shoot, I charge an added booking fee, and you can rest assured that I will be your photographer capturing your beautiful memories.

Sorry I do not offer anything less than 45min-1 hour shoots (or longer). In my 11 years of shooting on the island I find that anything shorter is very rushed and not a relaxed fun experience. Especially with young kids it is really nice to have the extra time to play with, in fact the majority of the time we end up using the whole hour when little ones are involved. It gives us time to take a little break if the little ones get a bit overwhelmed or needs to chill for a bit, have a little snack or a drink of water, and it also gives us time to get both posed and candid shots.

I totally understand being on a budget, and it can't hurt to ask! But I am afraid we only offer the package that you have been quoted (need a quote, contact me!). I cannot give any discounts, especially during busy high season. I usually have bookings almost every day and although I always have availability to fit you in, a discount to one person is not fair to another. Sorry about that.

As far as clothing it is really up to you on how you want your photos to look, and it is all about the color palette. Some people choose to wear all whites, all blues, some all bright colors, which I personally love against that blue ocean! Just as long as you are wearing a similar or complimentary color scheme the photos will look great. I usually recommend to stay away from loud colors that do not match the rest of the group, busy patterns and large bows/headwear. Feel free to look through the Heather Holt Photography Blog or Instagram and you can view past family portraits and how those clothing choices turn out in the photos.

I always recommend the evening for a sunset session hands down. If we have the availability I absolutely recommend you take that. During the hour before sunset, or the “Golden Hour” as referred to by photographers, the light is beautiful, golden and soft, plus the outdoor temperature is lovely and not too sweaty, and most importantly it is not too squinty out. All of these reasons make the evening shoots by far the best time for photos.

The morning is a beautiful time too with the bright blue water and sky. However many people struggle with squinting, especially with little ones. To get that blue water we need you in the sun and if you can't keep eyes open in the sun then we have to use the shade, and in that case we can't get the bright blues of the water anyway. Having said that as long as you know all that I am happy to do the morning if that is what you want, and I do have some tricks up my sleeve to help. My suggested morning locations are Smiths Cove or Cemetery Beach because they have plenty of shade. The other locations are not suitable for morning shoots.

Many of the accommodation and condos on the far northern end of 7-Mile, and on the Northside of the island have nice quiet beaches, so often doing the shoot there is not a problem and a beautiful and convenient location for you. However the condos and hotels in the heart of 7-Mile, although world class places to stay, are often too crowded for a nice photo session. Cayman has gotten so busy over the years that it can be nearly impossible to get a clean background due to all the foot traffic, boats, buoys, swimmers, and the general clutter and activity on the beach. I am more than happy to give you suggestions of my favorite beach locations to choose from where we have a bit more privacy, space and much less background clutter to contend with. All the locations are an easy car, cab or bus ride from most 7-Mile accommodations. Please note I do not give rides in my personal vehicle so please make sure to secure means of transportation for both ways to and from the shoot.

I always recommend booking the shoot somewhere in the beginning to middle of your stay, especially during May-October, Cayman’s rainy season. This will give you a chance to settle in, but still give us a few days on the back end to reschedule in case of weather. The weather in the Cayman Islands is classifed (by me) as crazy, tropical and totally unpredictable. It might be pouring in Georgetown, while you sit on 7-Mile in the sun watching the storm. This being said with those passing summer storms it can be tough to make the call for the evening and I usually recommend checking in 2 hours before the shoot. If it has been raining during the day that can mean some epic sunsets colors due to the clouds with all the moisture in the sky. Because of the recommendation to book early in your stay we can almost always find time to reschedule. If you have paid a deposit and we absolutely cannot reschedule I will issue a refund. If we do the shoot and it gets cut short, but we got everything we needed and you have a full selection of photos to choose from, no refund will be issued and the original quoted price will be owed.

Included in the quote and final product are standard edits. The background will be colorful and free of clutter: boats, buoys, random people and trash. The image will be bright and contrasted, your faces will be bright and all horizons will be straight. For close up shots sometimes we will run a smoothing filter over the images if needed but the editing style is to keep things as natural as possible.

If you have any special requests for editing, especially edits with straps/wardrobe malfunction, faces, hair, blemish removal, sweat marks etc., depending on how intricate and time consuming the request might be, we usually charge extra. Pricing depends on the request and how many photos need to be retouched. Please let me know the image number(s) and the desired edit and we can take it from there.

I will deliver your proof gallery to you in no more than 7 days, sometimes sooner. The next step, it is time for you to choose your favorites and this timing depends on you. Once you choose your favorite images and notify me, I will do the final edit and get the polished edited images in a downloadable gallery for you within 7 days after that, and again it is usually a bit sooner. If you do want an expedited delivery there is an added fee of US$100 and you will be guaranteed to get your proof gallery within 24 hours or less, and once you choose your favorites and notify me, I guarantee you will get those the finished product in another 24 hours or less.

As per industry standard I do not give out unedited or raw images as I only want the very best of the best work shown. I want our final product to be the absolute highest quality and something that I am proud to have my name on. If you would like to pick out extra images beyond the ones that come in your package please go ahead and select them when you are selecting the number that come in your package from the proof gallery. The pricing is $5 per extra image for the first 20, if you want an additional 20 or more it is $4 per photo. 

Yes! For visitors to the Cayman Islands I use a US based printer that offer some amazing products. If you are an onisland customer I can provide you with stunning locally printed products. Once you receive the link to your final gallery I will send you a follow up email with my print offerings and we can take it from there.