Your Over 40 & Fabulous Booking Guide

Everything about what happens next, what it costs, and how to book your call. About a 5 minute read, and nothing in it will surprise you later. That's the point.

You're in

You applied, we read it, and we said yes. We read every application ourselves, and we don't say yes to all of them. So before anything else: welcome.

This page walks you through the whole thing, from the call we're about to have to the day you hang your artwork. Money included. We'd rather you read all of it on your couch tonight than hear any of it for the first time on the phone.

What you just joined

Over 40 & Fabulous is our twice-yearly portrait project celebrating women 40 and older. We're always looking for our next 40 women. More than 150 have already taken part, from women barely past 40 to women in their 80s.

Each participant chooses one image from her session to appear in the project magazine, at the gallery exhibition, and on our social media. That's the public part, and it's why the project exists: every woman who joins makes it easier for the next one to believe it's for her too.

As a participant you receive an 11x14 matted print of your chosen portrait (a $299 value), your own copy of the magazine, and two tickets to the exhibition.

What happens next

1. Your consultation call. Book a time at the bottom of this page. Mike calls you, it runs about 15 to 20 minutes, and we walk through everything from booking to your session to your finished artwork. Ask us anything. Nobody sells you anything on this call. If it all sounds right at the end, we'll reserve your session date then and there. The $149 session fee is what holds it.

2. Your date. Sessions run Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday evenings at 6. If your work schedule makes evenings impossible, tell us on the call and we'll figure it out.

3. Prep, without guesswork. Between booking and your session you'll get our prep emails every few days: where to shop for outfits, what to bring, what to skip, skin and hair tips, and a few stretches so the posing doesn't leave you sore. You'll also get a private Pinterest board, visible only to you and us. Everyone has her own vision of what "sexy" pictures look like and how she'd like to see herself. Your pins aren't for us to reproduce; they help us understand your style and your vision. Bring 6 to 8 outfits; we'll shoot 5 or 6 of them.

4. Session day. Three to three and a half hours in the studio. The next section covers it.

5. Your ordering appointment. About 10 to 14 days after your session, you'll come back and see every finished image, fully retouched. This is where you choose your products, and it's the only time you decide anything about spending beyond the session fee. You'll also pick your project image for the magazine and exhibition.

What session day is actually like

You arrive with your hair done and a clean face. Amanda, our makeup artist, spends about an hour on your makeup, anywhere from natural to full glam. Your call. While she finishes, we look through the outfits you brought and plan your looks against our sets.

Then we shoot for 2 to 2.5 hours. You don't need to know a single thing about posing. Mike directs every shot: where your hands go, how to angle your shoulders, where to look. Angi is in the room the entire session, styling your wardrobe between looks and showing you each pose before you get into it. Partway through, we'll hand you the camera so you can see what we're getting. That moment changes most sessions.

A supportive friend is welcome to come along. No notice needed.

"Angi and Mike make you feel so comfortable and at ease. I was not nervous, not one time." — Ms. S

What it costs, all of it

The session fee is $149. It reserves your date and covers your professional makeup. The same session outside the project is $399.

Products are separate, and you choose them later. At your ordering appointment, after you've seen your finished images, you'll pick what you want to take home. Collections start at $1,600 for a fine art album of 12 images plus the digital files of those images. Larger collections add images, album size, and display pieces. Most of our clients spend around $2,500. Digital-only options exist too.

Your session fee comes back to you as print credit. Every collection includes a print credit for wall art and add-ons beyond what's in the package. Your $149 session fee is added to your package's print credit, on top of what your collection already includes. So if your collection comes with a $500 print credit, yours is $649.

Payment plans are available, arranged at the ordering appointment. Third-party financing starts your product production immediately; our in-house plan is more flexible, and your products are ordered once the balance is paid.

And one thing we want you to know going in: you can reschedule once with notice at no charge, and if you're unhappy with your images, we refund the session fee. We've stood behind that since 2012. You're not gambling $149 on a stranger.

Questions you probably have

Do I need to know how to pose? No. Every pose is directed, down to where your fingers go. Angi shows you each one before you try it.

Am I too old for this? The project has no upper age limit. We've photographed women in their 80s, and their sessions run exactly like everyone else's.

Do I have to pose nude? No. Nothing about the project requires it. What you wear, and how far you go, is your decision, outfit by outfit. Plenty of stunning sessions never go past lingerie.

Who sees my images? One image, chosen by you, appears in the magazine, at the exhibition, and on our social media. That's the project's public part, and you control which image it is. Everything else stays private unless you decide otherwise. We never tag clients or use full names online, and your release lets you set limits on exactly what's eligible.

What about retouching? You'll only ever see fully retouched images. We remove the temporary stuff: blemishes, strap marks, flyaway hair. We never change your body shape or proportions. Scars and stretch marks are your call, and we decide together, mark by mark.

What if I'm nervous? Almost everyone is at first. The makeup hour helps. The directing helps more. By the third look, most women have forgotten to be nervous.

Who "we" is

Mike and Angi Fox. Married, in our 50s, photographing women since 2012. Women over 40 are the heart of our work, and we've been through the phase of life our clients are in. We think that helps. Mike is behind the camera and directs every shot. Angi handles styling and wardrobe, demonstrates every pose, and is in the room from the first look to the last. We've taught this project's approach to other photographers at ShutterFest two years running, and we've walked more than 150 women through it ourselves.

"For the first time in a long time, I saw myself as being beautiful. I even questioned, 'Is that me?'" — Ms. J

Book your consultation call

Pick an evening below. The call takes 15 to 20 minutes; we block 30 so nobody's rushed. Prefer to set it up by text? Reply to our message and tell us what day works.