I can't believe this couple is still in business. The narcissism of this photographer is incredible. She is incapable of receiving any amount of criticism. The forms and agreements and fees and follow ups are quite demanding. The photos end up looking the same for everyone because the heavy makeup and over-styling is one-size-fits-all. She was recommended to us and we scheduled one year photos well in advance for our son. As you'll see in the other reviews, if she doesn't feel enamored admiration from you, or heaven forbid you value your time, she will refuse to take your pictures. We did not want a smash cake, with additional upcharge, which seemed to irritate them. She rescheduled us more than once, with no apology (the apologies only flow one way here). We spent two months going back and forth with Bookout, only to have to drag all the things they requested us to bring, and our beautiful baby back to the car at the time of our actual appointment. We ended up at Portrait Innovations, who could not have been easier to work with and we saved a fortune. Our photos were so great, we brought him back for the next four years before we attempted to deal with a "professional" photographer again. read more

I am incredibly disappointed by the experience at Bookout Studios. I booked a headshot and ballet pose for my daughter. I spoke to Heather about the need for a high-resolution image and my ability to downsize for other purposes like a web directory and she agreed. This conversation was done just before the photo shoot. When the studio sent me the image next day, the resolution was only 1MB and they demanded an additional amount that was substantially more than the amount already paid for a high-resolution image. This is extremely dishonest. A business can charge what it wants, but consumers have a right to know what they are being provided and at what prices before the transaction. The studio claims that an ambiguous line in the 'agreement' justifies their sneaky behavior. Nowhere in their 'agreement' do they state the pixel resolution of the image next to their prices, nor do they indicate an additional payment required for the high resolution image that they shoot. I would avoid this business in the future. read more

What an amazing experience!!! From the moment you step inside the building you are transformed into your very own princess story. From hair and makeup, to dress selection, to story... you are whisked away to a fairy tale land. Heather is calming and has an incredible eye. This was a magical experience for my sweet little girl. Thank you Heather and all your amazing crew for creating a unforgettable experience for Sara! read more

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I don't even know where to start. I brought my granddaughter in for her woodland fairy session and we were just floored! Every part of the process was incredible. The scenery is exquisite. The staff are so kind and patient, they really made her feel special. The cherry on top was the adventure with the "Queen's Messenger " after her photos. That young man did an amazing job guiding her and he was so much fun! I admit I cried. These photos are a definite investment. No joke. BUT for an experience your child will NEVER forget....totally worth it! read more

Let me start off with this portrait studio is beautiful. The experience we had was great. I actually won a session and one 5x7. However, my issue was that I wouldn't have even applied for the session had I known how much the portraits/photos cost. I walked out of the studio feeling like I had wasted my time and theirs. I really feel like they need to be more upfront with their pricing. I ended up buying one extra photo, which while they were friendly about it, it was very apparent that they were disappointed and wanted me out the door so they could get better business. Look, I get it! Business is business! End of story : Looking for an amazing experience? Go here. Looking to drop a couple grand? Go here. Edit: They saved my one digital I got to February 2017 - so every time I went to look for it I couldn't find it. Now please tell me I didn't piss them off? read more

My wife and I DO NOT recommend utilizing Bookout Studios in Huntsville, Alabama for your photography needs due to their customer service by the owner. To clarify, those that we dealt with directly were very friendly and professional, except the husband owner. During the photography session for our 6 month old daughter, the main photographer and her assistant were very good with our daughter, even when she is usually scared of new people. In my opinion, we had a great session overall. First complaint would be the prices and the fact that we are unable to get digital copies until we purchased over $1000 in prints. Then the digital prints would be $75-$100 each. We accepted that fact and were planning to spend over $2000 for these photos. When we got to the studio to select our photos, there was still another customer making their selection, so we waited. After waiting for 30 minutes past our appointment time, my wife and I got impatient and asked the receptionist to reschedule us. My tone was calm but firm, and my volume was normal, but I was not happy. We got a new appointment we left to continue with our plans preparing for Easter weekend. When we got home, we had a message from the husband owner for me to give him a call back. Knowing that they were closing early, I waited till Monday. When I called, I expected an apology for making us wait. The owner explained why sometimes other customers take a longer amount of time to select their pictures. I told him, I understand, but wished they allocated for that extra time or have another computer for other customers to pick their pictures. Another idea, like our home builder, would be to ask the customer to reschedule additional time if they exceed their allotted time - if stated beforehand, the customer will accept it. At this point I have yet to get an apology. The owner then stated that I should apologize for taking my anger out on their receptionist. I stated that I was never rude, loud or mean in my request to reschedule. He said that the receptionist saw how upset I was in my body language. For the record, I did not intend to make the receptionist upset. If I did make her upset, I would apologize to her, which I tried today at a separate phone call, but she was off-duty. But I was not going to apologize to the owner for my manner, when they have not considered the customer's mindset. At the end, I stated that we will not be purchasing my daughter's 6-month-old pictures from them, even though we already paid $350 for the photography session. It is regrettable that this occurred. We lost money. We did not get our first child's pictures, which we are sure would have looked beautiful do to their skill. But customer service is important to us and that was not a consideration today. Because we were willing to pay a premium, the expectation was to have higher customer service. In our opinion, when the business relies on recommendations from others, customer service should definitely be considered. read more

I was a bit shocked to see a one-star review for Bookout Studios and had to read on to find out what could have been so terrible to merit a single star rating. I have had three sessions (one personal, one family, and one with just my daughter) thus far with Heather and her team, and have had nothing but an extremely pleasant and professional experience with them. Yes, the photos are expensive. Yes, I wish the investment didn't have to be so much to get access to digitals. But, those numbers are readily available in their price listing and are not hidden. There is a lot of custom design work that Heather and her team put into their unique sets and costuming options (should you opt to do a themed shoot), and they can't just give out digitals that can be shared and passed around for free. They have to recoup the costs they put into every shoot (some folks will spend oodles of money in prints/books, others will get just the bare minimum they can). For the quality of work we've received, the cost is justified and I wouldn't trust anyone else with our family portraits. As for customer service, I've never had to wait for a shoot to start, and never had to wait for my photo selection appointment to start. That's not to say waiting doesn't happen - services, particularly photography where subjects may be somewhat difficult or you may find yourself in the midst of a shoot that is literally clicking - can run long. We've all been there with hair salons, doctors, etc. The one time an appointment for me ran late, they called ahead of time to see if I could reschedule before I arrived to save me the time in getting there. Perhaps that was in reaction to this particular review, or it could just be standard practice. At any rate, if corrective action was taken, then that's to the studio's benefit. More than anything, I would love for folks to see multiple reviews for this photography studio. Heather and her team are extremely talented with a great vision for showcasing the inner and outer beauty of females of all ages. I would hate for one review highlighting one negative experience (earned or unearned) turn people away from considering them. read more

Bookout studios was offering a special promotion to waive the fee that they charge for "the prep work" or whatever it is. I'm not even really sure. So, I was excited. I haven't ever had professional shots done. I arrived at the scheduled day & time, brought several outfits with me & they started with my hair & makeup. Then she picked one of the outfits for me. I felt super rushed. It seemed like she was just trying to go as fast as she could, because I'm assuming she had other clients coming in that day, which btw, I read other reviews that she seemed really rushed & in a hurry to get people in & out as fast as possible. If you are going to charge an outrageous amount for these pics, then you really need to take your time & make sure your clients feel like they're getting what they're paying for! I'm not some rich person that can afford to just drop a few thousand like it's no big deal. I have to work really hard for everything I have, & honestly I wouldn't have done it at all if I'd of known how much they were going to cost (like I said, there's plenty of talented photographers that cost way less!). I had just spent the time & effort into doing this & maybe I should've refused the pics & gone somewhere else, but I did really like some of her work, even though it could've been better because I know she's talented. I really wanted to be able to take our time though & do some dressing changes & put some creativity into it. I went back about a week later and I have to admit most of the shots were pretty good. However, some of them were not good at all & I think we could've done a better job if she had taken her time with me. Here's the real kicker, I wasn't given any sort of up front idea of what the price would be & needless to say I was a little shocked when I found out! They were WAY overpriced, especially considering I didn't get the attention I thought we needed for a successful shoot. It's my fault for not doing my research because there are so many other talented photographers in town that charge a fraction of the price!! I liked Heather. She was nice, but I urge everyone to shop around before using her. I'm actually having to make payments on these pics, which is ridiculous. Needless to say, I know she's popular around town but I would never recommend her to anyone! read more

From beginning to end, this was a fabulous experience.... Having Heather participate in the makeup and makeover gave it a really personal/cozy feel. Her staff has been overly helpful in the process, and any additional questions I may have had leading up to, or after the appointment, they always responded in a timely manner! Each step of the way, I felt like everyone had my best interest in mind. I definitely recommend using Bookout Studios for your next portrait experience!! Kerri Wellendorf read more

I have used this studio several times. Maternity, family and children shoots. The images are gorgeous. I feel they are sometimes over-edited, and I felt rushed and pressured each time I was picking out pics. The pics are very expensive and definitely an investment. I have referred several friends and they felt the same as above. My last session was a mini session less than 15 minutes with my child. I only spent around $300-$500, and this seemed to irritate the owner. She said, " Just so you know, my prices are going up." She said she wanted clients willing to make an investment in their photographs and that her photography was art. I guess she forgot about the thousands of dollars I had previously spent with her and multiple referrals. I won't be back. I agree the photographs are beautiful, but I'm a business owner as well and treat everyone with respect whether they spend $1 or $1,000. read more

I am a professional photographer and I also have a studio. There is nothing wrong with comparing and contrasting my studio with hers. I never said anything inappropriate. I commented on how nice her studio was. I guess it would have been better to be a client and not share my knowledge of photography skills with her. Anyway, it makes no difference on my experience with Bookout Studios. I agree that Bookout Studios went through a great deal to work with my schedule because we were coming out of town. Like I said before, if they didn't I would not have come anyway. I am grateful for that. I did not know it was such an inconvenience for their business. I will say that I did agree to all prices for the session fee and the price you have to pay to get digital images. I get that and I paid. I was very irritated that I was called for shipping of my products twice and to get a credit card number to have the items shipped to me. I simply told the receptionist that I was unhappy they could not waive the shipping cost since I spent well over $3000 with them. Then she proceeded to tell me they have a business to pay for and all the employees!! That is non of my business and is irrelevant to my situation. It appears the problem is the receptionist. I was not rude or nasty as they are claiming. She came back defending the business etc. I simply told her I was a good paying client and it wouldn't have hurt to swallow the $20 to pay for shipping. (remember I am a photographer too) I know how much it really costs to print that stuff. The receptionist then proceeded to tell me that Heather gave over $2000 for a charity etc. Again not my problem. I don't care. It was my situation I was talking about not anyone else. So it appears that Heather may need to work with her staff a little better on maturity on how and what they respond with. And for rushing!! Absolutely I was rushed. I had to grab all of our stuff in a huge hurry because the next clients appt was at 10:30 and I was grabbing all my stuff at 10:31 The next people were sitting there waiting for us to leave. You can call that rushing or not. But we were rushed and felt rushed. Also I saw Heather look at her watch several times. As for hair and makeup. That is no surprise. They were well aware of this before we walked in the door that we all had long hair. I specifically told the girl when I made the appt I wanted their hair done as well. They could have kept that in mind when booking the appt. As for the session fee, if it included the flower head bands then I should have been able to keep them. They promptly took them apart after the session so we could not have them. I paid for them and I was not able to keep them. So technically you have to pay a RENT on her props if you use them. So they will nickel and dime you for anything and everything. This whole review boils down to I spent over $3000 and they called to bug me for $20 shipping costs. I do think they nickel and dime you because if you use any props (like flower wreaths you have to pay for them). Then to top it all off, after I made my point about it upsetting me about paying for the $20 shipping. I never heard back from the company. Then after they found my Yelp review, I get friended on Facebook by the owner and then get a message on Facebook about the entire session and how I made her upset with my review. She never bothered to care or contact me about being upset with the $20 charge till after she found out I yelped her!!! read more

Heather and her team are amazing! I have worked with them for years!! They have a special gift of making you feel so special while they take amazing pictures!! read more

Wow! Just wow! I decided to give my husband a photo book for our 10th anniversary. I wanted boudoir-like photos, but wanted them to be classy and soft and beautiful. My Gorgeous session was so wonderful. Heather and her staff make you feel relaxed and comfortable. I love how she explains her makeup techniques as she is making you up. Her professionalism coupled with her sense of humor put me right at ease. The end result was AMAZING! I never dreamed that I would get the gift of self confidence, feeling stunning and having such a great time all while giving my husband the gift of myself. Thank you ladies for exceeding my expectations. Thank you for accommodating my expedited timeline. Thank you for the soul therapy. I will be back! read more

More than five stars are needed to rate this business. Bookout Studios is a premium studio, and I knew that they would be impressive from the samples I've seen. Somehow, I underestimated how much we would actually ENJOY the experience. From the initial phone call, our session was customized for our wish list. We had hoped for something formal, polished and classic, but if we'd have asked for a unicorn, I believe they would have provided one for us to sit on. On my own, putting together coordinating outfits for pictures, especially a formal session, would just never happen; only in a dream. It is magical how they coordinated our clothing, hair and makeup for three females. My daughters and I had a great, relaxing time, and felt completely at ease. The skill in putting it all together is amazing and priceless. We feel like we dreamed the experience, but we will be able to look at our pictures and enjoy this time forever. read more

I went to Bookout studios for my senior photos a couple years ago and I didn't have a great experience. Because I opted not to spend the large sum on the makeup and hair option for my photos, I received no direction on what to wear or how to do my makeup for my photos. I believe I was told "wear a dress and then bring a top and pants." The session took maybe a total of 30 minutes and Heather seemed distracted and uninterested in taking my photos. When I went back to look at my photos I was very unhappy. They were not what I expected them to be and did not look like the images I had seen on her Facebook and in the albums I was shown beforehand of how my photos would look. I was in tears by the end. After trying to convince my mom to spend over a thousand dollars on my photos, I told her and the assistant that I didn't want my photos because I was not happy with them. I was then told that the reason my photos did not turn out well is because me and Heather did not "mesh" well and she did not want to take any more photos for me. I am a very easygoing person and was not rude to her at all despite the hair and makeup situation. I know many people have had positive experiences with her, but this was my experience and I felt the need to share. read more