frequently asked questions

If you can't find the answers you're looking for please give us a call (click here for contact details). Or, if you'd prefer that we call you please fill in the "contact Avo" form to the left and the studio team will be in touch.

Q: Can I bring my pet?
A: Yes, please do. Pets can be great fun in the shoot and we are used to having animals in the studio. If your pet is really big (horse, elephant, etc.) please phone to make sure we can accommodate them first.

Q: How many people can come to the photo session?
A: That's up to you. Avo's voucher offer (R350) gives you your studio session, viewing and 1 framed gift sized image (150mmx200mm) and it doesn't matter how many people you bring. Come as a couple or bring the whole family along if you like, it makes it more fun, and the whole shoot works better with a group.

Q: Can I come alone to the photo session for an individual portrait?
A: Yes you can, but we recommend that you rather come with a friend, or get a bunch of friends together to enjoy the fun with you. Of course you can choose to do something totally unique with your images and create pop-art montages, or incorporate graphic design elements. We have a host of references and ideas at the studio, or you are more than welcome to bring your own and discuss these with your photographer on the day.

Q: Are there any conditions on the voucher offer?
A: One voucher may be used per family unit per year, and the voucher is only valid for one year. We have to draw the line somewhere with such a great offer.

Q: Can I give the voucher as a gift?
A: Yes you can it's a fantastic gift idea. You can also arrange vouchers in larger denominations if you'd like to give a bigger gift.

Q: Do you make house calls?
A: We are set up to achieve the great results that we do from our studio, so we do not travel to the home. We start off with a consultation, where we will get to know you and understand what makes you tick. You will then go straight into a professional studio photo session with an emphasis on spontaneity and self expression. You are encouraged to bring along any character-revealing-props. Don't worry, we will chat with you and offer you plenty of ideas and inspiration. Avo creates an atmosphere that is relaxed and disarming, and not only do we help you to act naturally in front of the camera, but we make the whole experience very enjoyable.

Q: Do you do weddings?
A: Our Avo Commercial team would be more than willing to put together an individual quote to cover the big day. To celebrate your engagement we do offer a great alternative to the traditional posed wedding shots. Celebrate this amazing step in your life by purchasing the special offer voucher and tell the story of your relationship in an Avo portrait experience. Some of our clients prefer to do this once they get back from honeymoon and create something special for their new home together. Avo vouchers also make a great wedding gift, start 'hinting' now.

Q: Do you do my makeup before the shoot?
A: You are beautiful the way you are. We do not offer a makeup artist as a standard because we want to capture the real you, make yourself up the way you normally would. If you would like advice about what looks best on camera please give our studio team a call and they will be able to make suggestions. A makeup artist can be made available by special arrangement, but please give us notice and ask for a quotation.

Q: How much does an Avo portrait cost?
A: The Avo voucher offer for R350 gives you the entire Avo experience including a professional photo shoot and viewing session where you can choose your favorite images. This promotional voucher also includes a framed image of your choice (approximately 200x150mm). This offer gives you the chance to try us out and see what we can do, and have a great time with your family in the process. Any other images that you love can be ordered at the viewing. Prices range between R900 for a small gift piece and R10,000 for our largest arrangement in our urban range. Avo's flexible pricing allows you to purchase a series of 3 or arrangements of 5, 7, 9 or 16 pieces at special rates. We have products and packages to suit many different tastes and budgets. To see examples of our different product ranges click here.

Q: How long does it all take?
A: The studio session lasts 1 hour. Your viewing takes place 1-2 weeks after the shoot and also last about an hour. Once you have placed your order your Avo pieces will be ready for collection within 6-8 weeks. A great deal of skill and energy goes into transforming each one of your selected images into something special. A timeless memory of beautiful moments. All with High quality prints and hand finished natural materials of course. It’s worth the wait.

Q: Where can I buy a voucher?
A: You can buy your Avo voucher at the Johannesburg Avo Studio: 61 6th Street, Parkhurst Alternatively we would be more than happy to put together an emailable version of the voucher which can be personalised and emailed to you. You can email studio@youravo.co.za for more info on how to purchase an e-voucher.

Q: Do I get all my images on a disk?
A: We treat images on a disk the same way as a film studio: at the viewing you would be seeing what are essentially the digital negatives from your shoot. We want you to walk away from your Avo experience with only the best image/s: the ones that you love and that say the most about you. For this reason we stress quality rather than quantity. Your photographer will help you narrow down the selection to your favourite Avo images. From there you would choose the very best ones to be transformed into an Avo Artwork.

Q: Does this mean you don’t sell digital images at all?
A: Although most of our clients choose to purchase a framed or mounted artwork, we do offer you the option of purchasing your images in a digital format. There are two options: “small format” or “high resolution”. Small format images are jpegs, sized at A4. They will print from jumbo up to A4 in size and are great for emailing to friends and family, or posting online on a website or blog. High resolution images are tiff images which offer the best print quality. They are ideal if you would prefer to do the printing or framing of images yourself as they can be printed up to A0 in size. We treat the digital images the same as we treat images for print (which includes all the retouching work that would be applied to an image being framed). For this reason each image needs to be purchased individually. The small format jpegs are R150 each excluding vat (minimum of 10). Once you have chosen a minimum of 10 small format jpegs (of course you are more than welcome to select more) we give you the option of these chosen images printed in a coffee-table photo-book album at no additional cost. The high resolution tiffs are R250 per image excluding vat.

Q: Why do I need to pay for each image I want on disk?
A: As a professional studio we shoot our digital images as what are called RAWs. A RAW image file is like an old film negative, and needs to be processed (albeit digitally rather than in a darkroom) before it can be used for the web or for print. The images you see projected on the screen at your viewing session have been roughly converted by your photographer to turn the RAW into a low resolution jpeg. We give the images our special Avo feel with bright, vibrant colour and apply colour effects (e.g. black and white or sepia) or design elements. Imagine these jpegs to be the digital index card from your shoot: your digital negatives to give you an idea of what the final product will look like. Any images you do select for print are then individually processed from scratch from the RAW, any colour adjustments are done and non-permanent blemishes on your skin (such as a pimple or a bruise or scratch) are removed before we lay your image out for print. The same amount of care and work goes into each image; whether you have chosen to have it framed or purchased it on a disk. For further information on Camera RAW, click here.