My Style
My goal is to create a relaxed, pressure-free environment for you and your family. I want to capture you at your most natural and spontaneous. As the mom of a busy toddler, I understand how stressful photography can be, and I do everything I can to make the experience fun and carefree. I work almost 100% with natural light, in natural settings where you can relax, play, and forget I’m there. I’ll be snapping away freely, capturing eyes, feet, laughter, love, silliness, and pure joy.
Booking a Session
I am typically booked out several weeks in advance. However, I do reserve a select number of openings for time-sensitive sessions, such as newborn portraits. If you are pregnant and would like maternity portraits, please schedule them between your 32-36th week. For newborn portraits, which ideally occur within the first two weeks, please book your session as far in advance as possible.
The holidays are a wonderful time—but unfortunately, also a very busy time–for family portraits. Holiday sessions book up very quickly, so please call as soon as possible to reserve a session for your family. I begin shooting holiday portraits in September and go through the middle of November. Please call or email with several dates and times that work best for you.
Scheduling
I do my best to customize your session to your personal needs. Whether it be scheduling a morning session for a fresh and rested newborn, or an evening shoot to ensure that your entire family is available, I do my best to work around naps, meals, and busy work schedules. Your session will last from 1-2 hours, depending on location and type of portraiture.
From session to delivery, I spend between 15-20 hours working with you and your project to ensure that each portrait is to your 100% liking. Please keep this in mind when booking your sessions, and give yourself plenty of breathing room for any deadlines involving your images. Allow roughly two weeks for standard portrait orders and 3-4 weeks for custom or specialty items.
Location
Your session can take place wherever you feel most comfortable. Depending on the style of portrait, I can shoot in your home or at a favorite park, downtown for a more urban feel, at the beach or in other outdoor location. Since I work almost exclusively with natural light, mornings and late afternoons typically work best. A cloudy ~ foggy day can produce exceptional portraits as well. In order to make the most of our time and avoid distractions, please invite only the people you wish to have photographed.
What to Wear
Keep it simple! In this case, less is more. I recommend casual, classic clothing without prints or logos. Solid, very dark or light shirts work well with khaki or denim. Bring your favorite sweater or linen dress; texture creates wonderful detail in photographs. If you are looking for a more modern look, feel free to bring along a fun bold outfit for an outfit change. Hats, scarves, socks or like accessories can bring a fun fresh element of color to portraits as well.
If you are booking as group, try to keep a similar theme, either in color or style. Most importantly, make sure you’re comfortable. I’m a big fan of naked babies and bare feet. Nothing is more pure and perfect than the skin of a child, or a genuine expression of joy.
After the Session
Your images will be presented to you approximately 10-14 business days after the session in an online proofing slideshow. Within 5-7 days of your receiving your proofs, I like to schedule a viewing session at my office to show and discuss all of the options you have to create beautiful canvas prints, collages, albums and more. Your online gallery will be available for one week. This provides a convenient way for distant family and friends to view and order portraits, and allows you to decide which images you like from the comfort of your home.
Please make time during this five-day timeframe to meet with me and submit your order. After five business days, your gallery will automatically expire and your images will be archived. To have a gallery re-installed will result in a $25 fee. All images from sessions without orders 14 days beyond the expiration of the gallery are automatically archived. There is a $200 minimum order to re-post the gallery for up to one year from the time of your session. All images will remain on file for a year following your session.
Your final portrait order will be delivered approximately two weeks after your order is placed. Canvases, storyboards, custom products and specialty items may take up to 4-6 weeks.
Policy
All images are copyrighted by Mary Kelting. It is illegal and unlawful to scan, copy, or reproduce Mary’s work in any manner or medium. As an artist, Mary cares deeply about the final look of her clients’ images, and scanned images damage her reputation as a photographer by distorting and devaluing the image quality. Thank you for respecting Mary’s work by choosing not to reproduce her images.
Handle your portraits with care. Damage incurred as a result of improper handling, framing or hanging is the responsibility of the client.
A $50 non-refundable retainer for your session is due within seven days of booking your appointment. This guarantees the time and date for you. Should payment not be received in this timeframe, the date and time may be offered to another client.
Due to the custom nature of each session, all sales are final. Once an order has been placed, there are no refunds.
If you or your child is sick, please call to reschedule. If you must cancel, please try to do so at least 48 hours before your session.
Mary Kelting Photography accepts cash, checks, VISA and MasterCard. Checks returned by the bank will incur a $30 service charge, and all orders will be cancelled if they are not paid in full within three days of notification.
Mary Kelting Photography reserves the right to use negatives and/or reproductions for display, publication, marketing, competition, or other purposes. Negatives and originals remain the property of Mary Kelting Photography.