
family photography
FUN GUARANTEED
for the Monterey Bay
Digital collections
Photoshoots include a personal consultation, styling guidance, and my absolute dedication to getting your dream images.
Sessions for up to 5 people. Extra fees apply for additional subjects.
ESSENTIALS
Monterey County onlyINCLUDES
45 – 60 min photoshoot at one location of your choice
___
20 EDITED IMAGES
$850
___
Additional family members – $35 each
Additional location – $100
COMPLETE
Monterey & Santa Cruz countiesINCLUDES
1 – 2 hr session at one or two locations of your choice
__
50 – 70 EDITED IMAGES
$1,300
__
Additional family members – $35 each
FAQs
DO YOU HELP US WITH POSING?
Most people think that they that they are not photogenic, even I have felt terribly awkward in front of the camera myself. For that reason, I’ve develop an “unposed” system to make you feel at ease with me while trying to make the thought of “camera on your face” go away for a moment. I always focus on the connection amongst my subjects rather than the connection with the lens, you’ll be busy talking, playing, dancing, and having fun instead of freezing into poses. And yes, when needed, I’ll adjust you to look your best!
DO YOU OFFER PRINTS?
I do offer professional printing services that will be available to you through your final edited gallery. All prints purchased through my professional lab will be guaranteed for quality and color accuracy.
Additionally, I also offer custom designed album services.
DO YOU HAVE PERMITS?
YES! Most locations require some sort of permit, you’d be surprised!
DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE?
I DO! No loose ends left untied 😉
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH MY SESSION?
It depends on the type of session and the collection you select, but ALL collections include:
Session plans, it is paramount that we discuss in detail what your expectations are and for me to get to know you to come up with the right plan JUST for you. During our video chat or phone call, we’ll go over clothing recommendations, timing, how to prepare, what to expect, etc.
Styling guide, a very comprehensive visual styling and color palette guide to help you make the most informed choices for your photoshoot wardrobe according to your preferences and the location where we shoot.
Location guide, I will help you find the best scenic location for your elopement or family adventure. While I already have a very thorough location guide available to all of my clients, I am often running out on scoping trips trying to find unique new spots.
Photoshoot time, 1 hr – 8 hr depending on your needs.
Online gallery, a password protected online gallery that will allow you to select your favorites and print directly through it once you receive the edited images.
CAN WE HAVE THE RAW OR UNEDITED FILES?
No. Raw files are the canvas to the images I create, I manipulate these files with professional software to be able to deliver images of the same quality that you see throughout my portfolio.
Likewise, unedited images are not available, if you feel you’d like to get more photos from your session, you will have the option to purchase additional fully edited images.
All images delivered to my clients are in .jpg format and are high resolution, meaning that you can print them as large as you need.
DO YOU STILL DO NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHY?
Due to the pandemic, I am no longer seeing clients in-studio or at-home for newborn photography sessions.
However, families with newborns can certainly book any of my outdoor family collections. I will carefully guide you through the process to ensure the baby’s cooperation and to capture beautiful family photos with your new family member.
WHAT DO YOU EDIT IN EVERY PHOTO?
After you submit your favorite photos from your proof gallery (if applicable), I will carefully edit them to be consistent with the quality of my work as shown in my portfolio.
Editing covers the following:
- Mild skin imperfections and smoothing of wrinkles
- Color correction
- Teeth whitening
- Lightening up of subjects
- Highlights manipulation to enhance the image and skies when possible
- Double chins
- Some fly away hairs
- Removal of people in the background
NOTE: My regular editing process does NOT include full retouching with Photoshop, this would involve altering the basic structure of the image as taken such as: slimming, composites, tattoo removal, all fly away hairs, photoshopping of sunsets in the background (when the weather does not cooperate), removal of logos, head swapping, full wrinkle elimination, etc.
Full retouching with Photoshop is available for an additional fee of $100per hour billed in 1/2 hour increments.
You can view a better description of what my full retouching services can cover here.
For any more specific requests, please get in touch with me.
WHAT WILL THE EXPERIENCE BE LIKE?
All you have to do is wear something beautiful and come have fun with us.
We are not afraid of energetic little kids, this is what we do! I will guide you every step of the way to make the best of our time together.
To get the images your family deserves, the process is broken into 4 steps:
- Consultation to customize your images. You and your family are unique, this consultation is necessary for me to get to know you and your needs. We will talk about your expectations, taste, clothing and style, location, etc.
- Socially distant outdoor photoshoot.
- After the session, you will receive an online proof gallery that will allow you to select the images that you want me to fully retouch and the ones that you want only as light edits.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR A FAMILY SESSION?
While I offer a very thorough styling and color selection guide for my booked clients, here are some of my general guidelines:
Don’t wear sporty tennis shoes, large logos, neon colors or baggy clothes and do not try to match everyone in the session
To create timeless images that focus on the subjects and emotions, I strongly suggest wearing colors that compliment each other and avoid very harsh patterns.
Select something color and weather appropriate if the season is what inspired you to get a family portrait. Otherwise, I suggest earthy and neutral colors while being careful to not fully blend with the surroundings at the location where the photoshoot will take place.
Mix and match patterns with solids but make sure not to overdo it and avoid loud and very busy patterns or black, a good rule of thumb is to wear 1 pattern for every 2 solids at the most.
Males should wear colored slacks or dark wash jeans, little girls and infants should wear bloomers under dresses, and pick accessories that tie everything together.
Beach sessions are better if you are not wearing shoes, so if your session will take place at the beach keep this in mind.
DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS TO OUR LOCAL HEROES?
OF COURSE!!!
I am so grateful to anyone that serves our community. For that reason, I offer 10% off all sessions to:
- Military families
- Police officers
- Nurses
- Firefighters
- UPS personnel
* Proper ID should be provided.
If you are a local hero and you need a headshot, please get in touch with me to discuss your options.
WHAT IS *NOT* INCLUDED WITH MY SESSION?
- Most of my work as a photographer lays on editing, for that reason Raw and unedited images are never shared with clients.
- Cakes and decorations for cake smashes.
- Clothing.
- Entrance and parking fees
- Hair or makeup
WHAT DOES FULL RETOUCHING COVER?
Fully retouched images are a step above edited images and are normally requested at my client’s discretion. The work put into each fully retouched photo can vary anywhere between 30-60 min. Some examples of full retouching services are:
- Tattoo Removal.
- Any alterations on body size.
- Overall slimming.
- Hair covering a large part of the face.
- Photoshopped skies.
- Composites and head swapping (merge two different images into one).
- Removal of logos or distracting elements in clothing.
- Removal of major objects or crowds in the background.
- Specific requests made by the client that are not including in my regular editing process.
Full retouching is available for $100 p/hour billed in 30 min increments.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEACH PHOTOSHOOT AND WHAT TO EXPECT
Expect to get barefoot, a bit sandy, dip your feet in the water, and to have LOTS of fun!
Here are some important recommendations to help you get the most of your session:
- Kids always do a lot better when well fed and rested so make sure to plan accordingly (bringing a snack for the little ones is always a good idea).
- Even on warm days, it can get a little chilly by the end of the session, so make sure to bring warm layers.
- A change of clothes for everyone. I always encourage families to get barefoot and play on the water’s edge. It is a good idea to bring an extra pair of pants for mommy and daddy and an extra set of clothes for the kids.
- Bring a towel. Even if you don’t get wet, beach photos are a lot better if you are barefoot, a towel to clean sandy feet before getting back in the car is ideal.
- To comply with the ongoing social distancing rules, it is important that everyone in your family has face coverings available just in case we walk through narrow paths.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY PHOTOS?
About a week after your photoshoot, an online proof gallery will be shared with you via email. The images in this gallery will all be watermarked with a “not for public use” legend on it. From this gallery, you’ll be able to select the photos you want to keep as part of your package.
Once you submit your selection as per the instructions, it takes one to two weeks (depending on how busy I am) for you to receive your finished photos.
Make sure to book your session at least one month in advance if you need any printed materials by a certain date (especially during holiday season).
HOW WILL MY PHOTOS BE USED?
I am proud of my work and I like to occasionally post photos from my clients on my Facebook page or website portfolio. As per my photographer contract, I may use your images to promote my business. Breastfeeding and naked photos will never be used. Besides that, I do not share or sell your photos to anyone.
MY CHILD WON’T STAY STILL, WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM?
It is extremely rare for a child to stay still and I don’t want them to! I like to portray who they are and get those genuine giggles. However a well rested and well fed baby/child does a lot better in front of the camera and might be more cooperative to prompts and games.