Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, I am just an email or call away.
1. Where are you located?
I am in Houston, Texas close to the Fulshear/Katy about 35 miles west of downtown. I work all over Houston and typically drive 30 minutes to an hour for my sessions.
2. Are you available to travel?
I’d excited to hear details! I love getting away. Extra travel fees will apply but we can we can discuss all of this.
3. When do you schedule portrait sessions?
I schedule natural light sessions either around sunrise or two hours before sunset when the sun is nice & soft. Morning sessions are very early! The start time of evening sessions depends on what time of the year it is. Email for availability or if you have questions. If your availability is limited, send me some dates you’d be interested in & I’ll cross check my calendar. I work weekends and most the time I have some weekday availability as well. If we are doing an in-home shoot, be watching the light in your home and let me know when the areas we’ll be shooting in are best lit.
4. What should I wear for a shoot?
Click here or here for ideas. Feel free to show me! My clients send me pictures or show me their options in person all the time. I’m no fashionista but I’m happy to give my opinion. (Be yourself + don’t be too matchy matchy).
5. How do I book a session?
Check out my “contact” section and shoot me an email. Together we will work out all the details. Let me know your preferred time frame (AM or PM) & I will let you know what is open. Please *try* to contact me as early as possible, because I usually book months in advance. However, don’t hesitate to ask if you need me sooner, I may have a cancellation. I will need your deposit & contract to secure the date. kelly@kellygarveyphotography.com 832.457.0560
6. What forms of payment do you accept?
I will send an invoice for the session fee through my merchant account with Intuit (Quickbooks) that can be paid online using debit OR credit. You can always mail a check if you prefer to the address on your invoice.
7. How long does the editing process take?
Lots of thought goes into the editing process. You’d be amazed at how long I sit in front of the computer after a session looking at your pictures, many times at least 15 hours (and more for special events) depending on the amount of pictures I took or what kind of session I am editing. It’s not because the pictures need help, it’s because I have a vision of exactly how I want them to be changed through out the editing process & I am meticulous until I get there looking at them over and over. I like to put my loving edit into each picture that goes on your gallery without batch editing. It could take up to two weeks to complete the editing phase (longer for weddings or big events). Please know that I am working on it as quick as I can, usually from the time I get home from your session because I am just so excited to see them! I love to surprise my clients with their pictures being done early whenever I can. I will let you know when they are complete and will post a sneak peek for you to see on my photography blog (unless you have indicated you’d rather me not). Thanks for your patience!
8. How do I get my pictures?
If you have decided to purchase the digital images, I will send you a code to download your images from the gallery after receiving payment. I can send a USB for an extra fee as well, otherwise the images are digital download only.
9. When is the best time to photograph babies?
In order to get them when they are drowsy & comfortable being photographed, we typically photograph them between 5-10 days old. My newborn photography style (lifestyle) allows for us to still get great images beyond this time frame though so don’t worry if it doesn’t fall in the 5-10 day range. For more Newborn information, click here.
10. I have my disc of images, now where do I print them?
If you are reading #10, I love you already. This topic is so important to me that I have created two blog posts on the topic. part 1 & part 2. PLEASE read them both before you print and thank you! I can’t stress how important this is if you want your prints to look good.
11. How much do you charge?
Session fees start at $200 & print packages start at $750. I offer a variety of products & images on disc. Most people spend between about $1,000 & $2,250 after the session. You are given freedom in choosing digital packages, print packages OR buying a la carte. Visit my investment page for a breakdown or email me to receive a welcome packet with detailed information.
13. I saved a picture from my session that was posted on Facebook (the blog, the website, etc) & when I printed it, the picture is tiny & looks very pixelated…what is going on?
I resize all of my pictures for the web. The file sizes of my pictures before resizing are HUGE so in order to post them online, I always resize them to small, low-resolution files. The pictures online are not meant to be saved to your computer or printed as they are a much lower quality than what you will be receiving. Taking screen shots of the pictures on your gallery will result in very poor quality images. Thanks for your patience in waiting to print until you get your disc. The real pictures will come out much better than the ones you snag from facebook or the blog! Feel free to tag yourself and share images I post on Facebook. Please don’t crop out the watermark. Thank you!
14. What is in your bag?
I have a lot in my bag, but in terms of camera & lenses, here’s what I have:
Nikon D4S primary
Nikon D3S back-up
Nikon D750
Nikon D700 back-up
16mm fisheye 2.8
24-70 2.8
70-200 2.8
85mm 1.4 G
50mm 1.4G
105mm macro 2.8
35mm 1.4G
15. What products do you offer?
Glad you asked! I created a blog post on that topic here that I will keep adding to (click here). The welcome packet has more information regarding product prices.
16. Will my prints or images on disc that I purchase be watermarked?
No, they will not be watermarked. I watermark the pictures I post anywhere on the web to help protect them from theft, but the ones you will receive are free of watermarks.