I love meeting people and creating photos that you will cherish forever. I like to bring to my sessions and to my wedding couples a happy, relaxed atmosphere that will create great smiles and natural spontaneous photos. My goal is to give you a gallery of photos that will make you smile, love and maybe even shed happy tears.
Memories by Maria Photography was designed to capture memories of your families and special moments in your lives.
why choose me?
the details
It is important to talk about all the details!
We will discuss the details of what you are looking for during your session or wedding.
Discussing the date, time of day and locations are important for family sessions. Wedding couples and I will discuss wedding date availability, venues and timeline plans
INITIAL meeting or phone call
For Family sessions: once we have the date, time and location worked out I will have you fill out the online contract. Once the contract is submitted an invoiced is emailed to you. You can use that online link to submit the deposit or pay in full.
For Wedding couples: I love to set up a time to meet for coffee. This gives us time to talk in person about your plans. I have a contract that you will fill out and a retainer is due at the time contract is signed.
ready to book
Preparing for your session is important to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Make sure that you have your departure timed to arrive a little early to your destination. Keep in mind the time of day of your session and parking. Plan out your outfits ahead of time. Work out coordinating outfits not matching each other. I can help with suggestions.
Wedding couples and I will meet to plan out a detailed timeline of your wedding day. The more details we can work out ahead of time and plan for them the smoother your day will be.
prepping for your shoot
I will check in with you a day or two before your session just to confirm our plans. I will give you the location of where I will meet you. Bring your smiles and some treats for the kids just in case we need a little something to help with those smiles.
I check in with my Bridal couples the day before the wedding to confirm that our timeline plans are still the same. I will be excited to get started to capture your wedding day!
your session day
Most family sessions are delivered with in two weeks of their sessions. The images are uploaded to an online gallery that you will access with your email and password. The images you choose will be sent to you via the online gallery. Prints can be ordered through gallery. The prints are professionally printed and delivered by mail.
Wedding couples will have a sneak peek with in 48 hours of their wedding. The wedding gallery should be delivered in 4-6 weeks.
presentation of gallery & ordering of images
from meeting to delivery
the process
+ 45 min session.
+ location of your choice, suggested locations available.
+ 10 digital downloads of your choice from your online gallery with print release.
+ professional printing available through online gallery with delivery via postal mail.
+ tips for a successful session.
+ extended family sessions available which can accommodate larger families and includes extra images.
package includes:
investment starts at $225
families
+ 1-1 1/2 hour session.
+ location of your choice. suggested locations available
+ 15 digital downloads from online gallery of your choice with print release
+ clothing changes, props, children and pets are all ok.
+ discounts available on save the date cards and photo guest books.
+ tips for a successful session
package includes:
investment starts at $275
engagements
+ wedding day coverage
+ engagement session
+ private online viewing gallery
+ digital download of all images with print release
+ custom timeline creation
+ planning consultation
packages include:
investment starts at $1700
weddings
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY?
Lifestyle photography is a kind of photography that mainly aims to capture portrait/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday. ... Lifestyle photography is "posed" in a way that the photographer gives some direction and then documents the natural responses after. One of my favorites is to have families walking together!
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?
Timeless style, chinos, khakis, beige and blues, nature-hues, pastels, shirts, and simple dresses. The key is to coordinate, not to match each other. Avoid small patterns, thin stripes and logos. Try to match each others style and keep in mind where the session is taking place. A beach session attire would be different than a woodsy locations attire. I can help with clothing choices!
WHY DON’T YOU RELEASE ALL OF THE PHOTOS YOU TAKE?
Let’s face it, not every photo is going to come out perfectly. I will take many, many photos during your session—hundreds of them in total. From these, I will pick the very best, the ones that are most flattering to you, and have the most potential to be works of art. And then I will perfect them, editing them until they are the best they can be, balanced and natural. These edited photos will show the best possible you, which is what you want out of your pictures, right?
DO YOU EDIT YOUR PHOTOS?
Yes! Some photos can be almost perfect straight out of the camera and others may need a bit of work. All images in the final gallery have been lightly edited, some may have more touch-ups than others.
IS STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE?
I do have a small space in my home to do a studio portrait. I can do head shots, small children and newborn photography in this space. My studio equipment is portable and can be brought to your location for a additional fee.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY PHOTOS?
Most family and engagement sessions will have their images delivered via an online gallery with in 1 to 2 weeks after their session. The time frame will depend on length of session, time of the year, and how much editing the images will need.
Most wedding galleries are delivered within 4-6 weeks from wedding day. I do provide a sneak peek showcasing some of my favorite images from your day within 48 hours of your wedding.
WHAT IF I NEED TO RESCHEDULE MY APPOINTMENT?
As soon as you know that you may have to reschedule please contact me. I will do my best to accommodate a new session day and/or time for you. During the peak seasons there may be limited choices to reschedule your session.
I will contact you with as much notice as I can if I need to reschedule due weather or unforeseen circumstances. In this case alternative dates and times will be available.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY APPOINTMENT?
Cancellations of any scheduled session must be done with a 48 hours of session. Notice of cancellation made after 48 hours will forfeit the initial deposit if another session can not be scheduled in the same time slot.
HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I RECEIVE?
This depends on the type of session purchased and if there are any promotions redeemed.
WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT I PRINT THROUGH YOU?
While there is joy in taking photos and viewing them digitally, our satisfaction is not properly realized until we have printed our photos. A photo that isn’t printed is like a script that is never performed or a recipe never actually made. Your images will come with a print release so that you can get them printed anywhere.(I do recommend Mpix if you decide not to print through me) To get the true beauty of your photos you should print them with your photographer. These professional printers calibrate the colors to match the photographers original images. They are also printed on archival paper which will keep your photos beautiful for years.
WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD WE SCHEDULE THE SHOOT?
The best time of the day to do a session is early morning and late afternoon/early evening. It is best to have the sunlight at an angle in the sky and not directly overhead. The morning light is a cool purple/pink light which is beautiful. The golden light that happens later in the day is very popular. This light is a golden light.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE LOCATIONS TO SHOOT?
If you are looking for a natural woodsy outdoor session New Jersey has several beautiful parks! Estelle Manor park in Mays Landing is a favorite choice. If you are looking for something rustic I highly recommend Batsto historic village in Hammonton, NJ. Historic Smithville in Smithville, NJ has an old town feel. If you are looking for a beach session I can recommend several favorite locations from LBI to Cape May. I love having sessions on the Jersey shore!
