Q. How does Otto Kelly Photography stand out from other businesses?
A. Otto Kelly Photography is a husband and wife owned business. We have been capturing events for over 8 years and we are still in love with every aspect of what we do. It's such a honor to be asked to capture special moments from a session or event. We always strive to create beautiful images and films our clients cannot wait to share to their family and friends.
Some of the ways our business stands out is the flexibility and time we devote to our clientele. We treat all our clients the same no matter the session or event. We want you to remember us for our kindness, energy, and of course our creativity! AND most importantly, we want you to come back for more. We have had the pleasure of capturing weddings, pregnancy announcements/maternity, and family sessions over the years for the same families. This is pretty amazing!
Our style is bright, bold, and vibrant. Each gallery delivered is individually edited and crafted. This includes, cropping, color correcting, brightness adjusted, basic retouching, object removal if needed and so on. The list is long! We want you to love your gallery and remember us for future sessions and events. If you are still deciding and would like to know more please do not hesitate to reach out by email or phone. We can't wait to hear from you.
Q. What services do you offer?
A. We offer both photography and videography services. Otto Kelly Photography recently partnered with Reel Thread Films for photo+video packages and we're so excited about this! If you are only interested in just photo or video that is OK too. We work great with all vendors! However hiring a photo+video team does have some wonderful pros. First, the booking process is easy with only one contract and retainer, and clients can trust that anything communicated to one person will be shared with the full team. Second, the teamwork that takes place the day of the wedding is important. It helps when the photo and video team can work smoothly and efficiently with one another so we can deliver a product our clients will love. You'll often see us taking turns, and sometimes quickly (smoothly of course), so we both capture those amazing shots needed for your gallery and film. That kind of teamwork is often only seen between individuals who consistently work with one another,....US!
Q. Will I receive all RAW images taken at my session or event?
A. No, we do not deliver RAW images. RAW images are unedited, unfinished, and require programs to view and edit in, such as lightroom and photoshop.
Leave the magic making to us!! We do this part so you don't have to, and it's included in all of our portrait and wedding packages. We strive to deliver a high quality, carefully crafted product to our clients. Images are carefully selected and edited. We eliminate duplicates, very unfocused or blurry images (unless it's artsy!), and unflattering shots (mouth wide open, haha it happens) captured during those candid moments. We take lots of images in order to capture and create the ones we feel our clients will love the most. Most of the time clients receive much more than the average listed!
Q. How are images edited? And how are they delivered? How many images will I receive?
A. Images are taken in RAW format and then edited using professional editing software. We use Lightroom and Photoshop to adjust the colors, crop, and sometimes remove unwanted objects. Final images are then exported in Jpeg format which is perfect for media sharing and very large prints & wall decor. Images are delivered through a personalized online gallery with digital download. On average clients will receive 60-80 edited high resolution images for a one hour portrait session. For weddings, clients receive 80-120 images per hour of coverage. Please check out packages to learn more about how many images are included. Once again, this is simply an average and most of the time clients receive more than less.
Q. Is a retainer required upon booking? Can I cancel at anytime?
A. Portrait sessions (family, solo, engagement, maternity...) do not require a deposit; however, if a client does cancel and would like to reschedule then a deposit may be requested for the new date and time slot.
For Weddings, a retainer is always required to officially secure the date and time frame. If a couple has already booked their wedding venue and are confident the date will not change then I recommend placing a deposit right away. Retainers are non-refundable and non-transferable to another individual or to a different date. Some dates are in high demand so when a retainer is placed we must turn away other potential clients which is why retainers are non-refundable.
Q. How do we book Otto Kelly Photography for our wedding?
A. Email works best for wedding inquiries! Send to ottokellyphotography@yahoo.com. Please include your first name, date and time frame of wedding (estimate is fine!), location of wedding venue, and how many hours of coverage you are seeking. If you see a package in the "Investment" section that works perfect for your special day let us know. We will respond within 48 hours or sooner. If you do not hear from us please try again. Rarely do emails get sent to spam/trash but it can happen! Once we contact you please let us know if you would like to set up a meeting in person or over the phone. We work with clients all the time who live out-of-state so this optional. Communication and contracts can take place online if this is easiest for the client. Then most importantly let us know soon if you are interested and we will put together a contract for you right away.
Q. Can I view a full wedding gallery from start to finish?
A. Yes, absolutely! Photographers love to post their best work but consistency is also very important. We have lots of examples from each wedding on our website but love sharing full galleries as well. We want our clients to feel comfortable and excited when they book us for their big day. Let us know and we can send you a sample gallery. Don't forget to check out our reviews on Thumbtack, google, yelp, The Knot.
Our photography consists of bright, colorful, and warm images, as clients will see in our work. We also enjoy capturing a variety of shots....details, close-ups, portrait, candid, and of course creative and artistic shots. We also love landscape photography and often incorporate this in our shots, which past clients have really enjoyed. We strive to deliver images our clients will cherish for generations with their family and friends.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW WEDDING FULL WEDDING GALLERIES
Q. How do I book my wedding date with Otto Kelly Photography?
A. A contract and retainer is required upon booking for weddings. A contract is often emailed to the client if they are interested or a copy is brought in person for meetings. All pages must be signed and dated and returned with the deposit (usually 20% of the total rate). Then the remaining balance is due the day of the wedding/event. Retainers are non-refundable and non-transferable to another individual or to a different date. Make sure the date and time frame are accurate upon booking. If you have any questions please let us know before you sign your life away, haha ;). Don't worry, most photography contracts are standard and are meant to clarify what is expected from the photographer and client the day of the event. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Q. What can I expect after booking?
A. After receiving a client's contract and deposit we send them a short questionnaire to fill out and return. Normally this does not get returned to us until we get closer to the wedding date. Via email is perfect! On the questionnaire we ask questions which help us prepare better for the event.
From the time of booking we are here for our clients and offer as much guidance as we can. We also work well with coordinators and other vendors and will communicate with them if necessary.
Q. Have you photographed at our venue before?
A. We have captured many weddings all over San Diego and as far as LA so there is a great possibility we have captured a wedding at your venue before! If not, don't worry, finding beautiful spots to photograph is our expertise, we do it all the time. We also research new venues beforehand so we are better prepared!
Q. What can I expect the day of the wedding/event?
A. Photographer or/and Videographer (US!) will arrive on time to the first location you listed on your contract. This may be at the venue, hotel, or perhaps your home. Don't worry, we always check-in with the coordinator or Bride & Groom at least one week prior to make sure we are on the same page. We also try our best to arrive 15-20 mins before the start time to set up our gear and prep.
Throughout the day we provide guidance and direction for poses and candid shots. We want to help your wedding go as smooth and stress free as possible so we are here to help and to make the experience fun and comfortable.
Coordinators are recommended for larger weddings and often inform us of the timeline during the day and most importantly of any changes that happen last minute. This happens quite a bit. If no coordinator is present please let us know in advance.