What is Mary Alice’s photographic style?
Mary Alice’s style is fresh and fun, colorful and whimsical. She has been told that she has a gift for photographing the soul. Mary Alice has a very non-traditional approach to family and children’s portraiture which makes her work unique and highly sought-after. She looks for the perfect in the imperfect – a missing tooth, messy hair, a lollipop-stained mouth. Her number one goal is to capture the beauty and joy that lies within and share it with her clients in a tangible, visible way.
In what way is using Mary Alice Duncan Photography different than visiting a traditional portrait studio?
When you commission Mary Alice to photograph your children or family, it will be a unique and rewarding experience. She truly loves her work and has a passion for families and children of all ages. Mary Alice believes that there are many things that make up a beautiful photograph, but the one thing that sets her work apart is that she shoots with her heart rather than her head. Her great attention to emotion and to detail, both during the session and throughout the post-processing, assures the highest quality images that will capture your child’s or family’s inner beauty and spirit. Mary Alice wants you to be nothing less than thrilled with the entire process!
What is custom photography?
Please check out this resource to better understand the services you will receive. Mary Alice encourages everyone who is considering her services to read this piece to help you better understand the custom photography process and to give you a glimpse into exactly what you are paying for.
When should I schedule my session?
In order to provide the best possible quality experience from start to finish for each client, Mary Alice limits the number of sessions she makes available on a monthly basis. She recommends booking your session as early as possible to ensure availability. Currently, she is booking appointments for early2010. If you are interested in booking a session, please do so by clicking the “Book a Session” button on the blog’s home page.
What should we wear for our session?
Clothing is a very important consideration when planning your session. While Mary Alice recommends that you dress within the parameters of your personal style, the clothing you choose should compliment both you (or your children) and the environment in which the session is taking place. Layered clothing often works well in photos, as well as items that bring in elements of texture and color, such as hats, scarves, jackets or rainboots. Mary Alice loves the unexpected and, because of her photographic style, prefers casual clothing with touches of whimsy over more dressy, formal attire. Also, siblings generally should color coordinate, but it is preferable that they not match exactly. When in doubt, bring lots of different things to your session. It’s always fun to mix and match! Mary Alice is always available to help you with styling and clothing choices. Clothing retailers that she recommends for inspiration are:
How long do sessions typically last?
Sessions generally last between 1-2 hours. With children, that allows plenty of time for a snack break, as well as outfit changes. Newborn sessions allow plenty of time for nursing if baby is hungry!
What locations are available for sessions?
Currently, Mary Alice exclusively shoots on location, always utilizing natural light. This allows her to be able to provide unique and custom images for every client. Whether it be in your home, a country setting or an urban one, Mary Alice will always be sure that the surroundings enhance the beauty of the images. Choice of location will be discussed before your session to ensure that your location will suit your desires for your finished portraits.
What time of day does Mary Alice prefer to shoot?
Mary Alice prefers to shoot family and children’s sessions in the 2 hours before sunset or between 9:30 and 11:30 on weekdays. She only schedules newborns and babies between 9:30 -11:30:30 am during the week. {Weekend sessions are available on a VERY limited basis.}
Why does Mary Alice only show us approximately 15 – 25 proofs when she takes so many pictures at our session?
Custom Photography is all about quality over quantity. Mary Alice chooses the very best images from your session to process and share with you. When you hire her to capture your family, you are asking & trusting her to show you how she sees you, your children and your family through the filter of her creative vision. Only images that meet her exacting quality standards make the final cut. Rest assured that she will show you the very best from your session!
Will I see color and black and white versions of all of my photos?
No, not necessarily. Mary Alice uses her artistic judgement about which photos look best in color and black and white.
Does Mary Alice shoot weddings, engagements or events?
While Mary Alice is happy to photograph engaged couples, she does not shoot weddings at this time. She is available for events on a very limited, case-by case basis. If you are interested in having Mary Alice shoot an event for you, please don’t hesitate to contact her.
Can I scan and/or make copies of my portraits myself?
No. Printing, copying, downloading, altering or scanning images without written consent is strictly prohibited as the images are protected by federal copyright laws.
Yes, there was a time when Mary Alice did offer discs of high-resolution images to her clients so that they could be in charge of their own printing. However, after much soul-searching she has come to the conclusion that giving away control of the final printed product truly de-values her work for both the client and herself. Mary Alice does realize, however, that we live in the digital age and most all of us do share our lives with friends and family over the internet in some way – facebook, blogs and email being the mediums that come to mind. This being the case, Mary Alice has chosen to offer a certain number of web-formatted images to her clients as bonuses to their print collections. While these images are NOT suitable for printing, they are beautiful and perfect for sharing digitally with loved ones. This allows Mary Alice the ability to protect the integrity of her work, while giving her clients the freedom to share the images that they love best!
Why does Mary Alice refer to herself in third person? When she takes my picture, will she talk to me this way?
Normally Mary Alice does not refer to herself in third person. So when you meet her, she will hopefully seem mostly normal. Mostly. Third person perspective just seemed to be the right way to answer all of these questions. You know, kind of like she had an assistant answering for her. {Oh, that’d be wonderful}. So won’t you pretty please hire Mary Alice so that she can one day hire an assistant? Thank you. And if you have any other questions that weren’t answered here, please email her at madphotoinfo@comcast.net!