Est. 2011
All are welcome here.
13 years ago, my business was born from a nickname and a love for capturing family stories. “Mama-T” was given to me by a friend based off my 10+ years working with children and families as a paraeducator, camp counselor and a foster care respite for medically fragile infants. Not ever having been a mother myself it always humored and equally honored me to be called Mama, and the nickname stuck. Suddenly I was only known as Mama-T, so it made sense to carry this name with me as I started my business. As a child my mom captured every moment on her Pentax and filed printed photos in labeled shoeboxes. As I grew I was able to look back at images from my birth, I followed along as the story of Tara (My real name) was displayed in front of me through imagery of every fun moment, vacation and life event. I was important enough that someone wanted to take my photograph. They wanted to remember me in my moment. This had a profound effect on my self worth. I felt loved, seen, understood and cared for.
The focus of my photography business is to provide this same feeling for families captured through images of life’s tender moments and great joys.
“I specialize in elopements and small weddings. Intentional gatherings allow me to capture the magic we recognize as intimacy. ”
2024
Photography offerings
Weddings & Elopements
Family
natural light Lifestyle headshots
Baby bump & newborns
Festivals, Events and fundraisers
2024
Pricing
How to book a photo session in 3 steps: You reach out to connect about what type of photo session you are interested in. (I happily include free phone consultations for anyone interested in Wedding Photography.)
1. We both sign a contract. It’s e-sign so you can do it from your phone in minutes. Once signed I post a copy of the completed document in our email thread for our records.
2. I email you an invoice for the retainer, it goes over our shoot date, time, location and other details. Retainers are 50% of the total cost, and can be paid via venmo or Zelle. Once the payment is received I post a copy of it in our email thread for our records. The retainer holds the photography date and time, it is non refundable. We can reschedule at no charge for force majeure situations (weather, road closures etc.)
3. We are all set for our shoot, I provide PDF’s about what to expect, and lots of other valuable information. After the shoot I invoice you for the remainder of the fee, you pay via venmo or Zelle and I send the photo collection via beautiful online gallery.
Weddings & Elopments (Proposals, engagements)
Wedding: $1,000. for the first hour, $600. for each additional hour
Proposal $800.
Engagement: $500. - $1,500.
Lifestyle natural light headshots and branding
Starting at $400.
Family photography
Micro Session - 15 min: $350. (Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Seaside, Sand City only)
Mini Family Session - 30 min: $400.
Classic Family Session - 1 hour: $800.
Event photography
starting at $500. / hr
I am located in
Monterey, California
“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” John Steinbeck, Cannery Row
“Using the inspiring power of nature, Mama-T seeks to create a sense of peace and connection for her clients. She prefers the magic of natural light, and employs a combination of documentary-style photography, combined with ‘photo-games’, where she gives prompts or asks questions to elicit a response, reaction or movement that feels natural for her subjects. Mama-T’s disarming personality, along with her supportive and playful presence, encourages couples to let go - creating an honest & loving energy that she captures in stunning environments.
“I want my couples to feel at ease so I can capture their unique connection.”
Mama-T is known for how closely she works with her clients, providing them with support throughout the wedding process. She believes that kind and clear communication are key components to developing a trust-filled relationship with all of her couples.
Mama-T’s images are warm, dreamy and down to earth just like her! While her galleries and images are always color-corrected, she prefers not to over-edit her photos. By staying true to the look and feel of the environment, Mama-T is able to focus on capturing the people in her photos, and their story. She avoids trendy edits, since they don’t hold up well over time.
Her inclusive, nurturing and creative personality makes her a dream to shoot with. She is LGBTQI+ friendly, all of her paperwork is gender neutral, and she truly sees her work as an act of service. ”
