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It is thanks to Kelty and Hannah that more than a year after our wedding I can still smell the rich earth around the big trees, the rosemary we gave as favors and the old, sweet wood of the lodge. I can still feel the way the light filtered through the forest and warmed our ceremony site and how the loamy earth felt under my feet as we, and everyone we love, paraded down the wooded path. Kelty gave us art. In her photographs there is movement and emotion and authenticity. She framed our day with an artist’s eye, but at the center it is still unassailably us. Her images capture an instant, evoke a clear memory—things that otherwise would blend into a hazy, happy remembrance of that day. She captured tenderness and goofiness, golden sunlight and tree-cast shadows. Kelty and Hannah managed to be both unobtrusive and completely present. They were part of our story, keeping record as the day unfolded. They made Cameron and I, two awkward camera-hams prone to posing with all the rigidity of a second-grader on picture day, relaxed and able to forget about the camera’s lens and to instead focus on the moment. I can’t imagine anyone I would trust more to capture such an important day. I couldn’t be happier than I am with the images Kelty gave us. I recommend Steep Street to everyone. I suggest people visit the website and blog just to be inspired. Kelty is professional and gifted and unique and intelligent. The quality of her work and the artistry of her images reflect that. Katie & Cameron |
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I thought Kelty was being extremely generous when she offered to help me set up a website in exchange for some of my artwork, but I didn't know the half of it. I gave some input into things like font choices and deciding what pictures to use but she took care of all the real work. She took beautiful photographs of my entire portfolio, designed and ordered business cards (which are already helping open doors for me), and designed and set up a website, blog page and etsy shop for me. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to watch Kelty work. I was amazed at her ability to take an idea for a webpage layout or an image and turn it into a reality on the computer screen almost as if it were an extension of her mind. Yet I think Kelty's greatest talent is her incredible eye for beauty. This applies to everything from her photographs to the arrangement of the text boxes in her websites. In addition to all the work Kelty has done for me, she has also mentored and guided me through the entire intimidating process of trying to become a professional artist. Since she began helping me about one month ago, I made my first sale on etsy, sold two custom commissions and now have my art being considered for sale at a well known boutique in Manhattan! And none of it would have been possible without Kelty. Kiyoshi Mino |
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From the moment we found Kelty's blog, we where in love. Every time I looked at her beautiful photos I was overcome with the emotion she captured, and we quickly decided that we wanted her to be a part of our wedding day. At this point the only thing we knew for certain was that we were traveling to Las Vegas to get married. I emailed Kelty about about day and told her a few of our ideas. When she responded with 'your wedding sounds like a seriously bad ass affair' we knew she was the right girl for the job. In the year and half from booking her for our wedding, we eagerly anticipated every blog post from Kelty and not once were we disappointed. With every photograph I saw I fell in love with both Kelty and her amazing sister Hannah and her vision. Every email she sent was full of love, enthusiasm and excitement for our day which honestly rivaled my own excitement for our wedding.
On the morning of our wedding, I was so nervous and when I opened the door to greet these two gorgeous ladies, I was immediately put at ease. With the music on and my hair and make up being done, we got talking and I honestly felt like I had two old friends in the room with me. They got to watch me open my card and present from my husband while I told them all about how me meet and fell in love. They went about taking photos of all the little details from my shoes to my jewelery and they even helped me into my dress. They were a complete godsend before the fun had even begun. One of my favourite photos from that morning is a photo of the two of them in the mirror of our hotel bathroom...seriously these girls rock! From our limo ride to the moment we arrived at the hotel for the ceremony, these girls where full of smiles and laughter.... { click to read more! }
...They where both completely unobtrusive and throughout the whole ceremony, we werecompletely unaware of them. They allowed us to concentrate on each other and just be in the moment and it was such a joy to see our ceremony photos, people laughing and crying and Alex and I completely in the moment and totally in love. Even when we went off to have out portraits done, we were left to just be ourselves and the girls worked their magic. No idea was ever too crazy or silly and they even came up with some great ideas which resulted in some of my favourite photographs. These girls are such beautiful creatures that charmed not only us but everyone at our reception and to this day everyone comments on how great they both where. When Kelty sent me the first sneak peek, I cried. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I honestly thought I was looking at a painting, not a photo. It was beautiful I just couldn't believe that was me in the photo. Each sneak peek she sent through raised the bar and blew our expectations out of the water. Everything we had wanted captured was there in the photos and everything we hadn't expected was there is full force. Words can not express how much the photos mean to us and I never imagined how emotional I would get every time I look at them. There are no words that can describe the love and gratitude we have for these photos. They captured us and our relationship perfectly. I never thought anyone would be able to capture our relationship in photographs but looking at our photos, I get completely swept up in them and there serve as a reminder of how much I love my husband and how wonderful my friends and family are. If I am every feeling low or having a bad day, all I have to do is look at our photos and I instantly smile. We are eternally grateful for the memories we now have and for Kelty and Hannah being a part of those memories. Kelty and Hannah, you girls amaze us. It was a really honor having you girls be part of you day and there are not enough words that will express how grateful and in love we are with our photos. You have captured so many beautiful memories that will never be forgotten and will be cherished for many years to come. There are so many little moments that we didn't get to see that are now captured forever and are now a part of our fun filled Las Vegas wedding. Thank you so much for your laughter, your vision, your attention to detail and your friendship. Thank you for making us feel like rockstars for the day and thank you for running with our crazy ideas and being the only two people to watch our first dance. { hide }
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Kelty is incredible. I'd always been a fan of her work, but when I finally got brave enough to contact her with the idea of creating new branding for my photography business I was blown away by her support and enthusiasm. She helped me gather my inspiration, write my content, kicked my hiney when I needed it, and cheered for me as I chugged along. She also took charge and created a blog template and business cards, which I loved so much I squealed like a little girl when I first laid eyes on them. I simply gave her a list of websites and what I specifically liked about them, other random designs that I was attracted to, and the features I was sure that I wanted to include in my site. As she provided feedback and I kept digging deeper, I was able to realize more of what I wanted to have in my new brand and she was better able to create it. When I felt like something needed to be different or realized an original idea wasn't going to work out, she was completely understanding and with her magic wand set it all back to the way it needed to be. Kelty took the unorganized, chaotic, indecisive ideas out of my head and created the business image I had been searching for all along. She's a genius, miracle-maker, and somehow makes you want to be her new best friend all at the same time. I can't tell you how lucky I feel that I found this girl to work with... anyone would be! Corinne Krogh |
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Flash back to last November when the old lady and I had just returned from a quick trip to New York City. It was four days of eating and drinking and mindlessly working all the jitters out before we returned home to do the unthinkable: open our bar, The Fixin' To. We came back to Portland to face the daunting, exhausting, soul-crushing, life-affirming task on a cold rainy night (naturally). Fresh off the plane we went to the still-raw space just to make sure it was still standing. It was. And inside the door someone had slipped a neat, hand-written note through our mail slot. We opened it and...wonder of wonders...somebody (a complete stranger) was offering to build our bar. For free. For life experience. For fun. Immediately my mind ran to thoughts of loner sexual predators, sweaty pervs, and serial killers with collections of crouton teeth chilling in their fridge. But we were desperate. And broke. So we set up a meeting with this certain felon for the next day and braced for the worst. So imagine our surprise when in walked Justin (Kelty's partner). Ridiculously, annoyingly handsome. Sweet as pie. Quiet. And with a passionate vision for our bar matched only by his supreme talent. In short...he constructed the beating heart of The Fixin' To...nailing, sawing, staining for countless hours...for shits and giggles. It looks amazing. And we wouldn't be here without him. And now you're wondering...Where does Kelty and Steep Street come into this? Well, let's just say that Kelty's work on our logo, web site, business cards, menus, photos, flyers, and countless and sundry other items has been equally selfless, heartfelt, and brilliant. And, oh yeah, it kicks about 31 flavors of ass. Like her man, she came to us first.... { click to read more! }
...and asked us if we'd LET her design our stuff. How sweet. How very nice of her, we thought. And then we checked our the Steep Street site for the first time and couldn't control our giddiness. This chick was AWESOME. And SHE wanted to design a site for us? This uber-talented, stylish, artist wanted to do us a solid? Holy rainbow shitting unicorn! We were honored and once we saw what she came up with (armed only with a couple random ideas we'd supplied her in fever dreams of exhaustion) absolutely floored. We weren't cool before we combined forces with Kelty. Now we are. But I still have one lingering question for Justin and Kelty. With all this do-gooding and spirited creativity for brain-dead beer slinging stiffs like we Fixin' To folk, I have to ask... Are ya'll guys Christians? If so, I may just have to start going to church. Anywho Kelty, you'll always have a free St. Johns Sweet Tea waiting for you at the Fixin' To. Thanks for all your hard work. The Fixin' To Family { hide }
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We’ve spent less than a day in her presence and we can tell you, that this is Kelty. Certainly, she is the most gifted photographer we have ever seen - and if that were where her contribution to this world ended, it would be a wonderful thing indeed. But it isn’t. Far from it. She has the kindest heart, the most gentle and fun-loving spirit. An absolute joy to be around – but as this is a testimony to her work…. It has been six months since our wedding day and as we look at her pictures today, we are transported. We are in the hot August sun, looking at our new partner for the first time. We are there daily – what an amazing gift that is – and know that those pictures will have that power for the rest of our lives. Kelty views the world in a very special way, and in the brief time you’re with her teaches you to do it too – to look for beauty in unexpected places, to be open to possibilities. A stranger to Boston, she would react to changing scenarios and new locations as if she'd already prepared for them. She sent us a sneak peak while we were on our honeymoon, and we were blown away. We still are. We were honored to be a part of her art, touched by her willingness to experience the first moments of our marriage with us and so excited for what is to come from her. There’s a line from Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona in which Penelope Cruz’s character describes her artistic attributes in a way that fits Kelty quite perfectly: “Not talent! Genius. Genius!” Our journey and delight with Kelty began with a message from my sister three months after Bram and I got engaged. “You need to check these out.” She sent a link to engagement pictures of her good friend Tara... { click to read more! }
...and her then-fiance Greg. We were blown away – moved by how Kelty had perfectly captured their unique and beautiful love. And then we scrolled through her work and there it was. Every time. Individuals, Couples, Animals – she saw what was most special, most beautiful and genuine and captured it precisely…every time. In the late spring, for all the wonderful complexities that go into making this sort of decision, Bram and I decided to elope. While part of the magic is being the only two people in the world at your wedding, we knew we would want to preserve the day so that our family and friends--and someday our children--could see how joyful our private wedding day really was. So there were two considerations: finding a special spirit that could share those first few moments of our new life together, and finding an artist that could capture that magic. And we found her. We also found that Kelty was willing to fly across the country for strangers, take a series of pre-wedding pictures within hours of landing, and laugh with us as friends the next morning as we walked through the metal detector of Boston City Hall. She was so easy to be with and, strangely, it felt entirely natural to spend the most moving and important moments of our life in her presence. She frolicked about the city with us in the wild emotional bliss of hours-old marriage. She even collaborated with a dear friend of ours to time one of the most incredible moments we’ve ever been a part of, where, having received a text from Kelty, he emerged from the subway with a bucket of flowers and showered us with petals right there in the plaza of Government Center. All we can say is, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Nadia & Bram { hide }
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We don't even know where to start when expressing our appreciation for Kelty of Steep Street. We have been long time admirers of Kelty's work, unique style and artistic energy. We asked her to do a website/blog design for our growing event planning + design company. She was INCREDIBLY prompt and efficient all while bringing the most AMAZINGLY creative and visually stunning work - that truly reflected who we are as a company. She has been an absolute pleasure to work with since day one. We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the look of our new site and we are constantly getting compliments on its visually stunning pizazz and the way that it all flows together. It has absolutely increased our traffic and has definitely boosted our industry reputation. It was a no-brainer for us to use Kelty for our printed material and she sure did a bang up job with that too. She is above and beyond anyone in her field and when we need anything creative for our brand or company, she is definitely our most favorite, creative industry, go-to gal pal. She will blow your socks off. Megan and Emily of Enjoy Events Co.
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Kelty’s generosity of spirit comes through clearly in her work. There are few photographers who can truly capture the essence of a day, a couple, a family, an individual; Kelty does this via her intuition, her emotional acuity, her listening skills, and her incredible talent. Her unique touch and subtle qualities are beautifully evident as she portrays her subjects, conveying their setting and features purely, allowing them to shine, rather than posing them awkwardly and dictating their expressions. Kelty brought this excellence to all aspects of our wedding preparation and actual day. I think many photographers would have run the other way when they heard “so, we’re thinking about an underwater shoot…” Kelty worked with us to bring our crazy idea to a luminous, ethereal reality, catching us suspended in wedding finery and giving us the most beautiful save-the-date I’ve ever seen. We so appreciated the hard and hilarious work of actually getting the photos, not to mention the creativity and polish she brought to the final product. They were beyond my wildest dreams; check ‘em out – they speak for themselves. At the rehearsal and ceremony, Kelty brought her magic to play again in collecting images from these events with all their flurry of activity, loving looks, surprises, laughter and tenderness. Her use of multiple formats gave such an astonishing array of feeling; vintage, modern, intimate, and communal. Those photos aren’t just someone’s rote catalogue of an occasion; they tell a story – Jeff’s and my story, and the story of all our loved ones who made that day so perfect. I don’t know how a person gets all that into a camera, but Kelty did... { click to read more! }
.... A final word to the brides out there: ladies, you know how you want to look on that special day; flawless, glowing, joyful, I’ll say it…hot. Kelty will do it. She gets the best angles, never makes you feel self conscious, knows all the great moments and won’t ask you to pose in a way that makes you feel ridiculous. In short, she will show you as your absolute ideal self, reflecting all the happiness you feel and in the most gorgeous way you have ever seen. Thank you, Kelty, for somehow finding my inner supermodel (oh, and Jeff looks pretty darn smokin’ too). Stacey (of Jeff & Stacey) { hide }
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Kelty created a logo, tag line, website, blog, poster and business cards for the Stanford Women's Water Polo Team, as well as taking portraits of all of the women both above and below the water. The microsite she created is the best possible expression of the Stanford Water Polo Team’s brand and values. During the development process, Kelty meticulously sought to identify the characteristics that uniquely define our team. She took the time to understand each athlete individually and to gauge the overall chemistry of the group. From her observations she distilled precisely the combination of playful exuberance and competitive intensity that we wanted to project to our fans and followers. I am in awe of her insight, patience, and creative synthesis. She has an outstanding ability to create digital products which authentically portray the values and essence of their subject matter. John Tanner |
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Working with Kelty as our wedding photographer was a dream come true! I never thought that a wedding photographer could actually ADD to the mood of the day of your wedding....but Kelty and her sister, Hannah, added so much! Beyond being incredibly professional, they were fun, spirited, and very laid-back. We enjoyed our time with them so much that I almost forgot about the photos that were coming after the wedding...which subsequently blew our minds! The images were so artistic and original and really captured the feel of our wedding day in a very natural way. I would recommend Kelty to anyone who appreciates candid, artistic, and original photos that truly capture people's individual personalities. Also, someone who is looking for a photographer to help put them at ease around the process of being photographed! We feel very lucky that we found Kelty, not only because her photos left us with sweet memories of our wedding day, but also because she's just a fabulous and unique all around person with a very kind heart! - Karen and Aaron
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Steep Street was actually the very first vendor we booked for our Malibu wedding, after coming across some of Kelty's engagement photography online. After contacting Kelty via email, we learned that she would soon be moving from the Bay Area to Portland, Oregon. Not that that mattered a lick! Kelty's more than happy to travel for her work, art, and passion! Plus, we just had to have her! Every single new post to her Steep Street blog assured us that we had chosen the right photographer for our upcoming fun, rustic, vintage wedding! So, after 7 months of personal, friendly, prompt emails, Kelty and her assistant twin sister Hannah headed to Southern California to document the most important day of our lives! First, Kelty and Hannah showed up to our site early so they could scope out the premises prior to the chaos of the day. As I ran around setting up tables, getting makeup done, and meeting with vendors, their calming presences put me at ease - with all of unknowns of the day, I knew then and there I wasn't going to have to worry about the photographers. They began the day with such confidence and grace. They glided in and out of the bridal suite, snapping pictures, asking to borrow my dress and ring, and strategically setting themselves up for the ceremony. It already felt like they were “friends taking pictures” rather than strangers or “vendors.” The real fun began after the ceremony ended when the bridal party started to roam the grounds for our photo session. For the next hour, our whole group acted like a bunch of kids, hanging out on a broken-down carousel, posing in front of a huge ferris wheel, fake-running, trampolining, toasting, and laughing... { click to read more! }
Kelty had so many great ideas and there wasn’t a single moment wasted trying to figure out what shot to get next. We went from one amazing setting to another – sometimes Kelty used Hannah as a ladder to get a cool, overhead perspective, and other times they double-teamed the group; Hannah grabbing shots with the boys while Kelty got shots with the girls. When the photographers are game for anything, that same feeling tends to engulf the crowd. Everyone just wanted to get the coolest shots possible and we all had such a fun time doing it! Jonathan and I finished up the session thinking, “Wow, I think something really special just happened.” Back at the reception, Kelty and Hannah once again became this “presence,” both there and not there. Which, to me, is what you want in that kind of atmosphere. If your photographers stick out and take up space, your guests will get nervous and be unnatural. With Steep Street, you know they’re there, but they just sort of float around the room, grabbing these amazing moments and moving on before you even realize you just had your picture taken. They covered every special instance of the night without ever getting in the way of the true emotion and sincerity of that moment. We also had this sort of last-minute idea to set up a bucket of wigs, hats, and sunglasses for our guests to take goofy pictures. Without much warning, we asked if Hannah would hang out outside for a little while at our “Fun Time Photo Stop.” Before we knew it, she was set up, wrangling guests from indoors to the outside deck, and snapping pictures of our goofball friends. That impromptu idea of ours could have fallen flat on its face if not for the dedication of Hannah to make it work for us! The end of the night was a flurry of dancefloor mayhem, group hugs, and resistant goodbyes, all, of course, documented by Steep Street. And then in a flash, they were gone... In the post-wedding conversations, it tickled me how often guests brought up Kelty and Hannah. Friends and family loved the overall vibe of the way they worked, calling them “ethereal beings” and “lovely mermaid twins.” One friend told me that he wanted to tell them all of his troubles and ask them for the meaning of life. Dare I say a couple of innocent crushes on the gals were formed here and there. A lot of Steep Street fans were made that night! Kelty’s professionalism always shines through, as she stayed in constant contact with me in the weeks following the wedding. We screamed like little girls the day that Kelty sent our sneak peek photo, and it only whetted our appetites for more! The day that we received our first handful of photos (via the lovely Steep Street blog and website), we just about lost it. Whatever expectations we had built up over the course of seeing Kelty’s incredible photos pile up on her blog were, somehow, surpassed. After looking at the pictures over and over for hours (no, literally, HOURS), we went to bed filled with so much emotion from the memories that the photos reignited! We had almost forgotten about all the things we did that night - like it was just a dream, until the photos finally provided proof that it all really happened! They are SUCH an amazing representation of the two of us and the night and the feelings we were having. The post processing that Kelty does takes the photography to a whole new level. The look and feel of her photography just lends itself so perfectly to the intimacy, love and fun that we wanted to convey on our special day. Can I say that I think we have the greatest wedding party pictures in the history of time? Because I do. And I don’t know how to describe the ceremony photography other than delicate, timeless, and truly emotional. Luckily, Kelty and Hannah also totally embraced the goofiness in us and in our dearest friends and family. So, our reception photography had us rolling on the floor, laughing our butts off! Every insane dance move or fake mustache, captured for eternity by the Steep Street lens. And as important as beauty and timelessness was to our ceremony and wedding party photos, capturing the crazy antics of our loved ones was just as essential for us during the reception. In our year-long wedding planning, I spoke to so many of my married friends who ended up hating their wedding photos. Jonathan and I can honestly say that hiring Steep Street was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Our wedding WAS the greatest day of our lives, so to have anything less than the best pictures on earth would be a disappointment to us. The memories and feelings that we have in our heads and hearts are absolutely reflected in Kelty’s photos. And, though memories fade over time, we now have hundreds of photographs to remind us of every joyous, ridiculous, gorgeous, thrilling, and heartwarming moment from our favorite day on earth. Thank you to the artists, and now friends, of Steep Street!! Most Sincerely, Britt & Jonny { hide }
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We are Faust Photographics, based in the San Francisco bay area and specialize in wedding and family photography, with a bit of fashion and commercial stuff mixed in.
Kelty used her creative knowhow to come up with fresh ideas for our photography business. From the start of our correspondence, she was amicable, attentive, and prompt; the whole process from beginning to end went by so quickly and efficiently. |
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Steep Street was the only one of our wedding vendors we didn't know...we hired her based solely on her beautiful work and creatively wonderful website. We had a very specific vision for our wedding photos--easy, artsy, and a real memoir of the day, and we were absolutely blown away by Kelty's work. We couldn't have asked for photos that captured the feel and emotion of our wedding more than the photos that Kelty delivered. From the time we met over a beer, we knew we had connected with someone who shared our sensibility for art and imagery, and we were able to completely trust her eye. Both Kelty and her assistant Hannah were excited and enthusiastic to share in our day, and while they were definitely there to shoot photos, they were out of the way, respectful, and extremely professional--we enjoyed the whirlwind of our wedding day and then had gorgeous photos to show us all of the details and faces that had escaped us in all of the excitement. We would highly, highly recommend Kelty to anyone looking for photography work, and we wouldn't have chosen anyone different to photograph our wedding. Dana & Scott |
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I feel so lucky to have connected with Kelty now--as I'm sure she will be famous and impossible to book before we all know it! Photographs have always been one of my favorite ways of seeing the world. In the months leading up to our wedding, I poured over hundreds of photographer's websites, looking for images that captured the whimsical, beautiful, fun and tender spirit that I felt about this moment in our lives. When I first saw Kelty's website (which, sadly, was after our wedding), I knew I'd found a kindrid spirit and someone with an exquisite eye. Not only does she make stunning images of people at their naturally beautiful best but she has a joyful originality that is incredibly rare in the saturated world of portrait photography. Her photographs are playful, energetic, personal and inspiring--they seem to draw out those lovely moments and gestures that tell the unique story behind each couple and face. We were so moved and excited by Kelty's photographs that we decided to dress back up in our wedding outfits and ask Kelty to work her magic. She immediately responded enthusiastically about the idea of an 'after-the-wedding' shoot. And we were thrilled at the chance to make some of the images that would have taken too much time away from our party and guests to have made on our wedding day. Over email, we brainstormed ideas for locations and props and I shared some of what we were hoping to create. She came to our home on a Saturday afternoon--the day before she was moving to Portland!!--and spent hours with us, in our backyard and at locations we'd scouted around the East Bay. Not only is she a stand-out talent, she is stylish, fun and incredibly easy to work with. She climbed on ladders... { click to read more! }
...battled rose bushes, lay down in the grass and lugged props around with us, all while coming up with fresh ideas and bringing a playful and expansive spirit to the shoot. She was totally game and willing to try everything plus she was able to give us direction when we needed it in the most friendly and unintimidating way. Shooting with Kelty, we felt like she was instantly able to let us be ourselves and entirely focused on making creative and beautiful photographs in the process. Juniper & Michael { hide }
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YOU are our new hero! How did you get to be so amazing and creative? Our favorite subject is talking about projects where we can use your creativity. So far: pictures of our dog, a 60th birthday party, Angela's dad's retirement party, baby pictures, invitations, tags to tie on a tree in lieu of a guest book, designing our future websites, etc. The album covers you designed for our wedding were a huge hit with our guests but also captured the feel of our last 10 years together. Your creativity seems limitless and we love how you combined our photos and images to make a sweet, hip and beautiful design for our wedding favors. We can't wait to see what you do with our next project. STELLAR work by one STELLAR woman! Angela often says, "I wish I were creative like Kelty." And when she does something creative, "Just like Kelty." If we see something that is less than stellar? "Well, they are no Kelty". Things we love about the design: LUCY on the back cover, the colors/fonts, the perfect blend of our fotos and images in the bubbles, and the simultaneously nostalgic/modern design- howd you do it?! It's perfect, Kelty. Nick and Angela |
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Allen and I can't stop looking at and talking about our pictures and our experience with Kelty. I know it's been said, but it totally bears repeating: Kelty's way more than just a photographer. She's really an artist, so unbelievably creative in the best way. I don't know how she did it, but our pictures are so us, and that's so great. They're seriously the best pictures. Ever. The only bad thing is that we don't have nearly enough wall or desk space to display all of our favorites (basically all of them), and she hasn't even shot our actual wedding yet! I just know that we're going to treasure these pictures (and just the memories of the shoot itself) for a very long time. Where do I even begin in describing our experience? I don't know what I can say about Kelty of Steep Street that hasn't already been said by their other fans or that really captures how I feel about what she's done for us, but I'll give it a shot. EVERYONE, including my fiancee Allen, thought I was absolutely crazy for deciding to fly in a wedding photographer from Portland, wondering why I couldn't find someone in Chicago. Wedding photography was one of the most important considerations for me in this entire wedding planning process, so I knew I had to get it right. My family and friends didn't know that I had spent hours and hours and hours and hours clicking through wedding blogs to find the perfect photographer. During this process, I contacted and subsequently probably led on at least 30 other photographers (very few who were based in or near Chicago), but it never felt right. That is, until I stumbled upon Hannah and Alex's stunning engagement photos. I e-mailed Kelty right away, thinking that she had to be booked or totally out of our price range.... { click to read more! }
...and to my delight, she was not only available for our wedding date, but her rates were also incredibly reasonable, and I hired her right away. I asked her tons of questions, and she always had great answers for me and a lot of patience with me. I couldn't wait to have her take our pictures . . . We finally got to meet Kelty and Hannah probably about a year later when we road tripped to Portland from Seattle, where we were visiting my sister. We were having our engagement photos taken. Allen and I don't get photographed very often, so we weren't quite sure what to expect, but we had a blast! Seriously, it was the BEST time. Kelty and her delightful assistant and twin sister Hannah were super cool and friendly right from the start. It felt like they were old friends. We were impressed with their creativity right from the beginning, when Kelty started tearing our hotel room apart to set it up for our shots. And we continued to be impressed by their wacky, creative ideas throughout our time together. Kelty gave the perfect amount of instruction to turn out unbelievable pictures without making the shots seem overly posed, unnatural, or just not true to us. Her ideas for locations were exactly what I had envisioned for the shoot, which really showed me that she listened to me when I told her what I had in mind. We knew that our pictures were going to be amazing, and we couldn't wait to see them. Kelty got them back to us really quickly, so we didn't have to wait too long, and Allen was FINALLY convinced (he actually might have been during the shoot) that I wasn't crazy to hire Steep Street for our wedding. So now that we have our pictures back, I'm sure everyone will finally stop wondering why the Chicago photographers just weren't going to cut it. And Kelty, whether she likes it our not, has become our friend and official photographer for the rest of our lives. There just isn't anyone better. And, seriously, this testimonial can't really begin to convey my incredible joy so far in working with Kelty, but I know I'll have another chance when we get our wedding photos done, which I know will be just as stunning. Kelty and Hannah, thank you both SO MUCH for what you've done for us. We can't wait until October! Jenny (of Jenny and Allen) { hide }
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Kelty of Steep Street not only set the stage for my dream wedding, but inspired and guided our wedding adventure from start to finish! Read on for details... The Beginning: Kelty's initial conception of our website and engagement photos essentially sparked the notion for our wedding theme: elementary love! It was her brilliant idea to shoot at our old elementary school, for example. Her use of props, lighting, motion, humor and editorial-style shots made for photos that are timelessly vintage and mean the world to us. I didn't feel like we were posing for a camera as much as reminiscing and having a blast together amidst our old stomping grounds. The Materials: Kelty also used our engagement photos as a starting off point for our dancing yarn/paint-themed bachelor/ette party invites, our worldly/goofy rehearsal dinner invitations, as well as a portion of the materials for our wedding, such as our nerdy bookmarks that guests took home as favors. She created each material so concisely for each unique occasion that guests had no idea that some were from the same shoot! I immediately thought of Kelty when we imagined something to have the guests sign as they arrived at the celebration. She and her sweetie, Mr. Green, sketched and painted the most beautiful, unique and sweet Witness Poster for guests to sign beneath, incorporating Alex and my attire, the Oak Tree we were to be married beneath, and even our little dogs. This masterpiece now hangs in our home, a memory of all who... { click to read more! }
...were there. One of our favorite elements of our wedding was the CD of song covers that we gave to guests. There is absolutely no way that these favors would have been as eye-catching, well-made and oh-so-us had it not been for Kelty's brilliant skills and album cover idea. Deciding we'd be inhabiting "faux real" worlds as a future bride and groom, she set up a photo shoot that would allow her to collage us into these cool environments that screamed elementary school/vogue/Warhol/secrets agent/soap opera! The shoot itself was absolute hilarity, as Alex and I hopped about in our wedding attire and had a blast while Kelty shouted suggestions and tried not to keel over laughing... Mostly, her magic touch consisted of her ability to capture excitement, energy and anticipation that spilled from our soon-to-be-married selves. The photo shoot film itself is priceless to us, but Kelty took it a step farther when she turned the photos into collages which then became album covers for our cd favors! Guests collected a few of each type of cover, and Kelty also had the designs printed 12x12 to hang at our celebration. They now reside in our living room where we can see them and think back to all that fun. The Wedding: It's hard to even describe the way Kelty captured our wedding day shenanigans, especially seeing as though she was IN them! Somehow she managed to be there for me as my maid of honor, enjoy herself with family and friends and document all the wedding fun at the same time. Throwing a wedding with 120 guests meant that there were some things I inevitably didn't get to witness. Thanks to Kelty's photos, we are immediately taken back to that day and included in each moment. Her photos breath such life and emotion because they captured the moments rather than creating them. I love that she captured guests with their mouths full of food, laughing at terrible jokes, meeting one another for the first time, crying their makeup off and dancing in ways they'd never want captured on film. This is how I hoped our wedding would be captured and remembered and we're so thankful to have that. The Aftermath: As much as I loved getting all of the wedding photos on disc and in a gallery to share with friends and family online, what meant the most to me post-wedding was being able to feel the photos in a real album. Kelty made us an inexpensive and yet absolutely beautiful book that synthesized every photographed moment of Alex and my year of romance, from the snowy December proposal to the bridal shower to the engagement shoot to the rehearsal dinner to the next year's December anniversary. She styled the design of the book to match the feel of our photos, overall theme and personal styles, and created pages that showcased each photo, event and related invitation perfectly. We were able to have copies printed of the professional coffee-table-style book for family members as Christmas gifts. What an amazing gift to have and to give! Kelty also designed our thank-you cards using a photograph from our December mountain 3rd anniversary shoot, where we dressed up in our wedding garb and pranced about in the snow together. The cards were a huge hit and the photos were a wonderful ending to our album and year. Why You Should Listen To Me: So I realize that I could be considered somewhat bias, seeing as though Kelty is my twin sister and best friend. Luckily for you, though, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Kelty has the uncanny ability to make everyone feel like family. She truly cares as much about other weddings as she did ours, because she is able to perceive, capture and celebrate the love between people. She is not only incredibly gifted at what she does, but she loves doing it. Truly, if you're looking for a photographer who inspires, understands and celebrates your love, Steep Street is the place and Kelty is your gal. Hannah (of Hannah & Alex) { hide }
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There is really nothing I can say in this testimonial that can even come close describing how amazing Kelty’s photos are. As you browse this site you can see them for yourself. There’s an intimacy and authenticity; nothing looks staged or posed. People are who they are, as they are: natural and (in the really special ones) slightly vulnerable. This is an incredibly rare thing and speaks volumes about Kelty as a person and as an artist. When people are willing to open themselves up and trust someone so fully that they allow that person access to their inner-most self (whether they realize they’re doing it or not), it’s a pretty special thing.
I guess, in short, Kelty captures people. Whatever “that thing” is that makes that rare and select group of photographers great, Kelty has. She will get you with your guard down and you won’t even know it. She will get you as you are and all the while you think you’re just hanging out. It’s only later when you see the photos that you realize you weren’t just hanging out. Things were going down. Amazing things. So much so that you begin to doubt that you were even there. “That’s me? You took that then?” It’s not magic and it’s not luck. It’s talent and it’s a gift and with Kelty it seems to flow effortlessly. I will forever be indebted to Kelty for all the work, love, laughter, beauty, and fun she brought to our wedding. I can honestly say that without her it would have been...well, I don’t even want to think what it would have been like without her. It was amazing and she was a big reason why. Alex (of Alex & Hannah)
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Relaxed. Joyful. Unique. Representative. Those would be some of the 192 words I could use to describe our experience with the lovely and talented Kelty Luber. I'm sure some of you would very much love to get some wonderful shots of your great grandmother. Or, perhaps a few snaps of your shitzu who you've been sending wrapped Christmas gifts to for years. A beautiful family portrait? Or, maybe you yourself want to discover the rapture of finally having a great picture of you in those jeans you paid too much for. Look no further. Clearly, her work speaks for itself. I could go on and on as to the incredible eye this girl has - for lighting, for angles, for creating a comfortable space. Scroll on to be thoroughly impressed with the results. Along with this, however, I would like to describe to you the FEELING of being photographed by her. This, I confess, is equally important in order to create a natural and unprocessed setting. Imagine a sunny 78 degree day with a slight breeze coming from the east. You, in your finest linen shirt/pant/dress, overlooking the Croatian sea in the single most comfortable bed you've ever been on, sinking into the Egyptian cotton sheets with your favorite bottle of wine and a bag of double stuffed oreos. The 4 time world champion pianist has just finished her hour long set devoted to all of your favorite songs at the same moment your deep tissue massage wrapped up. The seven course meal of your favorite foods are about to be brought to you. You also have 4 stomachs - obviously negating any calorie counting that was sooo 2007. Your accountant called and told you that not only has your innate talent and passion just brought you riches beyond measure, but that you can now afford the multi million dollar philanthropic gesture you've always wanted to give out. Life is, well, ideal.... { click to read more! }
...this is how you feel when spending a few hours with Kelty Luber and her camera. Suzanne and I are so confident in her talent, I would happily and relentlessly answer any questions you may have if you're even the slightest bit hesitant. Truly. Be selfish. You deserve to do yourself this favor. Enjoy an hour or more with an exceptionally bright and talented photographer. Then you will know precisely what I'm talking about. { hide }
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Paul and I had originally decided not to do an engagement session, but when I stumbled across Kelty's blog I knew we had to have her take our photos! As a couple obsessed with photos, we are incredibly particular about what kind of images we want. After researching for months and meeting with countless wedding photographers, I was blown away by how much Kelty's photos displayed a sense of creativity, humor, wit, and style. The photo shoot was amazing -- it was relaxed, playful, and romantic. She provided direction when we needed it and allowed us the freedom to take the shots we wanted in lots of different places, even when it meant doing a bit of sketchy climbing over the waves pounding below! Her laid-back, yet professional, demeanor set us at ease and made for a fun afternoon playing outside. The photos are a true reflection of Paul and my relationship and exactly what we wanted. She captured the love, tenderness, action, and goofiness better than I could have imagined. After we received the photos (so quick!) I wasn't able to fall asleep until 3am and we are still looking at the photos multiple times a day. Our photos are priceless. Thank you, Kelty! Alex & Paul |
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A friend had forwarded the pictures from Kelty's sisters wedding to me and at that moment, I was obsessed with Kelty's style. I was privileged to be able to have her for our wedding... everything she puts into her photographs emanates from her very self. Thoughtful, spontaneous, easy going and genuine, we received hundreds of pictures that somehow captured the love and energy that both my husband and I were feeling that day. Kelty is a pro...not only at taking beautiful pictures, but also being able to work so unobtrusively, she slipped around capturing all the key moments. She was so accommodating, prepared, communicative and best of all Fun!!! Her instinctive eye enables her to find the shots that I trusted she would on her own and her great direction lead to some amazing shots I never would have thought of. Thank you, Kelty, for capturing the best day of our lives so perfectly. I really don't know how to say it all precisely how I feel...But it was truly a joy to watch you work and have you be a part of our day. I am such a huge fan of your unique eye and style, you have got an amazing talent. I still gush over the pictures as often as I can... It's nearly impossible to choose which ones to frame. Thank you for being YOU, for doing what you are passionate about, it is incredibly inspiring. |
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