Your Naples Family Photographer for Beach Portraits That Become Artwork for the Home
I'm Kelly Jones, a Naples family photographer offering a concierge experience in luxury extended-family and multi-generational beach portraits across Naples and Marco Island. Since 2015 I've photographed families along the Gulf, from the quiet sand of Port Royal and Aqualane Shores to Old Naples along Gordon Drive and the beaches of Coquina Sands, creating artwork designed to live on your walls and coffee tables, not on a hard drive.
My work is deliberately low-volume and high-touch. I photograph a limited number of families each year, so every session is fully guided, from planning your wardrobe to choosing the light, and every full session includes in-person design of museum-quality wall art and custom albums, where the albums are every bit as important as the wall pieces. Whether you're gathering three generations on the beach for the season or booking senior portraits close to home, you'll be cared for from the first email to the final artwork.
You'll find full pricing and session details on my Investment page. Once you've had a chance to read through it, I'd love for you to reach out through Book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price range for a session with Kelly Jones Photo?
Kelly Jones Photo is a luxury, concierge experience rather than a digital-files-only session. I offer two options, a Full session and a Petite session, and my Investment page explains what's included in each, along with pricing and session details. Once you've read through it, you're warmly invited to submit an inquiry through Book, which comes straight to my inbox.
What do you shoot?
Mostly high school seniors and families, but I also shoot outdoor branding sessions on the streets of Naples, perfect for adding that Neapolitan lifestyle imagery to your business.
What makes a session with you different from a standard beach session?
Most beach sessions end when the photographer sends you a gallery link. Mine ends in your living room. We plan the session together, I photograph for 50 minutes in the best light of the day, and then we design your artwork at true scale on your own walls, so you are never guessing what a 40 inch piece looks like above the sofa. A gallery of files is not the product. Finished artwork on your walls is. Petite sessions are 30 minutes without artwork and albums.
What actually happens during the session?
There is no checklist. Every family has its own rhythm and I work with the one yours brings to the sand. We have about 50 minutes in the good light, and what happens inside it depends on your people, how the children are doing, and what is unfolding in front of me. Some families settle in right away, others need twenty minutes before anyone forgets I am there. I photograph the real thing as it happens, and the traditional portraits come naturally within that rather than in spite of it.
How long is a session?
Sessions start at 30 minutes for a Petite Beach Session, offered in the off season only. A Full session is 50 minutes, timed to the hour before sunset or just after sunrise when the light is at its best. Senior sessions run about 90 minutes to allow for multiple outfits and locations. November through January is Full session only.
Where do you photograph families in Naples?
I photograph families on the beaches and in the neighborhoods of Naples, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island, including Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Old Naples along Gordon Drive, and Coquina Sands. I help every family choose the location and light that suits them best. I'm also happy to shoot at your local country club, the beach isn't our only option. You can read my favorite beaches for family photos, from Sanibel to Marco Island.
We are staying at a resort. Do you photograph there?
Yes, I am happy to come to your resort. Sometimes though, hotels can be busier in season and I don't recommend that for larger families. At the JW Marriott Marco Island, however, we have a wide stretch of sand where we can escape the crowd, and we finish just before sunset so you can walk back up for the fire throwing show that runs every night. I always send a location guide so families can see the different locations and decide for themselves where they'd like to shoot.
When is the best time for beach portraits in Naples?
The hour before sunset and just after sunrise gives the soft, golden coastal light my work is known for. I avoid hard light later in the mornings and afternoons. Naples and Marco Island are beautiful year-round, and November through January is our busiest season, when family sessions are at peak demand. During those months I offer Full sessions only, so seasonal families are encouraged to reserve early.
Should we book sunrise or sunset with little ones?
A Full session is 50 minutes in either window. Sunset is the classic Gulf look. Sunrise is often the smarter call with babies and toddlers in the summer who are at their best early and finished by dinner, and the beaches are nearly empty at that hour. We decide together during planning, based on your children's ages and how your week is running. I have never had a little one not make it through a session though, no matter their age when they get on the sand they become amazed at their surroundings and want to be a part of everything.
What happens if the weather is bad on our session day?
We move it. Southwest Florida weather is usually a passing afternoon storm rather than a lost day, and I watch the forecast with you. If we have to shift to another evening of your trip, we shift. You will never be asked to stand on a beach in bad light because a date was on a calendar, this is also the lightning capital of the United States and safety comes first. You won't find me taking clients on the beach with ominous skies.
My toddler will not sit still. Is that a problem?
Not at all! It is the opposite of a problem. I plan around the ages in your family before the session, from a three month old who needs to be held to a three year old who will not be held. Kids run, dig, chase the water and get carried, and the frames families hang on the wall are almost always the ones that happen after everyone forgets I am there. Shy, busy and high energy are all familiar territory after more than 15 years.
What is my shy child going to do?
Some children take a while to warm up, and that is why the session is planned rather than rushed. In all my years, the "my kids won't last long" theory has never held up for many reasons, and this is one of them! Sometimes they need extra time, and in those moments we get tender, loving on their mama shots. These are some of my favorite. I work with my families, and say they are child led for this reason. They always come around, we just give them patience if they need it. The frames of a shy child finally laughing are usually the ones that end up on the wall.
My husband hates having his picture taken. Will this be painful?
He is in good company, and he is usually the one who likes the artwork most. Dads are not asked to pose for 50 minutes. They are asked to walk with their family, love on their kids, and just be present, which is a different job entirely.
Can you work with grandparents who have trouble on sand?
Yes, and it comes up often with four generations. We choose an access point with a short walk from the car and sometimes bring a chair. Tell me when we plan and I will choose the beach around it.
Do you photograph extended and multi-generational families?
Yes. Extended, multi-generational family beach portraits are a specialty. Just look at the hundreds of families on my website and Instagram to see the proof. I regularly photograph large families gathering in Naples and Marco Island for the season or while on vacation. You can see many of them on my Instagram, which I invite you to follow.
Can you really photograph four generations on a beach in 50 minutes?
Yes, and it is what I am known for. Whether you have a family of 4 or 14, I know how to work with all ages. This is why it matters who you hire, because your family doesn't do this every year.
Do you assist with wardrobe for our session?
Yes. Wardrobe guidance is part of the concierge experience. During planning I help every family choose what to wear, from color palettes to coordinating rather than matching, so everyone looks cohesive and timeless in your artwork. You can browse my curated wardrobe looks on ShopMy.
Do you offer in-home design?
Yes. In-home design takes place at your reveal appointment after the session, where design software lets us preview your artwork at true scale right on the walls of your own home. For clients who aren't local, the reveal is held over Zoom; all I need is a cell-phone snapshot of your wall and a quick measurement, and your finished products drop ship directly to your door.
Will we receive digital files or printed artwork?
Every full session is built around printed artwork first: museum-quality wall portraits and custom albums, created to be displayed and enjoyed for generations rather than stored on a hard drive. You can then add on digitals. Petite sessions are my only digital-only offering and are limited in availability based on the time of year.
When should we book for the holidays?
Holiday weeks fill first. November through January is peak season here and I photograph Full sessions only during those months, so Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year weeks should be reserved well ahead.
How long have you been in business?
More than 15 years photographing families with children, and on the beaches of Southwest Florida since 2015. Across more than 90 Google reviews, the thing families say most is that they come back year after year. As one grandmother wrote, "Kelly was incredibly patient and truly took the time to capture beautiful moments with our two grandbabies, ages 2.5 and 3 months, which is no easy task."
