Photographer

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. My most common types of jobs are family photographs at the beach, or the park totally "unscripted." Then there are the weddings, pet graduations from obiedence school, hunting and fishing trips, insurance photographs, childrens little league games, and industrial.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Look for someone that you are comfortable with, someone that you can talk freely with. If you are planning a big event like a wedding you need a photographer that is on the same page as you, a photographer that is willing to dress and blend in with the wedding party to get the candid shots!

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The biggest inside secret is that with the right software any photographer can create most anything in an image or take most anything out of an image. However I prefer not to practice this type of photography, I will do some minor color adjustments if needed, but I prefer to keep photographs as honest as possible.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Though I am not a painter it is good to know that when you are painting a room and if the ceiling require painting it should be painted at least two shades lighter than the walls, this will allow the ceiling to look the same color as the walls. Customers should also know that the color swatches in the store will not look the same in their home because of the affects of the different type of lighting.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. My prices are more reasonible than others, I am more family oriented and not driven by the scandelous sexual market of today. I work well with children and animals, I work with calm, assertive energy. I am willing to work within almost anyone's budget especially when it comes to weddings.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The ability to create smiles and memories for others.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How much do you charge?

What can you afford, and what are your needs?

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I was doing a family fun day shoot that covered the Yorktown Battlefields, and Newport News City Park. Noting was set in stone for the shoot just a fun day with the children and the parents. When in the middle of the shoot the father got on his knee and re-presented his wife with her engagement ring that had been lost several years before. It was a touching moment, and even though I got the shot it would have been good to have been given a heads up on what was going to happen.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. The biggest misconception about photographers is that our profession is not really work. This is so untrue. We have to in many cases get ourselves into situations that is dangerous, un-nerving, and even a little hair raising at times. This can be a fun career but it has it's trials as well.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I got into my line of work by accident. I entered a photo contest, I did not win but my photograph was published in the National Library Of Photographs in 1998. Since then I have been published fifteen times and decided to become a free-lance professional photographer.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Currently I am continuing my education in the photography field, I am attending the Art Institute in the pursuit of my Bachelors Degree in photography.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. One of my jobs that I am most proud of was last Mother's Day. The family had no money for a Mother's Day gift and wanted family photos done. I did the entire shoot at the beach, it took about 3 hours total of my time for the shoot and editing the photos and putting them onto CD, I printed a few of the photographs, purchased a couple of inexpensive frames and then gave them to the family at no cost. I am not in this profession to become famous or wealthy just to create smiles and memories for others.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. First you need a good eye. Snapshots are not photographs. A professional camera is a must! Some form of education either formal or hands on is necessary. A good working knowledge of editing software such as Lightroom or Photoshop is very helpful. Do not be affraid to get dirty, photographers find themselves in some pretty odd places to get that perfect shot!