FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
The pricing here is an estimate, based on the limited information provided by Thumbtack. It may vary depending on additional requirements for the project. It may also be adjusted for special circumstances, or reduced requirements. 10% discount on session fee if subjects sign release permitting me full use of images. Prices are generally provided for session fee and providing a selection of edited proofs. Prints, albums, etc. are available at very competitive prices, billed in addition with 50% deposit required at time of order.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I listen. I'm quite adaptable to your ideas and project requirements. Of course, I'm always ready to provide my own ideas and suggestions. A phone or text conversation helps find the common ground and define the project expectations all around. Once we determine mutually agreeable schedule and location details, we set the appointment. I provide a checklist for clients to prepare for the session, and will begin my own preparations. The day of the session, we'll meet, review our ideas, objectives, and resources, and get started! I can show you images on the camera as we progress, noting favorites along the way, or I can keep them under wraps until after I've done my selection and initial editing.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
A lifetime of photography. My father had a darkroom in our basement, and I grew up with a camera in my hand and his patient tutelage. I would frequently serve as assistant for his projects, and learned darkroom techniques, lighting, composition, and many other skills, including the science of photography. Photos I took of a play were printed in a local newspaper when I was around 12, and in junior high and high school, many of my images of sports, stage productions, events, and candids were published in the school newspaper and yearbooks. In college, alongside my degree coursework, I took a series of photography courses, including artistic photography, short filmmaking, and others. My professional career has centered around advertising and marketing. I've put my photo skills to use for many clients, from corporate portraits and annual report images, to construction sites and factories, to product photography, events, and much more. Two of the main clients of my advertising business manufactured high-end photo accessories, further advancing my technical understanding of photography, but also allowing me to "talk shop" with many of the world's leading professional outdoor photographers. I also did a great deal of troubleshooting for my clients' customers, and helped communicate product benefits and usage via advertising, blogging, etc. Along the way, I have also taken numerous classes and workshops in photography technique related to portraiture, wedding, family, senior, fashion, and boudoir photography, as well as the techniques for digital project management, retouching, production, etc.