FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I have tried to go away from complicated pricing. I don't like to charge by the hour, in that couples will pick the minimum coverage, and try to cram a full day of shooting into a few hours. If you're going to choose by the hour, start the photographer at minimum 2 hours before your wedding and have them stay until the end of the reception. I have implemented all day pricing. Meaning I start when the bride and her bride maids go to get their hair done and makeup and end when you leave the reception. It is a flat rate, but it captures your day, and it makes for a more relaxed day. I charge $1600 for a full day of coverage. For bridal sessions and engagement sessions, I charge $800 each. However you get the digital images to use for save the date and wedding announcements, and 3 large images for display at your wedding. The large images along are worth hundreds of dollars. The same goes for the bridal images. All packages include the digital images on a portable hard drive for you to keep.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am very active in the Dallas Professional Photographers association. I am on the Board of Directors, where each month we bring in subject experts to help teach and improve our skills. I attended Imaging USA, the Professional Photographers of America national conference where there are numerous speakers and experts teaching. I attended Texas Schools, a week long intensive training program here in Texas where you pick a specific subject to learn it better. This past year I picked Photoshop so as to improve my skills. I have attended multiple "Little Red School House" a Texas wide conference for photographers all over the country to come together and learn specific classes. Finally I practice what I learn, to improve my skills.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
At age 10, I had my first photo published. My father was a photographer and was photographing a building dedication and needed someone to capture photos from the air. I went up in a plane and shot the photos. At age 16 I was the youngest photographer ever hired for the Daily Oklahoman and Times in Oklahoma City. I won a number of awards as a journalist and captured major events, spot news, sports, and one of my favorite sports features. I learned to look not just at the event, but at what was going on around the event. A friend told me I had fast eyes. Always looking for the unusual. I received a BA in Journalsim with an emphasis in photography. I went into TV as a photographer where I had a mentor teach me the art of story telling. Looking for the wide, medium, and tight images. 5 years ago, as a freelance photographer I turned my attention to weddings. I wanted to go beyond the capturing the event, to the art of the event which is why I found a mentor, who is one of the top wedding photographers in the country to work with and train with, and help me develop my own style and skills.