Get a load of that smile...at 2 weeks too! :)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
~ Abigail ~
I had a very special Newborn Session on Sunday with my brand new beautiful little neice! She is a cross between her mama and her Pops...at least I think so... Sleeps like a trooper and has a head full of hair like you wouldn't believe, I could even put it behind her ears already! Thanks for coming all that ways to see us and enjoy the preview. The first is my Abigail session fav...:)
Get a load of that smile...at 2 weeks too! :)
Get a load of that smile...at 2 weeks too! :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
{ Nominated! Go Vote! }
Before I start my previews from the weekend sessions (below), I have to start with this little diddy...So Friday I get this email that says...
Congratulations! Your business has been nominated as one of the top businesses in North Texas as part of the Best of the WFAA-List.
Well, shut the front door!
I'm not sure who is to 'blame', but I can honestly say I am completely stoked, honored, humbled, baffeled and a gammet of other emotions (although some could be related to pregnancy, which could explain the weird peanut butter craving I've had lately esp. since I HATE PB!). See as a photographer, you want to come across as awesomely confident, but inside you're always striving for approval and perfection...both of which I struggle with on a minutely (is that a word) basis.
So for today, I will take that God induced kick to the behind...put aside those feelings of unworthiness...and focus on working my flegling business into my one day full-time passion! Whoever you are ~ Thank you for the honor! For EVERYONE...CLICK HERE TO SEE MY LISTING & VOTE! The contest closes July 3!
Now - On to the previews...and one more preview to come from Sunday's special session!
Congratulations! Your business has been nominated as one of the top businesses in North Texas as part of the Best of the WFAA-List.
Well, shut the front door!
I'm not sure who is to 'blame', but I can honestly say I am completely stoked, honored, humbled, baffeled and a gammet of other emotions (although some could be related to pregnancy, which could explain the weird peanut butter craving I've had lately esp. since I HATE PB!). See as a photographer, you want to come across as awesomely confident, but inside you're always striving for approval and perfection...both of which I struggle with on a minutely (is that a word) basis.
So for today, I will take that God induced kick to the behind...put aside those feelings of unworthiness...and focus on working my flegling business into my one day full-time passion! Whoever you are ~ Thank you for the honor! For EVERYONE...CLICK HERE TO SEE MY LISTING & VOTE! The contest closes July 3!
Now - On to the previews...and one more preview to come from Sunday's special session!
~ Andy ~
Andy at 3 weeks just could barely stand to fall asleep in the event that he might miss something! So cute, strong and already thinks he's Mr. Independent - not including feeding, snuggling, etc...:) The Andy / Mom image is my weekly favorite...AND - I'm SO diggin' my grey backdrop! Thanks mom and dad for taking time with me and being so patient; I enjoyed the session!
~ Kline ~
My Saturday also included this beautiful family and the prettiest blue-eyed baby from Dallas. Can you tell we were all about to melt...even at 8:30 in the morning? But I think everyone looks pretty darn great; Not a perspiration drop in sight. This heat is crazy, right!?...but hold your breath folks, there's a cold front moving in today! :)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
~ McLeod Family ~
OK - this weekend was (and is) really jam-packed for me...sessions + Father's Day + demolishing our house (yet again) + preparing for another addition to our family. I know it's early, but we're almost through the first trimester, and it will only get busier from here, right? And I know I have a couple of people waiting on proof CDs and final images ~ hang in there ~ I promise I'm trying to catch up! :)
All of my sessions this weekend had some of my favorite images to date so far! The first of 3 was with my absolute favorite redheads all the way from Ft Worth! They are so photogenic and the best people to shoot! So, hang on to your preview hats...here we go...
All of my sessions this weekend had some of my favorite images to date so far! The first of 3 was with my absolute favorite redheads all the way from Ft Worth! They are so photogenic and the best people to shoot! So, hang on to your preview hats...here we go...
~ Rogers Family ~
The Friday evening session was with the Rogers Family in Downtown Waxahachie...beautiful family! The first image...Yes, another favorite...the family car! I love the color and expressions and EVERYTHING! So cute!
~ Solano Family ~
My last session this weekend was not short on numbers or fun...the first picture is what the entire hour was like...full of laughter! I could only choose a few images for the preview since there were so many poses...so the Solanos will just have to trust me on the rest...coming soon...:)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
{ January 17th }
We are so excited to announce...Baby Perkins number 2!!! The Lord has blessed us beyond all measure...and a special thanks to Amy, Dr. Pinto and staff who were always sensitive and gracious to us...thank you doesn't seem to be enough! Click play to see the little jelly bean in action!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
~ Aguilar Girls ~
I met the Aguilar girls on Saturday in Highland Park for their Children's Session...what what cute and happy children they are! So sweet and good natured! They were such a joy to work with...even in the KILLER heat!
PS~~I won't be shooting any afternoon sessions for quite a awhile, outdoors at least, until this heat goes away!! Sessions will begin no later than 10am and start again no earlier than about 6pm...so just an FYI if you would like to schedule a session outside in the near future! Call now...slots go fast! :)
PS~~I won't be shooting any afternoon sessions for quite a awhile, outdoors at least, until this heat goes away!! Sessions will begin no later than 10am and start again no earlier than about 6pm...so just an FYI if you would like to schedule a session outside in the near future! Call now...slots go fast! :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
{ Why Do Professional Photographers Cost So Much }
So I have been getting comments like this or similar at least once a week lately...the answer may seem long, but please read through, I think you will be surprised, educated, and hopefully relieved that photographers really AREN'T trying to pick your pockets...especially in this economy...:)
This question and others are answered on my site under FAQs, but I wanted to post it to my blog because I think the answer is SO important. In addition to giving people great images to last a lifetime, I feel it's important to educate people too! Please don't take ANY of the answer as complaining...I absolutely LOVE what I do, but until I really got 'into the business', I never realized just how much work and all of the little nuances that go into each session. Remember, a lot of photographers charge more and some less for their services...always review the quality, service and their style before choosing your photographer, don't just choose based on their prices!
In this digital age where everyone has digital cameras, scanners and home “photo printers”, when people take their camera cards to a local printing store and pick them up a few hours later, I hear this all the time - How in the world do Professional Photographers charge $55 for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the store? Here’s why.
Simply put, you’re not just paying for the actual photograph or piece of paper; you’re paying for time and expertise. First, let’s look at the actual time involved. If you don’t read this entire page, at least read this first part. (This is my version on what happens ‘Behind the Scenes'. Remember each photographer has their own means and ways of preparing, editing, items and ordering. The scenario below applies to me and my work…and keep in mind that in addition to my photography business I have a regular 40 hr/wk day job...in addition to my awesome family and photography business! :)) For an average 2 hour portrait session:
• 30 minutes initial communication, session details, locations, etc.
• 30 minutes of equipment preparation, camera, car, etc.
• 30 minutes to 1 hour of travel to the session
• 1-2 hours of shooting
• 30 minutes to 1 hour travel time from the session
• 1 hour to load the photos onto a computer (2-4 Gb of data)
• 30 minutes to back up the files on an external drive
• 1-2 hours to edit / post initial previews to blog and email to client
• 3-5 days (sometimes longer) of Photoshop time including cropping, contrast, color, art work; including textures, overlays, cloning of unwanted distractions, airbrushing, sharpening, saving a copy for print and a copy for the Internet and backing up the edited photographs, printing the proofs for viewing, make slideshow for viewing, make and print your little ‘extras’ that you don’t know, until the viewing session etc. The list can go on and on…
• 1-2 hours to load photos to online host for client viewing
• 2-3 hours to communicate to the client regarding viewing images/ordering prints, answer questions, receive their order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints.
• 30 mins – 1 hour of scheduled appointment for pickup of photos.
You can see how one 2 hour portrait session easily turns into more than 4 days of work from start to finish. So when you see a Photographer charging a $200 session fee for a two hour photo shoot, you are not paying them $100/hour. And I haven’t even mentioned all the other office work of running a business that happens on a daily basis.
For an eight hour wedding…I won’t go into all the details, but an eight hour wedding typically amounts to at least 2 to 3 full 40 hour work weeks worth of time. Again, if they are charging you $4,000 for an eight hour wedding, you are not paying them $500/hour.
Now, as for the expertise…In my case, shooting professional photography is a skill, acquired through a natural talent of seeing the light, an artistic eye, and many, many, many hours & dollars of learning how to use software, constant upgrades, finding the best quality of products to offer you etc. Even though a quality camera now costs under $2,000 taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.
Most Professional Photographers take years to go from buying their first decent camera to making money with their photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera itself, there is a mountain of other equipment involved, as well as numerous software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, having insurance etc. We also have to calibrate our monitors regularly to make sure what we see on our screen is exactly what gets printed, no unwanted colors.
And let’s not forget that you actually have to have people skills, be able to communicate, make people comfortable in front of the camera - and posing people to make them look their best in a photograph is a skill all by itself. Think of it this way - the next time you pay $X to have your hair done, those scissors may only cost $1.50, but you gladly pay a lot more to hire a Professional to apply them.
What about the cheap studios at the Shopping Center?
Please don’t compare me to the chain store studios. But if you must, consider all of the time and work that I put into your photographs, compared to what they do. Good luck getting a two hour photo session at a chain store. Not to mention they won’t come to the beach! And of course, look at my work compared to theirs. You get what you pay for.
I could go on and on with why Professional Photographers charge so much, but you get the idea, I am a service to please you, to give you something that you will have a lifetime of enjoyment and wonderful memories from. Consider this when you think about the cost of a session…
Taken from extracts of the original writings from: Shawn Richter
This question and others are answered on my site under FAQs, but I wanted to post it to my blog because I think the answer is SO important. In addition to giving people great images to last a lifetime, I feel it's important to educate people too! Please don't take ANY of the answer as complaining...I absolutely LOVE what I do, but until I really got 'into the business', I never realized just how much work and all of the little nuances that go into each session. Remember, a lot of photographers charge more and some less for their services...always review the quality, service and their style before choosing your photographer, don't just choose based on their prices!
In this digital age where everyone has digital cameras, scanners and home “photo printers”, when people take their camera cards to a local printing store and pick them up a few hours later, I hear this all the time - How in the world do Professional Photographers charge $55 for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the store? Here’s why.
Simply put, you’re not just paying for the actual photograph or piece of paper; you’re paying for time and expertise. First, let’s look at the actual time involved. If you don’t read this entire page, at least read this first part. (This is my version on what happens ‘Behind the Scenes'. Remember each photographer has their own means and ways of preparing, editing, items and ordering. The scenario below applies to me and my work…and keep in mind that in addition to my photography business I have a regular 40 hr/wk day job...in addition to my awesome family and photography business! :)) For an average 2 hour portrait session:
• 30 minutes initial communication, session details, locations, etc.
• 30 minutes of equipment preparation, camera, car, etc.
• 30 minutes to 1 hour of travel to the session
• 1-2 hours of shooting
• 30 minutes to 1 hour travel time from the session
• 1 hour to load the photos onto a computer (2-4 Gb of data)
• 30 minutes to back up the files on an external drive
• 1-2 hours to edit / post initial previews to blog and email to client
• 3-5 days (sometimes longer) of Photoshop time including cropping, contrast, color, art work; including textures, overlays, cloning of unwanted distractions, airbrushing, sharpening, saving a copy for print and a copy for the Internet and backing up the edited photographs, printing the proofs for viewing, make slideshow for viewing, make and print your little ‘extras’ that you don’t know, until the viewing session etc. The list can go on and on…
• 1-2 hours to load photos to online host for client viewing
• 2-3 hours to communicate to the client regarding viewing images/ordering prints, answer questions, receive their order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints.
• 30 mins – 1 hour of scheduled appointment for pickup of photos.
You can see how one 2 hour portrait session easily turns into more than 4 days of work from start to finish. So when you see a Photographer charging a $200 session fee for a two hour photo shoot, you are not paying them $100/hour. And I haven’t even mentioned all the other office work of running a business that happens on a daily basis.
For an eight hour wedding…I won’t go into all the details, but an eight hour wedding typically amounts to at least 2 to 3 full 40 hour work weeks worth of time. Again, if they are charging you $4,000 for an eight hour wedding, you are not paying them $500/hour.
Now, as for the expertise…In my case, shooting professional photography is a skill, acquired through a natural talent of seeing the light, an artistic eye, and many, many, many hours & dollars of learning how to use software, constant upgrades, finding the best quality of products to offer you etc. Even though a quality camera now costs under $2,000 taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.
Most Professional Photographers take years to go from buying their first decent camera to making money with their photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera itself, there is a mountain of other equipment involved, as well as numerous software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, having insurance etc. We also have to calibrate our monitors regularly to make sure what we see on our screen is exactly what gets printed, no unwanted colors.
And let’s not forget that you actually have to have people skills, be able to communicate, make people comfortable in front of the camera - and posing people to make them look their best in a photograph is a skill all by itself. Think of it this way - the next time you pay $X to have your hair done, those scissors may only cost $1.50, but you gladly pay a lot more to hire a Professional to apply them.
What about the cheap studios at the Shopping Center?
Please don’t compare me to the chain store studios. But if you must, consider all of the time and work that I put into your photographs, compared to what they do. Good luck getting a two hour photo session at a chain store. Not to mention they won’t come to the beach! And of course, look at my work compared to theirs. You get what you pay for.
I could go on and on with why Professional Photographers charge so much, but you get the idea, I am a service to please you, to give you something that you will have a lifetime of enjoyment and wonderful memories from. Consider this when you think about the cost of a session…
Taken from extracts of the original writings from: Shawn Richter
Sunday, June 7, 2009
~ Cassandra ~
You may remember my little maternity session a couple of months ago with Karla...her husband, Anthony, is serving with Air Force in Iraq...well, we now have a beautiful baby girl to show daddy! Cassandra is so alert...strong...and beautiful! It was the perfect D-Day...celebrated with a military baby! And God speed to Anthony ~
~ The Stansells ~
I started my weekend early...Friday morning with the Stansell family all the way from Midland, TX! Beautiful day at the Arboretum with a sweet family...and see mom; we got some great shots of little Kate smiling! Here's just one to reassure you that it all went super! And thanks goes to Cara for being my prop girl...I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
