One of the things I am often asked is where does your passion for photographs come from? For me it started at an early age sitting with my mom and grandma and going through old family albums. It connected me with people I never got the chance to know- but that was still a part of who I was. My Mom and Grandma would smile whenever I asked, "Who is that?" and the question would be answered with a story of who it was and their fondest memory of the person in the photo.
As time went by I found other reasons to be grateful for the pictures they had and pictures I started taking of family and friends myself. One example is when one of nieces was born. As anyone can tell you the arrival of a new child often is followed by she/he looks just like. In this case I went through the pictures my Grandma had left me, and I found a picture that looked exactly like my niece. Family members kept asking, "Who is in that baby picture it looks exactly like her?" I was able to smile and say, "It's Grandma." Even now family members find themselves coming to me when they want or need photos of times gone by. From there my passion for photography grew. I wanted to be able to give the same gifts to other families. Not just the photos themselves but the stories that go along with those people in the photos Something that gives later generations a sense of who they are and the people they come from. (And who look most like grandma) |
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What to expect from your OnP experience.
Thank you for considering OnP Custom Professional Photography for your personalized photography needs. I would like to take the time to answer some general questions and help guide you through what sets us apart from the rest of the photographers in the area. First, we pride ourselves on giving you not just a photo session but an experience that lasts a lifetime. It starts the moment we start communicating. Why do you not give all the photos? The answer is very simple Sometimes a shot just did not make the cut, maybe someone was not looking at the camera, a look may have been unflattering, the angle didn't quite work, or the shot just did not meet my standards. I only want to deliver the very best images. The ones that meet and exceed the vision we discussed at our very first conversation. Other photographers say they give you a release, copyrights and raw files. Why don't you? We do require a model release which gives me permission to use the photos in my portfolio and for advertising. If you wish to not have a photo or image used in advertising, I will always respect that and not use the image. We do offer print releases with the purchase of a digital file or product. We do not offer the copyrights because you would then have all the rights to the photos, we would not be allowed to use the image in our portfolio and advertising. We do not offer raw images because they are untouched photos that need to be opened using a program such as photoshop. What if I do have photoshop and photoshop experience. Can I then get the raw files? No. The easiest way to understand why is to think of it this way. If you go out to eat at a restaurant and the chef does not get your order right, do you then go to the kitchen, redo the layout and cook your own meal? Or do you send it back until they get it right? You send it back until they give you what you paid for or hired them to do for you. As an artist I have a defined style as you viewed when looking through the online gallery. I see others charging less for sessions, why do you cost more? While all photographers would love to do free sessions there are several reasons for the varying pricing you will see when looking for a photographer. Mostly it has to do with the level of skill a photographer has and how far along in the business they are. Below I will list the four most common types of photographers you will see: The Hobbyist. This is where most photographers get their start. They often find that they enjoy taking pictures and have a talent for being the one in the family or group of friends that everyone turns to when wanting impromptu shots done at at together. With the encouragement from family and friends they usually decide to expand their knowledge of the craft. At this point a photographer is learning their skills and should have moved on from the simple point and shoot style camera to learning how to shoot in manual using an entry level professional camera. They are starting to use industry language such as copyrights, releases,edited and raw, but are not fully understanding what they yet mean. They try new poses learning why feet first when a subject is sitting down causes the feet to look huge and in focus while the rest of the subject is not as sharp or proportionate to the photo. Their main objective is to learn how to take better pictures and how the equipment they use works together. Often times they take many photos at a session and use photoshop presets to try and clean the images up. Other times they will use a filter to create a color saturation in order to make a photo look cool, but this is not yet editing and while it is fine for social media use it is a disaster if the images are to be printed. Hobbyists are the ones you will see offering free or deeply discounted prices, for hundreds of photos mostly on DVD or usb, give "full" rights or "copyrights" sometimes even "raw" (which I suspect many times they think raw means straight out of camera unedited images and not the file format of raw) and almost never any actual product. There is much debate in the photography world about if a hobbyist should charge for their services at this point. To me everyone needs to start somewhere. If they wish to continue with photography as a business, they need to make money to invest the money. Also, not everyone can afford a big investment in photos and hobbyist are able to deliver decent photos for social media and other digital media uses. So as long as the client is fully aware of the skill set, quality and limitations of the services offered. I see no problem in charging a nominal fee for the services provided. The Semi-Pro. These are the photographers that have mastered the basics and wish to go further. At this point they are building a portfolio, developing a style, deciding what types of photos they enjoy taking such as newborn, senior pictures, engagement photos, product photos and so on. They are getting a more critical eye of their work and spot imperfections. They will smooth out fly aways in an otherwise perfect photo and they will delete photos that are not salvageable. Most are still trying out different photo labs looking for the one that fits their needs one that delivers the product in a timely manner and of the highest quality. They are still learning the business side, and most have started second shooting at big events with professional photographers. Most have started to invest more in not only learning, but also in equipment. Semi-pros often times will spend more time perfecting an image with the help of photoshop which gives you less photos but of higher quality. They are building their brand but have their sights set for becoming professional. Again, they keep their pricing fairly low to mid-price range, but you tend to get less photos of higher quality and often times product packages they have created. The Professional. These photographers have opened a business which may or may not be their main income source. They have fine-tuned their skills, invested in professional equipment, have their own style, have a dedicated client base, found a couple of professional photo labs that fit their needs, set prices, put together packages. Most important of all they have years of experience and knowledge behind them. The work that they do is high quality, the ones not only proudly displayed in albums and digital media but also framed and put up in family rooms or on office desks. Professionals take less photos during a session and offer less images. The reason for this is because they listen to exactly what you want. They understand their equipment and craft which translates to knowing how to get that accomplished quickly and accurately. Their goal is to give you the image that you envision and not to overwhelm you with choices. They understand what it takes to run a successful business including overhead and the cost of doing business. Which includes not only time, but also wear and tear on equipment, insurance costs, taxes, permits, cost of products, advertisement and many more things that it takes to run any number of businesses. There also is a higher demand for these types of photographers when looking for a photographer to hire, for milestone and big events that you want immortalized with pictures. It is for these reasons that Professional photographers require higher payment for their services. The Master Photographer. A rare breed of photographer but as the name suggests these are the masters of the industry. They are the ones that tend to set the standards and trends. They have mastered all areas in photography from lighting, posing, photoshop, equipment and running an extremely profitable business. The industry sends new products to them first for testing as well as helping to create and develop new equipment. Not only are their photos in demand, so is their time on the workshop circuit for lectures. They require the highest payment for their services and the ability to turn down offers. Most focus on one area of photography such as concerts, weddings, modeling, fashion, still life and so on. I hope I have succeeded in answering not only questions about me and my photography business, but also about the industry in general. My goal was to help you in choosing which one may be right for you and your personal needs and I sincerely hope that I have done that for you. Now, let's get together and create some memories. |
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