process

Pre-Shoot Meeting
Before I ever pull the camera out of the bag, I would like to meet with you and talk through your visions and ideas for the photos. I will need to get to know you and your family. What is the story that we are trying to tell? What are we celebrating? What are we anticipating? In short, why are we taking these pictures?

Closely related to the purpose of the photo is the place or places that we choose to take these shots. As an architect, place is extremely important in my photography. It is the background. It is the setting. And it can truly set the stage for your personality to come to life. What is important here is that the place is significant to you. Do you identify with an urban setting or are you more comfortable in a rural landscape? Is there a place that holds sentimental value or represents a special memory that you think would be a good place to take these shots? If I am unfamiliar with the place you choose, I will visit the site(s) prior to the day of the shoot to familiarize myself with it and start thinking through possible shots.

Another piece of this puzzle can be things that represent you and your story. Do you have any hobbies or talents that you pour yourself into? Has God given you the ability to play an instument or gifted you in a sport? Do you have a favorite book or bible? Does your child have a special 'lovey' or blanket that is an integral part of their childhood? These things that are a part of your story can add life and light to the story in the photograph.

The final piece that we need to talk though is attire. What clothes best represent your personality or the personality of your family? Talking about this will help me think about how you connect with the setting of the photograph.

The Shoot
The day of the shoot, we will meet on site and briefly review your expectations and some ideas about how to achieve them. Then comes my favorite part of the whole process. We get to have some fun exploring the site and snapping photos. Some things I will have planned and some things just happen. Some shots will be 'posed' and some I will just take 'in the moment' (these are often my favorite shots). Feel free to express your ideas as we move around, after all these are all about you and an key member of the 'design team'. The goal here is to get several different shots in a variety of settings so we have plenty to choose from.

Artistic Editing
After the shoot, I head back to the studio. I upload all of the images from the camera to the computer. The first move here is to go through all of the shots one by one and remove the ones where someones eyes are closed, or picking their nose (mostly kids), or where I had my finger over the lens. I edit the images down to the best of the best - usually looking for 20 to 30 images. Then I grab two or three of these and take them into photoshop for some artistic editing. I will post these to the blog within 48 hours of the shoot because I know you cant wait to see them.

I will spend some time over the next week slaving over each image to bring it to full visual potential. After artistically editing the remainder of the images, I send them to the lab to print a set of 4x6 proofs.

Delivery of Proofs
When I get the proofs back from the lab, I prepare them in a custom package and hand deliver them to you. I get a rush from this. It is like delivering a Christmas Present. I can't wait for you to see them almost as much as you can't wait to see them.

Purchasing
After you have had a chance to look through the images, show them to your friends and family, and pick out your favorites, you can email or call me at anytime and let me know the number and sizes of each print that you would like - prices are included on the 'investment' page. I will get the lab started on your order and as soon as I have them back, I will get them into your hands.