What’s the difference
So far it’s been a record season for re-shooting seniors — seniors whose parents tried to save money by going to the cheapest photographer they could find or even trying to do it themselves. If you care about quality then I can tell you, the most expensive way to take senior pictures is go the cheap route first. Ask yourself, how do you want to be remembered? Hopefully, you would want the best image possible of yourself and an image that flatters you.
With the economy taking a dive for the last two years, many people have lost their jobs. Some have gone on to find other jobs; some have not. A lot of those who have not, realized that if they own a digital camera, they claim they are a professional photographer. How hard can it be, right? And then, sadly a lot of people that are in need of a photographer, lump us all together in one big melting pot of no distinguishment. A photographer is a photographer right? Just pick the least expensive one. It’s easy. Well I ask you, do you buy the cheapest car you can find, the cheapest shoes, the cheapest pair of jeans? The cheapest vacation spot? Then why the cheapest photographer? This is why there are three times as many photographers in Larimer and Weld county compared to two years ago.
The camera is just a tool. Like a guitar, it takes an artist that has studied and practiced for years to make it sing. Most of these “new” photographers don’t have a clue what half the functions on their camera are and how to use them. So many I’ve seen, their skin tones look dead, lifeless and unnatural. I’m a perfectionist at my craft and having my camera settings perfect, my lighting perfect and processing perfect so that am able to give you rich, vibrant skin tones, and color the way it naturally should be. Plus, they don’t even have a business license, no tax license, no insurance, no studio, no Prolab; they just give you a CD of images for you to print. That’s about like buying a car with no engine. How a print is made is half of the art of having a beautiful print you can be proud of and get compliments after compliments from people who see it on your wall. You will walk by your wall, and say to yourself, I’m really glad we did that. Sorry, but Walgreens or Sam’s Club can’t do what a good professional Prolab can do. There is a night and day difference. Our prints are done on true archival silver halide photographic paper by the best Prolab in the country.
Here is another scary thing. Some of these photographers are now printing their pictures themselves on inkjet printers. They get paper that says Kodak or Fuji on the back and hey, you know, it may appear o-k. But it’s not archival. In 5 years it’s going to look like grandma’s old snapshots. There are a lot of shortcuts in this business, I’ve just named a few. They do allow for cheaper prices, but at a big cost down the road.
I’ve made my living as an artist all my life, for the last 12 years painting with a camera and light. Every year I go to workshops to study with the masters in the art of photography and study posing, and how to pose different body types and faces for the most flattering image. I keep up on the latest software and camera advancements. I promise you, we take NO shortcuts. With us, every step is done with the final image quality in mind. Many photographers shoot several clients a day. I don’t, I can’t. I have over 10 hours of work invested in every shoot because I do it all by hand. Being the best at your craft isn’t easy. I am an artist, a skilled and technical photographer, a professional at this craft. Making my clients happy makes me happy, and my mission is to provide them with art on their wall of them and their loved ones that they can be proud of forever.
