I Believe

I am old school and I believe:


I believe grass is green, oranges are orange and skin should be the color of, well, skin.


I believe a professional photographer should know and use the power of light.


I believe most people appreciate being photographed in a flattering pose.


I believe cheese is a naughty word and we should not instruct our children to say it. Ever.


I believe there's nothing wrong with treating a pet as a member of the family.


I believe a portrait on the wall has much more value than a snapshot in a shoebox. Or a file on a disc.


I believe everyone should have a current portrait of themselves, it's probably the best thing our loved ones could possibly have to remember us by.


And most of all,
I believe we should treasure our family, our friends, and all of those around us, for they sustain us.

Refocus

Feeling re-energized and inspired after spending a few days at a conference with my professional photographer friends. I've been planning to refocus (no pun intended) my photography business and I'm convinced now is the right time. Don't worry, I'll still be available to take care of all your "regular" photography needs but I will be making some unique additions to my offerings that I'm sure you will love. Stay tuned!

Quality Cookies

Tonight while I was whipping up a batch of my soon to be famous "World's Best Cookies", I got to thinking about quality and what it means to the success of my cookies.  I use a good quality vanilla in my cookies.  I like vanilla and I feel it improves the taste of the cookies.  However, the choice of oatmeal doesn't seem to matter much.  Maybe it matters to you, but it doesn't matter to me.
Like most things in life, we all put varying degrees of importance on quality.  How do we determine if quality is important in something we purchase?  The answer is often tied to how much we're willing to pay for something.  Because, let's face it, something of quality usually costs more.  We often have to choose between paying a higher price or settling for something of lesser quality.  I also like to use a good, heavy cookie sheet for baking.  Sure it cost more, but it has served me well and my cookies come out of the oven baked to perfection.
Of course, the same logic is true for portraits.  We don't pay much for the school pictures that our kids bring home every year and we obviously don't expect much in the way of quality.  The school photographer only spent 15 seconds with our child so guess what?  We got what we paid for.  Now, that family portrait that we do once in a blue moon, that's a different story.  We expect the photographer will spend more time with us, a lot more.  We also expect the photographer will have the skills to produce a quality product.  After all, we want this portrait to be the best one we've had in at least ten years!  And yes, we expect to pay more for it.  How much more?  Well, that's for you to decide.  How important is it?  How long do you expect it to last?  Hopefully, longer than this batch of cookies I just made.

Since New Year's day I've been busy making plans for some major changes to the studio. My artwork and artistic style has changed dramatically over the past few months. Ordinary photography just doesn't cut it for me any more. I feel driven to create lasting treasures that will be cherished and enjoyed forever. I realize that many people will still come looking for the quality photography that has been the mainstay of my business since 1992, and that's fine. But soon I will be redecorating my studio and re-launching my website to reflect my new offerings. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting new endeavor please give me a call. I'll be happy to photograph you and/or your family at no cost. Who knows? You may just end up in one of my new displays!

In With the New

I'm really looking forward to the new year. I've decided to follow my heart and take on some more artistic projects. I'll be painting portraits and doing some extensive enhancements that go well beyond any ordinary portrait to create something very special for my clients. You'll probably see me at some art fairs this summer and I'll have lots of new displays at the studio and around town. I'm in the process of re-doing my web site to feature my new offerings. It should be ready in a week or two.

Out With The Old

Some serious house cleaning is happening at the studio. Old props that I never use, a chair that's in my way, a broken light.....anything with dust on it is fair game. 2011 will be the year that I finally get everything in order. Now if I can just find the vacuum cleaner bags.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Ahh, Christmas. In case you don't already know, the holiday shopping season holds the most anticipation for many retailers. We look forward to many happy customers making purchases that will bring joy to everyone on Christmas morning. I am always delighted to think that my clients care enough to give the gift that only they can give, a personal portrait.
But for retailers and shoppers alike, the holidays bring stress and chaos that makes us wish for life to just return to "normal". So please, stop and take a deep breath, and remember why we celebrate. And remember to savor this time. It will pass and all too soon. And share some photographs, old and new. For this is how we remember our special times.