Why I strive to take family photos not once, but twice a year…

So many folks say, “Oh, your prices are too expensive!” Yet, will pamper themselves only to learn that pampering is all temporary. Your photos will last a lifetime, folks, not just a few weeks or for a season. I don’t want anyone to learn the hard way like this client in this link did, so please:  Save the money to get some professional portraits done. This is heartbreaking to me, and I would rather save you and your family the heartache. To read the full story, please go to http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

My first Trash the dress session! Also known Mr. and Mrs. Portraits

Sunset was gorgeous!!!! Don’t you think so?

 

 

This couple was daring! They walked out on a log and sat down for this photo.

She is absolutely gorgeous!! Mr. A is one lucky guy! P.S. Don’t mind the watermark being different. A local photographer and I are teaming up to offer wedding photography!

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. G for letting me add  you to my portfolio! I had a blast, and wish you decades of love for one another. 

Baby E is now blogged!

Oh, baby E, you are such a blessing! Congratulations to our dear friends, Mike and Joy for their new addition. She is oh-so-perfect!

Ms C will be graduating this coming May! She’s my senior rep, and man, I got lucky with her gorgeous looks! She worked the camera like a pro, and we had a ton of fun during her session. These are just a few of my many faves from her session.

 

 

Who else has a smile this radiant and teeth this perfect?!?!?!

Mom, get this girl into some modeling! Not only was she stunning, but she was an absolute sweetheart.

Love the many different faces of Carli!

So, i’ve been slacking…

But I hope by now,  you’ve viewed all of the sessions already! This handsome sweetie was such a breeze to photograph! Hard to believe he is 4 months now.

Peacefully sleeping for me.

 

 

She’s got the whole world, in her hands….la-la-la-laaa!

Such a DREAM to work with!

Gorgeous Baby A

If this little baby girl doesn’t give you baby fever, I don’t know what will! She was so incredibly easy to photograph, and her mother looked fabulous for having had A only a few days ago! Thank you so much mommy J and baby A for this wonderful opportunity.

This picture makes me smile EVERY TIME!

Could she be any sweeter?

Such a fun time with this family!!

The R family was so much fun! Little “M” was so sweet, even a squirrel made itself at home in their car as we took some photos.

You can tell how much personality she has just from this photo!

This is her wanting to hang out with the ducks a little longer.<a

The beautiful family.

Thank you so much R Family for choosing me. Hope you are all doing well!

Photography Prices

I’m sure some of you have asked yourself before, “Why does she charge so much money? All Shing has to do is point and click, right?” Right? Well, actually, no, not right at all, at least for me and many other professional photographers. There’s the preparing for the session, purchasing new props, brainstorming for ideas that will stand out from the local chain studios and being creative enough that the clients will be able to set me apart from other photographers. This alone can take several hours. Then, there’s the actual session that usually lasts 60-90 minutes. Now, take a guess what happens after that? Tons of editing!!!! Taking the pictures is only a part of this whole process. There are very few seasoned photographers, in fact, I know of NONE that hand over the pictures sooc (which stands for straight out of the camera). Those that do are usually people who have very little experience and really need to train their eye more properly to be able to see the issues with the photo. No offense, but it’s people like this with poor quality and high prices that upsets so many of us other photographers.

Anyhow, I digress. Back to the point. The point is, many of us photographers price ourselves so low, we are literally working for minimum wage. Why do I have a minimum purchase requirement? Well, let’s say you pay the session fee of $200 but purchase nothing else. I spend 5 hours preparing for your session, about 2 hours during the session, and anywhere up to and beyond 20 hours editing the photos. Now, that’s 27 hours. Divide 200 by 27 and what do you get? $7.40. Yep. That’s right. I’m working for $7.40/hour. You wouldn’t want to work for free, would you? And these pictures you’re paying a minimum of $200 for, they’re worth more than that new dress you absolutely have to have, right? What happens when that expensive dress no longer fits or goes out of style? Well, guess what, your photos still will be right there waiting for you because you can’t outgrow it and it never goes out of style! It was worth every shiny penny. You will probably get rid of that dress, but would you really throw away your family pictures? Or the picture of your first born child? I didn’t think so.

Now, I’m not saying you have to come to me for your session. I’m asking you to ask yourself if these priceless memories are worth a few hundred dollars. If so, invest in them. Save up for them like you would for a new outfit or a new video console. Find someone who is a REAL photographer. What does this mean? Well, I will tell you tomorrow. Be sure to check in and read all about it. See you soon!

The G Family

This beautiful military family was so much fun to work with. Their father is on rest and relaxation from his deployment, and you can tell just how much the family has missed him.

Thank you, G Family, for allowing me to capture these precious homecoming memories for you. And thank you Mr. G for your service!

Baby L is here!

After going a few days overdue, baby L is finally here! He was the easiest little baby to work with and slept through his first photo shoot. Congrats, P Family!