Coming Soon - The Studio

Sometimes when life gives you lemons. . . you know that old saying.  Well I am about to make some lemonade.  We own some commercial property in Winchester, Va, and was renting it until recently, when hard economic times hit our renter.  Instead of waiting for who knows how long for a new renter, I have decided to take over the space and put in a gallery and photo studio.  Tomorrow, I will meet with a contractor and the ideas are beginning to blossom.  I am now beyond excitement about this.  Yes, I know that Winchester is a bit off of my beaten path, but I am excited about the ideas for this space.

I plan on offering rental of this fully equipped studio to other photographers.  A variety of unique and flexible rental plans will be available.  The Studio, as it will be called, will allow photographers who want to do studio work, but don't have the space or the resources to do so, to have a place to meet clients and do their studio work.  Photographers who commit to 15 or more hours a month, will be given wall space in our gallery to hang their work...making The Studio more their own for their clients.  There is about 1600 sq ft of space, which will divided into gallery space and studio space.  There will be a reception area and lounge for guests as well as an area for client consultations.  A large and comfortable dressing room with a styling area will also be available for use.

My idea behind this, is the fact that as photographers, we all know how expensive it is to set up a professional presence in the marketplace.  The name - The Studio, will allow photographers to use it as their own, and give them a way to grow their business, without spending a fortune.  Rentals will be available by membership.  Five hours per month and up will be offered.  Monthly rates will only require a 3-month minimum membership.  Longer term contracts will be available at discounted rated.  A three month period is not a huge commitment, but gives anyone enough time to see how the idea fits into their budget.  Unused hours may be rolled over to the next month to allow flexibility.  Members will be given a password to get into a Google calendar, to schedule their times,  and they will have full access to The Studio during the hours that they schedule.  This includes use of lighting, backgrounds reflectors and props.

The most exciting thing to me is to have a larger area for me to do events and special shoots that I have always wanted to do.  I realize that Winchester is a bit down the road for most of my current customers, but I hope that some of the really cool special events I will have there, will bring those folks in.  I also hope to make a whole bunch of new friends up the Winchester way.

Check out this space, as I will post pictures as I progress.  I am hoping to have this whole thing up and running within the month.  Tell all of your friends!!

Projection Presentations

There few things I love more than my newborn shooting sessions.  But I found myself getting frustrated  when I posted my pictures to my website, mom and dad absolutely loved them.  After I have them posted for 2 months or more, they expire without mom and dad selecting any photos.  I started to think about this, and doing some research, and realized there is a much better way to approach this.  Life with a newborn gets hectic, and besides, I discovered the more pictures they love, the harder it is for them to decide what to choose.  When I work with my brides, I design their albums for them, pick the pictures and then let them edit and change out photos if they want.  They appreciate not having to make these decisions, and surprisingly, they change very few of the pictures.

I always hope that my newborn parents envision my photography as wall art in their home.  But designing a room with family photographs in mind is often difficult.  I believe that interior design and fine art family photography really do go hand in hand.  To that end, I have now have client viewing sessions to help my clients thru this process.  Once decisions are made, I will then post them online for friends and family to see.


Even before the session begins, great attention is paid to the details.  All of the particulars are discussed, from clothing selection to style preferences to the session itself. 


At the viewing session that follows, our clients see their portraits projected on the wall.  Now the real fun begins.  Selection of  frame styles, colors and size are all done on the computer.  Using a photo of the room in which their portrait will be displayed, our clients can now view their framed and properly sized artwork on THEIR very own wall.  There is no guesswork. Everything is right there for them to see before they place their order.


With a combination of high tech software, attention to detail and tender loving care, a new era of blending your most precious moments with the dynamics of interior design has arrived.


I will be working closely with a frame company that I recently found.  Their styles are fun and innovative, and works great with children photography, and family portraiture as well.  I am so excited about this new scenerio.  I have already begun using it and my clients have all responded positively to this, and and thankful for taking the guesswork out of making these decisions.

The Importance of Engagement Pictures

I always include an engagement session in my wedding packages.  Sometimes when I am discussing various package options with potential clients, they ask me how much they will save by not doing engagement pictures.  I am very flexible when it comes to building packages, but one thing I don' t negotiate is the engagement pictures.  They are included, whether you use them or not.  So why not take advantage.  I consider this a "win win" proposition and I will tell you why:

• It gives my bride and groom a good chance to get used to having professional photos taken of them.   Often, this will be their first professional photo shoot
• We get to know each other.  After spending a couple of hours together, we have a lot of time to have casual chatting, get the chance to crossover from client to friends, and really get to know one another.
• The bride and groom get the first glimpse of my real live work, and feel comfortable with the fact they have indeed chosen the right photographer to capture their most important day.
• I have found that in most cases, it's the guy that is reluctant about the whole picture taking idea.  These sessions gives him a chance that I don't bite, he can have his picture taken and actually have a good time too.
• One of my most popular products lately have been the photo guest sign in books.  They consist of about 50 pictures on about 100 pages.  Your guests not only have a lot of space to leave wedding day messages, they get to see all of your wonderful engagement pictures and you have a great coffee table book you will look at for years.  

I like the couple to choose the place for the pictures.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  On my side, it keeps my work fresh, and no two engagement pictures are the same.  I really love what I do, and I think part of the reason for that is that every day is different.  Every couple is unique and so should their photos be part of them.  I know me, and I know that I would get terribly bored if I did every shoot in the same place.

Every couple has a story.  I would like my engagement photo of them to reflect that.  By letting them choose a place that might be special to them, not only lets me tell their story in pictures, but gives me a little more insight into their personality.  I have shot engagement shoots at the tree where he engraved a hearth with their names on it, to the place where he proposed, to the farm her grandma lived in and she had many childhood memories.  This one was particularly memorable.  The grounds were beautiful and abundant with places to shoot.  One of them was a great big old barn.  We got some great shots climbing on the hay stacks, only the bride was allergic to hay!! She was such a trooper.

I like to make these sessions as informal as possible.  Once a couple gets used to having their romantic moments being caught on camera, the rest is easy.  Sometimes I have to pose and coax a little, but mostly I just like to follow and shoot.

At the end of the day, the engagement pictures help to make up the whole wonderful package of wedding day memories.  I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Gabrielle

Tony & Nadja came all the way from North Carolina for this shoot. Tony's mom is one of my dearest friends, and Tony & my son on grew up together so this was really extra special. I was lucky enough to do a maternity shoot with Nadja, and can't believe that Gabrielle was already about 8 months old! And soooo cute! This is one of my favorite ages to capture. Babies are sitting up, not too terrible mobile (at least you can still catch them!), and have become social beings. Gabrielle was no exception, but could crawl away when she got bored. . .that's where the part about being able to catch them comes in handy. When I do baby and family shoots, I try and incorporate the essence of mom and dad. In this case it was easy. Dad is a firefighter and mom used to dance. Check out some of the results. My favorites were the ones with Nadja in her toe shoes and Gabrielle in her tutu. Please feel free to leave comments. I love the feedback! To view all of the pictures from this photo shoot, log onto my website at http://www.shellpix.com go on view online and find Gabrielle's photos.

Santa Clause Came to Town!

So one day I get this phone call from a potential client (and now friend) asking if I do photo shoots with Santa. Of course I said sure! Never being one to turn down a potentially great business idea, I set out on a search for our Santa. The biggest thrill for me was actually getting to decorate for Christmas. You see I am Jewish, and this was my first ever Christmas tree. I was hoping to achieve the concept of a special time with Santa, not the "you will shoot your eye out kid" moment at the mall. We were operating on short notice, so I really didn't expect the huge turnout this year. Besides that, my online ad and invite didn't have any pictures to really explain what I had in mind.

Santa arrived on schedule and so did the snow. Just the perfect amount, enough to make it a beautiful day, and the streets drivable. What we had was I think the first of many Christmas photo sessions with Santa in the future. I had some great "models" and I think the results will serve to show people what I was talking about, and make them want to sign up for next year. I am finding that in these uncertain economic times, it pays to get creative and try new things. I am always trying to think of new creative ideas to my clients. Something that perhaps no one else has thought of (although I am convinced that no thought is totally new). Here are some of the results. Please leave your comments. And if anyone sees the Easter Bunny, find out if he has a weekend available sometime in late March for a photo shoot!

Second Annual Triplet Shoot!

What a fun afternoon. After a couple of false starts (flu, colds and weather) we finally got this years shoot in. The triplets have gotten taller this year, and are still as cute as ever. Full of energy, and ready for the day we ventured out to Waterford this year for our shoot. The first thing we noticed was this great tree. Three big limbs . . . one for each kid. Jack was a little hesitant at first, but then got brave, and even wanted to stand up on the tree! What I love about spending the afternoon with them, is how their three distinct personalities come out. Lilli had developed this great pout this year, that I don't remember seeing last year. We shared out best pouts - Her's was definitely cuter! Brandon became enthralled with a stick way bigger than him, and got to practice some of his superhero skills left over from Halloween. All in all it was so much fun. I am grateful to Laura and Jason (who by the way spent their 6th anniversary trekking all over Waterford with kids and me in tow) for sharing their beautiful family with me. I hope we can make it annual event.

What to Look for in Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

Your photos are the one lasting memory of your wedding day. You spend a great deal of time and energy picking the venue, your dress, the flowers and food, and yet when it comes time to choosing someone to record this most important day, too many folks regard this as a minor decision, and too many more leave this task to Uncle Harry (no disrespect to anyone's uncles) who just happened to buy an expensive digital camera just last week. I am thinking about changing that old drunk driving commercial to "Friends don't let their friends shoot their weddings" unless of course they are a professional.

This new world of digital cameras has spawned a whole new breed of faux photogs. Don't get me wrong - I encourage everyone to take photos . There is no greater joy than taking pictures. It is fun, it is therapy, it is art. But the art of shooting a wedding isn't just snapping off pictures. Unfortunately people think there is safety in numbers, and if you take 4000 pictures, something is bound to turn out great. Believe me, this is an instance when quality beats our quantity every time.

When you start looking for someone to shoot your wedding, don't start with Uncle Harry, start with the internet. Websites are a great way to see a sampling of your potential photographers work. But don't stop there. Most photographers have at least a handful of pictures that really hit the mark that they can post on their website. But I always tell my potential clients to go beyond the website galleries, and look at their online proofing gallery. This will give you a good chance to see their work from start to finish - not just the "award winning" stuff. I never password my galleries unless my client as asked me to. I invite people to go and see my work and exam it thoroughly. My online viewing site is a good way to see exactly what they will be getting from me. I want to make sure that my clients feel that we are a good fit and they would end up loving their wedding pictures. And bringing me more work, by recommending me to their friends.

When you go to your friends wedding, watch their photographer and see if you like their style and the way they are interacting with the bride, groom and the guests. Do they look confident that they know what they are doing? Do they have control of the situation - especially during the formal shots? Are they getting the shots or talking or texting on their Blackberry? Do they look like they are having fun, or does it look like it is merely a job to them? I promise you, if they look like they love what they are doing, it will show in your pictures. Make sure you go to their website and check out the pictures from that wedding. Seeing a photographer in action is the best way to get an idea of what you will get.

It is important to meet your potential photographer in a face to face meeting, not just on the phone. Make sure you see sample books that they have done. This is another good way to see their work of an entire wedding, and how they will tell your story. It is also a way to see if your personalities match. There is probably no one you will spend more time with on your wedding day than your photographer. It is paramount that your personalities mesh. I always include engagement pictures in my packages. I do this for a number of reasons. But most of all it gives my bride and groom and myself a chance to get to know each other, and to have them feel comfortable having their picture taken. It also gives them the confidence that, after they see their pictures, they have chosen the right person to record their wedding day.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask questions. Find out if they belong to any professional organizations. That doesn't mean that they are the right photographer for you, but it does indicate that they take their work seriously. Make sure that you are both on the same page and you are getting the services you think you are getting. Make sure you have a contract, it protects both of you. Communication is paramount. And don't be afraid to ask for references.

There is a lot to think about and do in planning your wedding. If you choose your photographer carefully, you will have memories that will last a lifetime.