Behind the Scenes

Maybe sometimes you wonder why a photographer charges so much.  Or why does it take a couple weeks to get your pictures back?

I thought I would give you a little behind the scenes look on what I do,

Before the Shoot:  If it's at a new location I will spend time checking it out and getting an idea of what I will do.  I also try to think of a few poses that will fit your family size and ages ahead of time.  I have to know when the best shooting times are, and what the weather looks like.  If it is an indoor newborn shoot, I try to have the flooring, backdrops, and props set up and ready.  I'll also heat up the house and get a space heater going in the room to make it more comfortable for baby.

During:  During the shoot I do just that- shoot pictures.  Usually it's quick, painless, and we move a lot.

After:  The first thing I do is upload the pictures to my computer and start a backup.  Within 24 hours I'll do an initial look through to get rid of blurry, poorly exposed, and any other pictures that just won't work.  I choose one that represents the whole and edit it immediately.  It then is sized for the web and watermarked with my logo before I can upload it, fix the colors (colors are often unsaturated in the upload process), and post it to the blog and facebook.

In the Next Two Weeks:  I usually choose the best photos (although occasionally the client likes to have the choice) and get the amount you want edited and cropped.  After they're all done, I compare all the files to look for consistency and any issues I may have missed in the edit process.  Now each file has to be resized for the preview post and uploaded to a private viewing site.  This is where you get to say what else you want done with them or if you're happy.  Finally, I burn the CD and get it to you.  I choose my favorites from the session, resize and watermark them, then they get uploaded, colors fixed, and added to the blog and facebook.

None of that includes time spent fielding phone calls, writing emails, scouting new locations, buying supplies (CDs, paper, printer ink, etc.), or keeping tax records.

I love it all, and now you know what goes on with your images when you're not in front of the camera!