Bastian and Maika @ 4 Months

My puppy, Finnegan, wanted to get a photo with the babies.

Family/Maternity Shoot!

Kayla loves spinning so we created this little sequence.

The family with their mini Jedi

"Pro Photographer" vs. Actual Pro Photographer

I came across this post that was originally from Kijiji. I'm pretty sure it is fake, nevertheless, it proves a point quite well.

Date Listed 14-Feb-11
Address Kitchener, ON, Canada


Hi there! My name is Samantha and I've just got a brand new camera for Christmas but haven't even taken it out of the box. I really want to get into the wedding photography business because I see so many people in Ontario are getting married and it looks like easy money. I can't guarantee that even one photo will turn out looking good but I sure will try. Some pictures will be used for my portfolio and my future website. I start booking appointments this week! I am now booking for Spring and Summer of 2011.

I specialize in all types of Lifestyle photography including:
Weddings – You'll have to pay $15 for gas money outside of Kitchener
Bridals
Engagements
Families
Children
Portraiture
Fashion

My style is classy, elegant and artistic. I would be honored to be part of your special occasion or photography needs considering I have no professional experience. I would love to capture those beautiful moments for you and your family.
I have so much passion for being a pro wedding photographer! All my friends and family tell me I take great pictures at all our outings and picnics. I'm putting together a web site of all the flower pictures and sunsets I've taken so you can see how good I am. I even have a few pics of my pet dog which turned out really great! But I don't have a business license, liability insurance, flashes, extra batteries, or even more than a kit lens that came in the box. If something goes wrong, you're out of luck. To keep things cheap for you, I won't even back up any of your images. Less cost for me means less cost for you. Just passing the savings on. I expect to be paid in cash or personal check because I don't plan on claiming this income on my taxes.
I know many fun and beautiful locations. I really care about making brides look beautiful! I add glow and selective color to all of my images, giving them the best look possible. No need to hassle with computer programs.
Bridals and Engagements are only $100. Please trust me to do your wedding. I'll do it cheap just to build up my portfolio. I will only charge you $250 for your entire wedding day. This is a deal. My camera cost me $700 brand new. All sessions include a Hi Resolution CD with FULL copy right release included, which means you get to print your pictures at Wal-Mart! Here's the BEST Part! I offer 100% guarantee on ALL my sessions! Don't pay a cent until you are 100% happy with your pictures!
I own a camera therefore I can take photos like the pros, who charge alot more. Most brides in Utah spend $2,500 on professional wedding photography. Since I have no experience I'll only be charging $250 (90% off regular wedding photography prices) to shoot full day wedding coverage.
Think about it: Pros charge a lot of money because they have a lot of expenses. I don't.

Pros have:
-a business license
- multiple cameras
-thousands of dollars in lenses and flashes
-hard drives to back up the images
-insurance
-experience
-people skills
-color calibrated monitors
-professional print labs
-professional albums
-real advertising/ not kijiji
I have none of this stuff so we'll keep it cheap, just for you!

E-mail me if you want to set an appointment or if you have any questions, I will gladly respond.

There are millions of "photographers" out there now since the price of a reasonable SLR has gone down and it can be hard to know who to go to when you're in the market for one. This post touches on many reasons as to why you want to make sure you are hiring an actual professional. In addition to these, an actual photographer will know how to light difficult situations, which means they've invested in expensive lighting equipment, flash units, etc. An actual photographer will be able to get consistent results and won't miss the key moments whereas someone like Samantha will be left shooting on auto pressing the shutter like crazy and maybe 1 out of 1000 photos is decent. Actual professionals are educated and constantly upgrading their skills and it shows.

 This sort of thing does happen in every profession. You would never hire just anyone to put a roof on your house or re-wire your home. Photography is an investment. As they always say, if your house catches on fire the first thing you usually run to save is your photos (well for me it would be my dogs but you get the idea..).

New Facebook Fan Page and Logo

For the past little while I've been working on upgrading various things for my photography business including equipment and skills repertoire, online presence, and general business stuff. Yesterday, I finally created a facebook fan page and am currently building that up. You can always find the link to the facebook page in the top links bar, on the bottom of the blog near the archives links or for now by clicking here

Even bigger news: I got a new logo! About time, too I say. I of course attempted it myself but was not happy with anything I was coming up with. Kendra Stieler was awesome enough to come up with a few ideas for me super quick. Here are my two favourite ones:

 

I love both but decided for the top one (the frilly thing looks like a chicken!!)

 If you're looking for a logo or any graphic design work I highly recommend consulting Kendra.