When I started photography, I did what most photographers do, shoot tons of weddings and events, cramming each day with tons of jobs. I was good photographer for the time and am proud of the work I produced, but I wanted to be better, to up my quality, and be more fulfilled with what I was creating. I wanted to be a master of my trade, and not just with the official title of Master Photographer that I later earned. I wanted to provide the best possible images and products, and that meant making big changes.

It meant that instead of spreading my energy thin across lots of gigs, I instead needed to pour all of my creativity and soul into fewer weddings and fewer jobs — but make each of those jobs count to the max. It meant not just providing the expected norm in terms of floppy finished prints that anyone can get at any drug store, but to take my images further with the best possible finished products with coatings, art boards, and canvases created to last a lifetime.

The results have been wonderful. Besides having earned the rank and national title of PPA Master Photographer about 10 times, I’m recognized as one of the state’s best photographers, with many national awards too. At my states professional competition, my finished wedding albums continually scored higher than anything in the show.

Every time I deliver a wedding album to a bride, or a large canvas wall portrait to a family, I know I have created something unique and wonderful, something they could not have received anywhere else.

Not everyone can make it to my studio to see things first hand, so here is a video showing my wedding albums…

And here is a video showing some of my options for finished products, including canvas, glazed metallic, and leather finishes.

To see my work and finished products in person, give me a call. 801-728-3317 to make an appointment.

 

In the past, certain blog posts on my feelings of quality have hit a chord with people. Here are some of those past articles on my feelings of quality and the importance of fine portraiture.

The Value of a Portrait, My Birthday Self Portrait

As a photographer I believe strongly in portraits, particularly of the value they give us in years to come. Of everything we can spend money on, very few things have as much value in the future as well-made professional portraits.

…I feel strongly that everyone should have a great portrait of themselves that they like, and it shouldn’t be one from 10 years ago either. But sometimes we as photographers put off getting our own portraits done for the same reasons our clients put it off: it feels vain, I’ll do it later, I’m getting older, I don’t have time, etc.

…How many times do we wish we had a better portrait of someone that we loved but lost? Maybe it was a relative that passed away or maybe it was someone we cared about that is no longer in our lives.

(Read more…)

 

Quality & Zen

As an artist, my mind is usually wide awake and full of ideas at the point most people are sound asleep.  Tonight (or rather ‘this morning’) is no different, and the subject is Quality.  I find that writing my ideas down helps my mind settle and go to sleep.  Since I now have a blog, I’m writing it here….

I finished re-reading one of my favorite books tonight, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – and no, it’s not about motorcylce maintenance.  Instead it is a internal journey to understand Quality and Truth, and uses a motorcycle roadtrip across America as an analogy.

(Read more…)

 

Invest in Forever™

Invest in Forever. Art is Forever.™

For years I’ve put it on everything from my website to my business cards, and sometimes I guess I just assume that the meaning is evident. Nevertheless, here is why we (my mom and I) came up with that so many years ago and why it’s become a part of my business.

First of all, comparing prices amongst different photographers can be confusing. It is because the price of art is completely different than anything else out there. Normally when we shop, we look for the best deal. We all do it.

(Read more…)

 

Introspection, Poetry