Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions. If you have a question, please contact me.
Q: Do you shoot weddings or newborns?
A: Unfortunately, no I do not, but I can refer you to some great photographers who specialize in those services.
Q: What equipment do you use?
A: For cameras, I use Nikon DSLR or Mirrorless bodies and Nikon or Sigma ART lenses.
For lighting, it depends. For studio headshots, I use continuous lights for mains and strobes for kickers. My continuous lights are Kino Flos and my strobes are Flashpoint XPLOR Pros with a variety of modifiers.
Q: How much retouching do you perform?
A: My editing style consists of just enough retouching to still look natural. I will edit out any blemish that won’t be there in 2 weeks (pimples, cuts, skin irritation, teeth whitening, etc) and will de-emphasize but not eliminate things like wrinkles or anything permanent that makes you who you really are.
In other words, if you are looking for someone to do “face-tune” edits to make you look like a fake porcelain doll or to significantly alter the way your body looks, I’m not the photographer for you.
Q: Do you use natural light?
A: For outdoor sessions, I love natural light, but nature can ruin a perfect shot in an instant. Instead, I shape light through the use of strobes for fill and skrims to diffuse harsh light. My goal is to keep light consistent from shot to shot.
Q: When can I see my images?
A: In a studio session, I shoot tethered to a laptop and use an iPad as a remote monitor so images are instantly viewable. As we shoot, we will take some short breaks to do a quick review because I want you to be completely satisfied with your images.
In an outdoors session, I will copy images to an iPad in between looks so we can do a quick review.
After the session, I will have a proof gallery up within a week or less, and your final images posted within another week or less.
Q: Do you have a physical studio?
A: I do not have a dedicated studio, but I do have access to several rental studios for an additional charge. Most of my sessions are on location, where I bring the studio to you.
Q: Why do you shoot horizontal headshots instead of portrait?
A: I have several reasons. Part of it is because that is how we view images on a computer monitor. Another part is that I like to keep the eyes in the top 3rd of the frame and shooting vertically, I have to frame the shot super tight, and if I don’t, it turns into a business portrait instead of a headshot. And finally, horizontal is just my personal preference.
