Best of luck Nick and Ashley, thanks for the fun day!!!

Jadah’s wardrobe planning really carried well through her shoot.  I mean, she even had a gummy bear necklace for her candy themed photos!  This is the kind of girl who would dress up to go to Walmart while the rest of us (or maybe just me) would be rocking out the old sweat pants and a pony tail.  Clearly in her photos she has an extensive wardrobe and put it all together.  We’re not saying that we recommend everyone goes out and buys new clothes for their photo shoot, wear what you want to wear and what best represents YOU! However, that being said, wardrobe planning is KEY and does make a big difference in your photos.

For the outside portion of Jadah’s shoot we took her to a new place on our “senior list” where we really love the contrast of nature vs. old cinder blocks and broken glass.  Trying to explain this to someone over the phone or through email can be a bit tricky but after seeing these photos we think it may become very popular.  Jadah however understood our vision from the start and was happy to try out the new place.  She gave us energy and was very comfortable in front of the camera (not to mention she is ridiculously photogenic).  She really knocked it out of the park and brought her shoot to a whole new level.  It was edgy, it showed fashion, it was fun, and most importantly, it was her.  : )

So if you’re thinking out of the box and want something different, we’re definitely on board.  Don’t be afraid to shoot out an idea and don’t be limited by the sessions we have listed on our website.  Jadah’s shoot was definitely not our typical senior session but we hope it gives you an idea of what can be possible with some great planning and a lot of time.  Even if it’s something we don’t have and can’t physically provide, you never know what other ideas might spin off of it!  Great job, Jadah and what a way to work it!  -  Andrea : )

**Check out Jadah’s video!

This time around (essentially planning a wedding for a second time) Nicole said she was much more laid back, not worrying about the details so much.  The sobering events that she had lived through had really opened her eyes to the importance of being with family and friends on this important day and she wasn’t about to let the little trivial things that often bother brides, get to her.

The whole day was a lot of fun, and we are so thankful that Nicole is doing great and that we were able to share in their special day.

Best of luck Nicole and Jordan!

We first started in the studio, which I think we managed to pull out a “Cover Girl” shot from her photo shoot (seen down below).  She had the look and smile to pass for one anyway.  : )  We were about to go out back behind our studio to our Caribbean colored wall, but alas, it started to rain and we had to reschedule the rest of her shoot for a different (more dry) day.

Once we got together again, we went back to our brightly colored wall and she brought a stellar look to compliment the scenery.  Adding her high heels and a trendy bun, she must have stood 6 feet tall.  She is one long legged lady!  A couple of times during her shoot I either had to stand on the tip of my toes or on a small stool just to get a good angle on her. Despite the height difference between us, we made a good team and had a fun shoot.

We then traveled to General Potter Farm for the outdoor portion of her shoot, which was a good fit for Fiona’s style.  As soon as she pulled the boots and scarves out of her bag, we thought of the farm.  She too is an accessories girl!  We got some great woodsy and rustic shots of Fiona.  She really looked natural and beautiful in this setting.  Her mom, Mary, was along during her shoots and proved to make a great photo assistant as she held a light or a diffusion panel.  Hey, when you need another hand, mom always comes to the rescue, right!  Mary was a good sport about it and pleasantly held the extra light at times so that her daughter would get an awesome shot.  : )

Overall, we laughed, we posed, we got rained out, we trudged through the woods, we petted Nigel the goat (at the farm), and hopefully ended up with a great experience for Fiona as well as great photos.  Great job, Fiona and thank for being our Senior Rep!  -  Andrea : )

**Check out Fiona’s video!

“Cover Girl!”

Brenna’s wardrobe (and friends) provided us with a variety of trendy looks for her session.  Did I mention that her SO cute black sandal wedges are from France?!  She recently was vacationing in Europe with her family, and we’re sure she enjoyed taking lots and lots of photos!  : )  Anyway, she had great colorful pieces that really made her POP off the studio and outdoor backgrounds.

We decided to take Brenna to Curtain Village, a place where we have photographed before, but never a high school senior. We mostly use this spot for weddings, but this year we decided, with a helpful suggestion from another senior rep, to add it to our list of senior spots.  It certainly is a great place for photos providing a nice mixture of nature and old buildings.

Brenna’s hard work and wardrobe planning definitely shows!  She really conveys a soft beautiful smile in a lot of her photos.  We had a lot of fun during her session.  She was very easy to work with and comfortable in front of the camera.  I think it’s safe to say that her personality really speaks in her photos.  Great job Brenna, and what a great way to start us off for the season!    - Andrea : )

**Check out Brenna’s youtube video!

Today we had two beautiful, sweet little girls in the studio for some portraits with mom, grandma, great-grandma and their god-mother.  Without going into the gruesome details let’s just say things got off to a rough start.  All those fun little things that toddlers do that we mentioned earlier – they happened.  And really it wasn’t just the start either, it was mostly the whole shoot.

But patience and a singing, dancing Andrea prevailed and we got some really, REALLY cute photos.  Looking back at these now it’s very hard to imagine just how difficult of a session it was.  So, as hard as it can be to photograph toddlers, it is equally as rewarding to show images like this to shocked and stunned parents who thought their kids had ruined the session

As we were talking about this the other day, as we often do, we not only asked ourselves the question “what type of studio are we” but naturally “what type of studio do we want to be?”  This is a tricky question for us.  We feel like we’ve really come a long way as photographers and can offer a valuable service and some very cool products to our customers.  We’ve spent a ton of time, money and energy learning, practicing, investing, reading, preparing – basically doing everything we can to be better photographers.  Trying not to sound conceded about it we truly feel we have a lot to offer!

So, do we want to take that next leap into trying to become a “high-end”, more “exclusive” studio?  Now we’re back to the tricky part for us.  Following the industry trends and seeing the exciting new products and styles it’s really easy to set that as a goal.  Take great photographs, offer fantastic products, and charge A LOT of money, because honestly, it’s worth it.  I know it sounds cheesy but when asked the first thing that people would grab if having to flee a burning home they almost always answer with family photos.  Most things we spend our disposable income on are just that, disposable.  But photographs of loved ones are priceless.

At this point in our conversation Andrea and I have established a couple of things: 1) We think we’re pretty good at what we do.  2)  We think what we do is valuable.  A great start but still leaves us asking where do we go from here?

Anytime we’re trying to price new products or create packages we always try to think as one of our customers, or, as we would were we a customer.  In doing so this time we got to talking about the different types of stores that we shop at.  When we shop for clothes, for example, there are different stores that we go to.  When concerned only with price, when we’re willing to sacrifice quality, durability and style we’ll go to Wal-Mart.  They certainly sell a lot of clothes and have a large selection at low prices.  That’s what they do and they sure do it well.

On the opposite end of the spectrum we talked about important moments in our life that called for more “important” attire, specifically our wedding.  When I was shopping for my suit I went to a very well known, respected local men’s store in downtown Lancaster called TMB.  I was treated courteously and with respect, educated about what I was purchasing and lead to buy something of true quality that I will have to appreciate for years to come.  Of course, that service and quality came at a price.  The same was true for Andrea’s gown and her experience at a quality bridal shop.

So, are we Wal-Mart or are we TMB?  Do we try to go for high volume and bargain basement prices or quality and great service.  The obvious choice here is the latter with just one problem for us.  Doing so takes more investment in every sense and ultimately calls for higher prices.  What if we price ourselves out of the range of some of our clients?  Over the years we’ve met some fantastic people and have made a lot of friends doing what we do, and one thing we’ve truly come to appreciate is being appreciated.  Knowing that our customers are willing to invest a little extra in us because they trust us to create lifelong memories for them is a great feeling.  Thinking that we’d no longer be accessible to those people is not.

I’ll try not to drag this out too much farther but stick with me for just a bit more.  Back to the clothing store analogy.  What type of store do we enjoy shopping at most?  One where we get great value and sometimes something really unique.  One such store for us is TJ Maxx.  Yeah, TJ Maxx.  We love it there!  We can get name brands, latest styles, and unique finds.  All at reasonable prices.  I know, I know, it’s definitely not a perfect analogy.  We hope our service is better and we definitely don’t want to be as “hit-or-miss” with the good stuff as they can be, but the basic principal is the same.  High quality doesn’t always have to mean premium prices and most importantly, you can offer both premium goods for those that want it and more basic stuff for those that don’t, all without being cookie-cutter and static.

So that’s our goal.  Continue doing everything we can to grow as photographers.  Adding to our gear, our skills and our product offerings.  Create fantastic images for every client and let them take the lead on how to proceed from there.  Do they want to buy a few 8×10′s and be done with it?  That’s okay!  We hope they’d like their images enough to buy more but we don’t have a minimum to purchase or upfront package to buy.  Do they want us to design an awesome custom album, a wall cluster of canvas prints and some fine art cards?  Cool, we can do that too!

We definitely don’t want to pressure anyone and don’t ever want to talk someone into buying something they cannot afford.  If you want some family portraits and only have $50 to spend we’re not the place for you and that’s fine.  But if it’s a special time for you and you’re willing to invest a little more we’ll do everything we can to not disappoint.

What do you think?  Is this really an answer to our original question or just a cop-out?  Are we just trying to be everything to everyone?  Is TJ Maxx a good analogy for you or do you have a better one?  What do you think we should do differently?  Let us know, we’d really love to hear what you think, past client or not, what are your thoughts? – Joel