Wright Family - Phoenix, AZ Family Photographer

Stricker Family - Scottsdale, AZ Family Photographer

How to Select a Photographer - Phoenix AZ Family Photographer

In this day and age where everyone seems to own a DSLR and calls themselves a photographer how can you pick someone that knows what they are doing? A professional. I thought I would write a series on tips for those who value photography and want to know how to pick the right photographer. Why do some photographers charge more than others? Well, why does a Lexus cost more than a Kia? Quality, luxury, reliability, performance, and comfort are just some of the reasons. Just like with cars there is a wide array of photographers, from amateur to professional photographer, but just because someone calls themselves a professional photographer does not mean they are a professional.

So tip number ONE is to look at their work! Many photographers have websites, Facebook Pages and blogs. These are great places to look through their previous work. Photographers like to display their best work on these sites and it will also give you a feel for their style as a photographer. Make sure the style of their work matches your style and vision for your photographs.

Tip number TWO, and maybe it should be number one, make sure their images are sharp! It amazes me how many people pay "professional photographers" and they don't get sharp images. This comes with skill. Sure we all get blurred images at times, but I would never sell them to my clients. Here's an example from one of my recent shoots. Sometimes focusing on newborn's eyes is tricky because there's not a lot of contrast. Both pictures have gone through my sharpening process. The top picture is soft, the bottom picture is sharp and the eyes are in focus.






Tip number THREE. Although being able to take great pictures is a must you also want a photographer that is dependable. I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me other photographers have cancelled on them multiple times or they are hard to get a hold of. Service is important. Getting your pictures in a timely manner is important. We usually take our official family pictures at least once or twice a year. I'm just as excited as my clients to see how they turned out, share with family and friends, and hang them in our home. Most photographers will have your pictures done within 2-3 weeks (not including weddings). So don't undermine dependability and great service or you might get stuck with a bad experience.

I hope this is helpful, I'd loooove to hear your feedback. Let me know what you think. If you have an opinion on what you look for in a photographer I'd like to hear that as well. I'll write some more tips over the next couple of weeks.

Smith Family - Tempe, AZ Family Photographer

Had so much at this family photo session. Besides Laura being a friend of mind and knowing her children they were so awesome and didn't make me run around after them. Which I usually do with little kids. :) Here are some of my favorite pictures of their family...

Tempe AZ Family Photographer

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how I had gone to downtown Tempe scouting locations. Before I showed up at the session I had a vision on what we were going to do. But as we started walking I spotted a location that I hadn't seen. So half of what I had planned for our session went out the window. But sometimes you just have to go where the inspiration takes you. Here are some of the pictures...







I normally prefer photos as they are and not overly processed. I think this is a timeless look and won't ever go out of style. But as I processed this image and I felt like it called for a vintage look. Something sweet and I'm loving how it turned out.

Birthday Party - Chandler AZ Familiy Photographer

Lebby emailed me a few weeks back wanting to schedule a photo session, she mentioned how 2 of her kids and her were having birthdays in April and wanted to have balloons, hats, and cupcakes. She also said she wanted to bring some games. I got really excited with her idea and just brought a few more props. I knew she trusted me from working with her twice before. (click here to see one of her sessions.)

They played with bubbles, Uno Attack, ate cupcakes and were silly. It was really so fun to capture how they are together as a family at this time and talking to the kids and seeing how they've changed in the past year. I left the session feeling very much like I was leaving a party. So here are just a few pictures to try to tell the story...












Can you tell who won?!

Birthday Party - Chandler AZ Familiy Photographer

Normally, I post my first sneak peek on Facebook, but Facebook messes with the colors of the photos sometimes. And this is one of those times and I couldn't stand it. So here's what it's suppose to look like. :)

The Pro Lab vs Your Local Printing Place - Mesa, AZ Photographer

Don't think pro print labs make a difference? Think you can take that disc to Walmart or Walgreens and get the same quality??? Check this experiment by Wendy L White Photography. If you are a previous client, a future client, or if you've ever hired a photographer. Photographers spend so much time making sure the image is perfect for printing. You are already paying for their editing time so why get less quality?

Brielle - AZ Photographer

I got the honor to meet this little newborn princess and document her first few days of life last week. I really had a hard time selecting images to post, so many favorites! Here are a few!







Brielle's mom told me over the phone that her husband played baseball and wanted to take some pictures with some baseball gear. I thought he maybe did it as a hobby.. and... well come to find he's Matt Pagnozzi and plays for the Colorado Rockies! Way cool! I'm sure baseball will be a big part of her life, so the picture is appropriate. :D