Brooke and Nathan

Sorry for the delay in posting this week. We have had a rash of inquiries since the huge success at the Folsom Bridal Fair on Sunday. As I always believed, our customers come first. I just wanted to share some of the images from the wedding we attended at the fabulous Newcastle Wedding Gardens this past Saturday. Georgia is truly a magnificent hostess and always puts on an event that her customers will be extremely pleased with. I also wanted to showcase the absolutely beautiful floral designs of Martha Andrews of Blooms by Martha Andrews. She is the Bomb! The party continued well into the night due to the fun and exciting entertainment provided by Anthony from A & A Music Events. Well, we hope that you enjoy the images. Have a great week! :)

What is a print worth?

Well, this subject has risen once again and I find it necessary to help educate the public on why we charge what we do for our finished prints. Yes the price for a finished print at our studio is considerably more that what you would pay if you went to Costco® or your local retail photo finishing lab. However, when you look at it from the opposite standpoint of the small business owner, you can quickly see that not everything is as equal as it seems. Take in point our 11x14 print. Our price is $105. Odd number but that’s just how the math comes out. I get parents of the brides who say that this is an overcharge. I say not. For one reason, most of my clients are not generally proficient at Photoshop© so when they take their images in to get prints, they are normally straight from the camera. No adjustments of any type other than a small bit of color correction by the lab technician. (Let’s be honest here, this tech is not going or cannot spend a whole lot of time on any one image due to the sheer volume of prints at the local one hour photo lab) Your professional wedding photographer on the other hand is much much different. I personally retouch each image by hand and can spend 30 minutes or more on an image gently massaging until it has just the right blend of contrast, color saturation and density. Removing blemishes, and clarifying eyes, teeth and skin is an art if you expect professional and natural results. OK now comes the business expenses.

· We have to purchase the finished print at a professional color lab.

· Mounting (An extra step that preserves the print and not available at most 1 hr labs)

· Shipping expenses to receive the print.

· Handeling and storage of the print.

· Packaging

· Invoicing (to the customer)

· Delivery

So when you factor in the time it takes to successfully complete all of these items, it is not too much of a stretch to understand why we charge what we do for our finished prints.

Remember, when you hire a professional photographer, you are investing in his/her talent and time not only to create memorable images but to be able to deliver professional quality and you should expect professional results.

Black and White Study

Here are some pictures from a shoot that I completed this afternoon at the Old Sugar Mill
in Clarksburg. This was made possible by the kindness of Wedding and event coordinator Donna Steffey. She gave me permission to take some pictures of the grounds at the facility which is gorgeous by the way. Simply a wonderful event location in a rustic environment. The adjacent building is currently undergoing a renovation and I was able to snap off a couple of shots before too much progress has taken place. These images were taken with my 5d Canon Camera and a 70-200 2.8L IS lens. They were then converted into a special recipe of Black and White in Photoshop. I hope that you enjoy them.

Senior Portrait Sessions

The class of 2008 is quickly upon us. Your young graduate is looking forward to their new life full of new experiences and adventures. Don't let this special time pass you by without having some custom portraits taken either in the studio or outdoors. We have some special pricing for our future leaders and also we have a very cool referral plan. so recommend Siegel's Portrait Design to your friends and earn free print credit! Call today!