Pictures are like crayons: 96 colors or your basic 8?

You just booked your session with your photographer and you're excited to FINALLY have some great pictures to share, show off, or even display! But what happens once the photographer clicks that shutter button? I can tell you it does not end there. For me, at least.

Does your photographer's vision fit your vision?

Will the final results depict the true personality of the subject?

Can you find a photographer who works for less? Sure. But I am a firm believer in the idea that you get what you pay for. Do you want your images to look like they were created using the eight pack of crayons, or do you want them to have all the detail and nuance that comes from the 96 box of Crayolas?

When I present you with your pictures, you're not just given the unedited images straight out of my camera. I also give you more than just five or six edited pictures burned to a CD and call it a wrap! I take the time to make sure the final product you receive is the best it can be. I want your images to exhibit your character. I want you to be as excited as I am to see what you and I created together. I want you to be proud to show them! All this will happen because you will get quality images with over 96 different editing tools...not just 8.

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Let's take a peek at some of the work that I do.

Here is a simple example of what one of my unedited and an edited image looks like:

The image on the left may be acceptable to some photographers and an image that comes straight out of the camera. However, I feel it needs just a little more.

The one on the right just makes this gorgeous lady "pop". With this image, there were just a few adjustments that were needed. Now she glows and your attention is drawn to her face and that beautiful smile. There is an overall warmth and it is so much more pleasing to one's eyes. You now have an image that radiates all over. The image on the right is the image that I would happily give to you....96 colors worth!

This next comparison image is also acceptable; but her eyes seem hidden. They are too dark and the white balance is off just slightly. Now take notice in the back, a slight crop and the second window or dark spot is gone. In the first image my eye was drawn to that spot and not to the main subject, this beauty! So what did I do? Yes, I got rid of it! No more distractions! A few sweeps from some editing brushes and BAM! those baby blues are crystal clear! It's all about crisp color here!

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Moving right along... to the crayon box with 24 colors!

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Now this picture on the left has some extras in it that you wouldn't need much less want in your final picture. While I'm sure the people in the back are having a blast, it deflates the whole intimate emotion that the picture on the left creates. So let's take them out of the equation along with the leaves from the tree. The image on the right is now brighter and focuses on the intensity of the kiss and the love that this couple shares! You shouldn't have to overlook any distractions in the background or foreground to get to the magical feeling that is intended!

Here we have the original photograph and two edited images. Once again, the original image is completely acceptable, but how does the center picture grab you? The baby has a more pink, creamy sort of tone to her. The blue back drop is brighter. The overall image just is more eye appealing. The shadows in her eyes are removed and show those baby blue eyes much better than the original. Check out the "catch lights" in her eyes which draws you in especially in that black and white picture!

Now, with a bargain photographer...would you get a bonus black and white image too? You MIGHT get one or the other, but not likely both. Remember that bargain session you bought...it might be just 8 crayons worth!

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And the grand box of color! The variety, the choices, the endless possibility of creativity!

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Wow! Just wow!

What would you give to have an image like this? Would this hand edit be included in that quick 15-20 minute mini session? Would this be included in the few edited images that are promised? Oh the picture on the left might be, but wouldn't it be worth paying a little more for the sweetness of the portrait on the right.

When I started this session I knew I wanted to create the dramatic, fairy tale feel of the picture on the right. The finished picture is not an image where Photoshop was involved nor a pretty digital backdrop with the little Miss placed in it. The final image is my own original work, enhanced with the tools and color brushes available in the editing software. It has my personal flare, my creativity and mom's vision. It was exactly what she wanted!d

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BLACK & WHITE OR A RAINBOW OF COLOR?

Mini sessions are great for a specific theme. I offer them myself. I give my BEST even in those mini sessions. I do not give you drive-thru service on regular sessions. You get my time, my creativity, and my customized vision for your session. I try to avoid repetition in my sessions, and my images emit variety, not only with poses but locations and backgrounds. When I get to the editing board after your session, my excitement is re-fueled to the point that I sometimes end up producing MORE than I state in your package. That is why you may pay a little more when you hold your session with me. I want you to have photos that you can cherish and adore. I want you to have a timeless image that you can proudly hang on the wall and not some trendy new picture that you'll leave on a disc. I not only give you a CD, but I include a 4x6 print of each edited image. Why? Because technology changes and that CD or flash drive that is state of the art today will be obsolete tomorrow. A photograph may get put in a box, and that's okay. But one day, your children, or even your grandchildren, will open that box and discover all those cherished memories that otherwise would have been lost to time. Can you really put a price on that?

Remember: "Pictures are memories of our once upon a time" ~ Laura Grefke

Keep it classy. Keep it timeless. Keep it beautiful.

DON'T allow it to be cheap.

Once you color your world with the 96 count of Crayolas and create a masterpiece, you will appreciate it over the 8 simple crayon colors from other options...