Working with me

I provide professional portraits for any purpose.

I began shooting professional portraits in 2004.

I shoot a lot of headshots for actors, entertainers, athletes, performers, realtors, and more (and wrote extensively about it in 2006). I’ve also spent a fair bit of my career helping aspiring and established models add to or build their portfolios. I also provide guidance to new models with regard to everything from posing to career choices. I’ve written about that as well.

In addition to headshots and model portfolios, my services also include:

• Engagement photos
• Online dating photos
• Photos musicians, groups, and performers
• Fashion photography & glamour model headshots and portfolios
• Promotional portraits for your campaign, book cover, website, fan page or social networking profile, whatever you want!
• Photos “for your significant other”, your spouse in the military, or “just for fun”
• Event photography
• Senior portraits
• Pet photos
• Natural light product photography (t-shirts, jewelry, fitness apparel, sports gear…)

I am a natural & available light photographer.

This means for 99% of my work, I don’t work in a studio or use studio lighting. Instead, I work on location and control and modify the light that exists in the shooting environment to get the look I want.

Coaching & Direction:

I provide coaching & direction with every photoshoot to help you get the best photos possible. I specialize in getting great shots (and portraits) from subjects who are shy or generally don’t like to have their photo taken or new models just beginning to build their modeling portfolios.

Make-Up Artists, Hair Stylists, Fashion Stylists:

Are not included in my photoshoot packages. As much as I love and value working with make-up artists, I prefer to work with them on a shoot-by-shoot basis so that my clients will be able to take full advantage of their services as necessary.

Many photographers earn extra money by recommending make-up artists or stylists from which they receive a commission or referral bonus. I don’t.

I prefer to allow my customers to work with those they are comfortable hiring and who can meet their specific needs & budget. It also means that I have no incentive to recommend a make-up artist to you unless I truly feel you will be able to take full advantage of one or that it will significantly benefit you and your photos.

However, I will gladly provide you with assistance in hiring someone and can provide you with a list of make-up and/or hair stylists if you desire it.

When hiring a make-up artist, consider this:

In order to take full advantage of a make-up artist and to get the most out of your scheduled shoot time, I recommend that you arrange to meet with the make-up artist (and/or hairstylist) at your home 30-60 minutes in advance of your appointment and have your initial application of make-up done before you arrive at your shoot. This will minimize the amount of make-up done on location and will also allow us to begin shooting sooner.

When shooting on location, if you wish to have your make-up done in advance of your appointment, but also altered during your shoot, it is important that you hire someone who is able to both meet you in advance of your shoot (either at your place or theirs) and who is then also available to work with you at the shoot location.

A note before you hire anyone

To be frank and sincere, as much as I love working with people and hope to work with you (if you’re looking for a photographer), I don’t want to attract clients by shouting about how great my services are or how much I can promise you. Even if it’s spoken sincerely, I think it all begins to sound false after a while. And I don’t think that’s the right foot to start a relationship on.

Instead, I’ll just say a few things here that will hopefully help give you an idea of who I am and what I’m about. First, there is no shortage of good photographers between Los Angeles and San Diego (or anywhere else for that matter). You have lots of choices.

The fact is, the market is saturated & extremely competitive (and has been for a very long time) and everyone wants your business. And although there’s a great deal of overlap in what each of us can do for you, we all have different personalities, different goals, and different ways of doing what we do.

So besides great photos, what you should be looking for is a photographer that best suits your own needs, style & personality. And to be really upfront with you, that may not be me.

So definitely shop around. And try to find someone who not only shows consistency in getting the kinds of photos you want, but who also vibes with your personality and gets you excited about working together.

Although I’m confident and skilled at what I do — and I strive to provide the best service I can — it’s simply a fact that there are other photographers out there who may be able to better accommodate your specific needs (in the same way that I may be better at something I do)

But if you like my work — and you can see yourself in it — then the chances are very good that you’ll like what I do for you.

And if you do decide to work with me, you can at least be confident that I’m the type of person that will not only leverage every skill I have to get you the kinds of photos you want, I will put everything I can into making sure you have a good experience as well.

Have a project in mind, or a question? Email me.