In this day of turbo charged cell phones and an abundant means of sharing images on social media, standing out in the photography field is a new challenge for photographers.
The typical criteria that customers use for selecting one photographer over another
(location, experience, talent, personality & reputation) still have value, but today,
many clients make their choice based upon a photographer's style or a specific
artistry that they want to achieve with their own portrait/photos.
It is a wonderful opportunity for photographers to find their uniqueness and
to express the talents that make their photography special...their brand.
For me, I approach photography with an extra creative eye, looking at lighting,
the blur of colors, the patterns or shapes created in posing, striving to
create MORE than a photo, something I refer to as portrait artistry.
Sometimes the opportunity just happens, when light falls magically upon the
subject creating an image that looks more like a painting than a photograph,
but other times I choose to create the magic through digital means.
How is this done, you might wonder? Through advanced programs
such as Lightroom and Photoshop, photographers get the opportunity to
shine like artists and bring their vision to life through blending layers,
masks, textures, the merging of multiple images, etc
Below is an example of an impromptu photo I took of my daughter Ashley
with her puppy, Zoey. You can see how the before image is super sweet and
evokes an emotional response, however I saw the potential to take that to a higher
level and create real portrait artistry, as shown in the after result below. For me,
creating portrait imagery that takes whoever is viewing it on an emotional
journey is the ultimate goal. Leave them breathless and wanting more.
Make your portraiture a priceless treasure that each customer wants
to repeat and can't resist sharing with the world.
For more examples of my photography, click here