Fort Drum Family Photographer | The Evans Family

As a Fort Drum Family photographer, I am lucky enough to have photographed military families in numerous states and locations!  Meet the Evan's family from Fort Carson, Colorado! Katie is the owner and creator of SALATO Designs. She creates drool worthy handbags that you may recognize from her feature in VOUGE . I mean, who doesn't love custom fabrics (oh and wool OMG the Pendleton WOOL!) leather straps, and handmade goodness? She even includes water bottle holders in some of her designs. If you're anything like me- ie. human- you drink water and NEED her tote in your life! I could go on ALL day about her amazing clutches and handbags, but we all know you came here for the pictures....




NO, your eyes did not fool you, Hulk showed up at my session. He's actually a pretty nice guy!
If you're looking for a Fort Drum Family Photographer be sure to hit the contact button! I'd love to hear from you!

The Unbehauen Family | A Colorado Springs Family Session

Colorado has been having a tremendous amount of rain. I think it's uncharacteristic of this state to be raining so far into summer. So, I was lucky that this session took place at all. Not even an hour after we wrapped the weather took a turn and it began hailing! I think my prayers of sunshine worked enough to hold the hail at bay for an hour. It seems as though with the rainy weather cold and flu follow. This was to be a family session of four. Mom woke up with the sniffles and chills, but wanted badly to have photographs with her son from out of town. So we proceeded with the session. I had so much fun with these three. I had to improvise posing, and it was a fun little challenge for the day. It helps when you have such gorgeous people infront of your lens! 

Catching dad's head on your dress is HILARIOUS :)

Justin + Kayleen :: A Colorado Maternity Session

This gorgeous couple is expecting their first child any day now!! I am honored that I was able to capture such a beautiful moment for both of them. What a demonstration of commitment these two showed by driving all the way down from Denver! (They had to be in Colorado Springs by 8:00am for hair and make-up) They showed up with such a positive attitude and their excitement was contagious.  I know they're going to make great parents! I can't wait to meet baby L!! 

5 RED FLAGS | When Hiring A Photographer

Last year I had to select an out of state photographer to photograph my family. My little brother was graduating from college (GO AFA!) and I knew it would be a very rare opportunity to have my immediate family photographed together. So I set out to find a photographer and purchase a session to gift to my mom. I want to share this experience with you so you can learn from my mistake.

I went against my instincts. I selected a shoot and burn photographer* after viewing their website that had very few images from each of their sessions. We only spoke (via messaging) to set the session date and no advise was given about the shoot itself.  The photographer put us in to a chaotic frenzy when he/she decided to move up the session time merely hours before the shoot. The shoot itself was awkward and uncomfortable and I was left confused the majority of the time.   

Long story short when the gallery was released, I was not pleased. Of course there were a few photographs that I liked but nothing was reflective of the work I saw on-line. As a photographer I could tell that not much time went into the editing of my images. My father even commented on how the effect that the photographer added to the images made him look “old” because it turned his light brown hair white. I was upset that I hadn’t seen the red flags. So let me share with you what those “red flags” are. 

Red flags:

1. You can only find 1-2 images from a session and there is nowhere to find more.

If you take 50 pictures and have no idea what you are doing. At least one of these images is bound to come out decent. If you can only find one or two images from a photographer's session, you may only be seeing that one “lucky” image they landed. Most photographers will post multiple images from a session on their blog or have a featured “session/wedding” on their website. That’s important to view. By viewing multiple images from a session you are then able to view the full picture of what they are capable of and what you will be receiving in the end.

2. The photographer ONLY gives digital images.

As with anything this red flag doesn’t apply in ALL cases but it shouldn’t be overlooked. It is quite possible that a photographer only provides digitals because they lack the skills or means to provide products. Some labs require you to be a professional photographer or a business with business ID to print through them. Its possible that these photographers don’t print images because they can’t. There is a huge craze of clients seeking digitals right now and there are some wonderful photographers who provide them, so just let this be a small warning.

 I am an advocate for products. It has nothing to do with money or work as you might think. In fact it is WAY easier for me to shoot a session and hand over the digitals, I mean like crazy easy. It’s not as time consuming as designing and ordering products. I feel like if would be a disservice to my clients to only offer digitals. I want my clients to know that when they come to Silver Lane Photography not only are they going to receive amazing images but they'll also receive top to the line products. Not only should a photographer be able to provide quality they also know the best way to crop your image to an 8x10 and how to sharpen your image based on size and print medium. Why put all that pressure on yourself? Choose a photographer that knows what they’re doing.

3. A photographer who charges next to nothing for their services is a RED FLAG.

This day in age it is easy to get hung up on pricing. So lets talk about photography pricing from a consumer stand point. It’s safe to say that you get what you pay for. The value that you put on your family's memories is individual to you. In addition to the value that you see in photography are other factors to consider like what you can actually afford.  There are a wide range of photography price points, BUT the red flag is going to be “if it sounds too good to be true then IT IS!” I’m  totally vomiting up cliché after cliché right now but just one more time…YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. 

Here is a real life example for you. I had a potential client contact me. She was distraught because her photographer had cancelled on her less than 24 hours before her scheduled session. This photographer did not communicate any emergency or hardship. The photographer flaked. So this potential client asked if I’d be willing to schedule them for a last min session. I accommodated her and sent over my pricing. To which point I received a reply that I was out of budget. Long story short I find out that the photographer she had booked charged a total of $75 dollars for the session AND disc of images. 

From where I’m sitting its not hard to see how this $75 photographer could just flake. There is no real investment on either end. 

SO, be careful if someone is charging too little, it could very well be a RED FLAG!

 In addition to the aforementioned reasons I have a little photo industry insight for you: newbies are cheap!  Most photographers just starting out have extremely low price points. They’re learning their craft and they are seeking you as a model to practice on and essentially luring you in with the “incredible” pricing.  So keep that in mind. As I said earlier to each their own.

4. No communication on session prep. 

I view this red flag as a pretty important one. If a photographer isn’t openly sharing with you the do’s and don’t of what you should wear that is a HUGE red flag. Think about it for a minute. If they don’t care about the prep they may as well not care about the session. It is our job as photographers to make sure we communicate what you need to know prior to your session. Things like: what to expect, what to wear, and how the process works are all important things to know. If a photographer is not sharing this information with you please run as fast as you can in the other direction!

5. They have no credentials.

Lets talk about things that are not credentials. 5,000 facebook fans is not a credential. 2,000 twitter followers, or 10,000 Instagram followers does not mean dittily squat. Even on-line reviews can be misleading. I am all for checking out reviews, but lets be honest. Who is to say that every review you just read wasn’t that of a family member or friend? Credentials are things like schools attended, work-shops attended, awards won, publications. If your photographer has not one credential, what is it that makes them a professional photographer? 

Don’t trust just anyone with your precious family memories, with once in a life time moments, and the documentation of your life if they don’t have what it takes. Be alert and aware, and pay attention to the red flags! If you are in search of a professional photographer do what I should have done and do your research. Use sources like ppa.com (professional photographers of america) NACP (national association of children photographers)and WPPI. Look in local publications and pay attention to whom the photo is credited too. There are plenty of resources. Just because you know someone or are referred a friend of a friend  does not mean that they are the photog for you. 

  

*shoot and burn photographer = a photographer who does not sell products. Their business model is usually based around a high quantity of clientele. 

Important note: I started my career as a shoot and burn photographer, I also charged very little. I am not knocking anyone in the photography industry AT ALL. We all have a place and we all have to start somewhere. I view photography like a tasty burger. Burgers can be obtained from most any food service but you have 3 main categories: fast food, restaurant, and a fine dining establishment to choose from. It's all in the consumers choice and financial discrepancy as to where they buy their burger from. The point here is don't go to a fast-food establishment and expect a fine dining experience. 

April + Zach :: A Colorado Engagement

Colorado welcomed me with this lovely engagement session. April and Zach drove from over 2 hours away to allow me to capture their love. We drove up to a location that I scouted just for them! The images came out even better than I had imagined! They are two amazing people and I can't wait to be present when they make their promises to spend their lives together. 

Silver Star HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR REP PROGRAM {Colorado}

I am currently looking for High School Senior's in Colorado for My Silver Star Rep Program. Please send an email to SilverLanePhotography@gmail.com if interested. Here are the details:

What is a Senior Rep?

Silver’s Star Senior Representatives (Reps) are H.S. students from local schools that are chosen to promote Silver Lane Photography. In turn, Silver Star Seniors receive lots of complimentary products & services along with the ability to earn Prizes!

What type of person am I looking for to represent me?

I am looking for Reps who are excited about having their pictures taken, and who are outgoing, social, and professional about contacting classmates to promote Silver Lane Photography!

What do Senior Reps do?

Silver Star Reps will promote my photography business by spreading the word about services and recruiting fellow classmates to book with Silver Lane Photography. This can be done many ways: by word of mouth, Facebook, twitter; using your custom app to show your pictures to your classmates; handing out your personalized Rep card and any other creative ways you can think of (enlist your parents, too, and let them help you earn incentives)! There is a fun competition between Silver Star Reps for an Exclusive Bonus Incentive!

How many Senior Reps are there?

Each year, the number of Silver Star Reps is chosen at our discretion. Typically, at least 2-3 girls at each school!

Why should I choose to Represent Silver Lane Photography?

OUR CREDENTIALS

I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). I continue my education by attending seminars and workshops along with learning the newest and best photographic techniques. Silver Lane Photography has been published in PEOPLE, Military Spouse Magazine, CHIC, San Antonio Express News as well as featured on multiple blogs and webshows.

What will I get for my efforts?

An individual mini session

Group photos with all of our Silver Star reps

Professional Hair and make-up application the day of your session

Personalized “Rep Cards” for you to hand out

Personalized mobile app of your images

Discounts on products that increase with each referral!

Plus!!!

The Senior rep to refer the most booked sessions will receive a Grand Prize, that you won't want to miss. Please e-mail for more details about prizes.

I will write a Letter of Recommendation to senior reps upon request. This will come in handy when applying for a job or scholarship application!

To apply to Silver Lane Photography’s Silver Star Senior Rep Program please fully complete the senior rep application by  Dec 12 2015 at 11:59pm Central

Qualifications:

·         Must be a junior or senior in high school in Colorado. Preference for the Springs area or EL Paso County.

·         Have great style, lots of personality, and enjoy being in front of the camera.

·         Agree to tell your friends and classmates about Silver Lane Photography and share your senior portraits with them.

·         Be available to have your mini session completed by April 15th.

·         Agree to represent ONLY Silver Lane Photography and use these images as your senior portraits.

·         Parental Permission is required to participate.

  Email SilverLanePhotography@gmail.com for your application!!

CHRIS PAPE: 2014 Air Force Spouse of the Year

Love his Shirt? You can order one for yourself and support a great cause at MachoSpouse.com

...this is the sweetest dog!

About this session: 

After getting over my nerves to meet such an inspirational military spouse, I was able to calm down and truly enjoy the experience. Dana and Chris are two very humble, genuine, beautiful people. Chris kept me laughing all session!  When our session was over, I felt as if I'd known them forever! Although I don't think Chris enjoyed my jokes about submitting only the images where he was making crazy faces. Not the "I wasn't ready, I might be blinking" crazy face, I'm talking about the "I'm a total guy and am going to make a silly face because I can" crazy face. (sorry chris) But as you can see above, I didn't do that! 

Our session began at the Pape's home here in San Antonio, Texas and ended at Randolf Air Force Base (a base of Joint Base San Antonio) I am a huge fan of sun flare and golden light, so we shot close to sunset to capture what I had envisioned.  The Pape's are so natural in front of the Camera! I had such a great time!

I MUST thank Tim Fraga (timssolution.com) for his assistance during the Randolf portion of the session. Not only was he a great photo assistant but he helped to calm my nerves of having a PR Rep escort us around base. I was certain she was going to shout out "stop, you can't do that!" at any second. Thankfully that didn't happen. For all you folks wondering Photographs are not permitted on military installations. 

Overall Shooting for Military Spouse Magazine and meeting the amazing Chris p is an exrience that I will cherish for ever! If you have the chance to support Military Magazine and/or Chris Pape I highly encourage you to do so! 

Chris Pape:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MachoSpouse

website: MachoSpouse.com

Military Spouse:
http://www.militaryspouse.com/magazine