Adrienne + Royce Anniversary Post (50th Post!)

Adrienne and Royce were my first wedding to shoot fully as a wedding photographer. When I first started to promote myself in wedding photography, I posted an advert on Craigslist and Adrienne was my first inquiry, and I ended up shooting their beautiful wedding the following month!

They are two of the sweetest people, and one of the kindest couples! This past February they celebrated their one year wedding anniversary and asked me to take some photos for the occasion! So, we hit up the beautiful Arboretum here in good old Austin, Texas! Thank goodness the weather was absolutely gorgeous! :)

Adrienne and Royce, thank you so much for contacting me to re-experience your love! I am so happy to have met and worked with you, and I look so forward to the birth of your baby girl this year!!

To those who celebrate it, Happy Easter!

A Great Article! Enjoy!

Before I post the photos from my most recent portrait session with one of my favourite couples, I just wanted to post this article by Scott Bourne.

It's from about two months ago, and it goes into not only why photographers (that is, true professionals as opposed to hobbyists) should NEVER under sell themselves and the services provided; as well as explaining why consumers should not buy into the "I will shoot your wedding for only $200!!! You can't beat that!! I will always do that!" aesthetic!

Now, before posting, I will say that I was once a photographer that was unfamiliar with wedding photography and wanted to begin my journey into the field. As a novice, I offered my services at well below market price (foolish, I know...but I didn't think anyone would ever book me if I was appropriately priced in the market with little to no true experience. I had shot one and a half weddings when I decided to go at it alone.) (I know that a lot of aspiring wedding photographers have the same mindset I had, and I urge them to read this article as well! You should never undersell due to your experience or lack thereof. Price yourself appropriately! And experienced photographers that book weddings by low-balling other experienced photographers, well they really should know better! Everyone should really value themselves and the work they do appropriately, and I feel that potential clients should also look at the value of the work and the packages when looking at the prices - not just what is immediately behind the dollar sign).

I know that we are all trying to save money anywhere we can...but do you really want to look back on your wedding photos and say something like "Man...I really wish we had gone with _______________ Photography. We would have gotten so much more for our money."

I know I wouldn't want that!

So, without any further wait, here is the article!

'And You Call Yourself a Professional' by Scott Bourne

"When you undercut the market so severely you accomplish several things.

a. You cheat the client. This is the worst point. That’s right, the client who’s once-in-a-lifetime special day has just been handed to the cheapo wedding photographer is not going to be well-served. A true professional photographer has skills that Uncle Harry doesn’t. The better the skills the more longevity in the business and the better the chance the client is going to get images they want to come back for.

[...]

[...]remember this – photography is an incredible career field if done right – if you get the reputation for being cheap you won’t last long – because you’ve got nothing to fall back on. Develop your skill set first, then your marketing, then launch with a product that has the value it should and more importantly value that will last – cheap candles burn fast and they’re gone."

Adrienne + Royce Anniversary Sneak Peek!

Adrienne and Royce celebrated their first wedding anniversary this year! More details later! :)

Just a Post

It seems like it's been ages since I've updated. The truth is that not too much has been going on besides school. This is one of my final semesters before obtaining my B.F.A. in Photographic and Digital Imaging! I'm very excited, but also very busy!
I am really excited about this year, though! Not only am I learning new things in my classes that I can then bring to my business, but I'm also just excited for business in general! I'm now working on building a larger base in Houston - which is where I will be living come the end of December 2010 - so, I am excited to work with couples and families in that area!
I've also redesigned my card (for the near millionth time) and I have to say - I LOVE IT!
I am so excited to meet and work with new and familiar couples and families this year! Soon, I'll be announcing my next special that caters to groups! So, keep an eye out for that :)

For now, I'll leave you with this image shot right outside of my apartment!

Top 5% Nationwide!!!

Press release:

"Austin, TX - 19 January 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Dandy As Lions Photography has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Dandy As Lions Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Dandy As Lions Photography is among the very best Wedding Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. I would like to thank my past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/dandyaslionsphotography

I am so happy and blessed! Thank you to all of my fantastic clients - past, present, and future!