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let's be honest. these days there are so many photographers. so how ever do you choose who you'd like to work with?

i know that whenever i have to make a decision about working with professionals, in whatever capacity,i want to be sure of a few things:

*are they all about quality?
*will they listen to my wants/needs?
*do they have respect for their clients?
*what level of service do they provide -- i.e. are they more comparable to "walmart" or "lord & taylor" in their field? And accordingly, does that level of service work within my budget?
*will the experience be one that adds yet more stress in my life, or be the opposite -- an enjoyable experience i'll look back on with fond memories?

i would imagine these are points everyone's interested in. so following is my take on them as a service provider, and just as important, as an artist:

all about quality
let's start with the obvious stuff. i shoot with a full frame professional camera and photography equipment. and i invest annually in new tools that will enhance my ability to deliver top notch images and products, not to mention education that will keep my skills growing. i always push myself to be counted among the best. i'm convinced that no matter how good you are, there's always someone else who's better, so i just keep pushing myself because i'm intrinsically motivated to do so. that's just who i am. i'm always wiling to try something new and different and i'm always open to the ideas my clients bring...which brings me to my second point

all about listening
when clients express great surprise about how down to earth i am, i have to wonder what the heck other photographers out there are doing?! my philosophy is simple: when you deliver a service, there is no room for arrogance, stubborness, or any other not-so-nice personality characteristic. i listen to my clients because i want to create a true partnership. i want to hear their ideas and working together see if we can test that old adage about 1+1 equaling so much more when creative minds come together. While i do have my own artistic eye, there's always room i believe for expanding one's vision or reinterpreting something that's been done before. unless you've lived 200 years, you can't possibly come close to knowing it all and as far as i know, no one's ever managed to live that long.

all about respect
respect is the very foundation for everything i do. i respect every single person i have the great honor to work with -- from clients, to the talent, to the delivery guy who braves city and long island traffic to bring sustenance during a long shoot so that i won't have to. i make every effort to establish a clear working arrangement early in the process, to communicate clearly throughout the process, and to follow-up to make sure all is well once everything's done. because i care. i want my clients to be happy and to feel respected. at the same time, i respect myself. so i appreciate clients who value my work (and say so), who understand that photography is my livelihood--my business--and not a hobby or side venture i take on with half-hearted interest or effort....but i get ahead of myself...

all about service levels
digital photography has transformed the field of photography. in good ways. and also in ways some photographers believe are not so good. i appreciate the good and bad of it all but since the reality is that just about everyone has a camera of some sort -- whether iphone, point and shoot or dslr -- the unfortunate outcome is that many consumers are misinformed about the amount of work and the expense actually involved in managing a photography business and to creating quality images (the lengthy process from shoot to final product). as a result, photographers today fall into two camps: i'll call them the shoot and burn photographers and the full-service traditionalists.

shoot and burn photographers may charge a nominal rate for their time covering an event or shooting a session, matching or charging comparably to superstore photography studios. accordingly, they may not challenge themselves to be creative, to go above and beyond, they may do minimal processing of images, and in relatively short order, they may deliver a bunch of merely usable image files in full resolution. In doing so, they relinquish their copyright as well as their responsibility for how prints or other materials turn out from whatever lab the client chooses to submit their files to. this is one level of service.

full-service traditionalists, on the other hand, treat their photography rather differently: they're a higher end service because they treat their businesses as a comprehensive service. these photographers own responsibility for quality throughout the process from start to finish. and they're traditionalists in that they maintain many of the practices film photographers practiced for centuries, even taking on additional responsibilities formerly owned by labs and printers. so, whereas film photographers dictated in post-processing how film should be developed and labs would then take over the work, digital photographers now own the entire process. only now, the hours upon hours of post-processing work that actually brings the photographer's artistic vision to life happens in photoshop and other digital photo enhancing programs. and unlike with shoot and burn photographers, these photographers partner with professional labs to ensure both ends are color-synced and that the images will print as intended. and like painters and artists in other genres, full-service traditionalists retain copyright for their work, which means they do not relinquish copyright of their images, and that their clients are not authorized to make their own photoshop adjustments to the work wily nilly (i've seen horrors).

i am a full-service traditionalist. and while my rates are certainly not the highest in my area, they are not bargain basement either. if i'm to survive as a boutique photography business owner who prefers to offer a comprehensive, fully personalized, higher end service, they cannot be.

all about experience
as a consumer, i have to evaluate when and if the discount-superstore experience is sufficient and when it isn't. as a photographer, i choose to provide a higher end service because i strongly believe that the memories i capture are priceless. in short, i strive to create a lasting and fond memory out of the very process of capturing memories! i once assisted a photographer who screamed at his bride and her family several times throughout her big day. i can imagine that as she reviews her images, her emotions are tainted by his behavior, by her experience with her photographer on that day. it's a tragedy and it served as a huge learning point for me -- i treat every client and every opportunity to shoot images as a precious moment, something to feel honored by, an opportunity to add to their beautiful memories. and because i have a passion for creating art int he process, i own the process, beautiful start to glorious finish.


*****

i can be reached via telephone at 631.398.4487
my studio is located in deer park, long island, new york
location shoots are always an option

photography is my passion. making people beam with delight is my absolute pleasure. put these together and you get a great experience with a down to earth photographer who loves her craft.