The Guide To YOUR Perfect Portrait

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

Once upon a time, (just the other day, actually...)

I just wanted to write that as the beginning...I don't have anything to go with that start to a story or blog, but it's been holding up my thoughts, so I figured I should let it out and move on!

OK, now that my latest book, "The Guide To YOUR Perfect Portrait" has been released, (and is available at Createspace.com, Amazon.com, Barnsandnoble.com, a number of businesses here on Oahu, and through me),  I thought I should clear up a few things about the book.

I've come to know that the title isn't as clear to some people as I hoped it would be. After all the title actually took longer for me to settle on than the actual contents of the book! So here's the reason I wrote the book... As a professional portrait photographer, and one who specializes in Family Portraits, I have a special appreciation for the value of family portraits.

People have always been favorite subjects for my art. I started out as a very young child drawing and painting people...Copying photographs I saw in books of paintings and sculptures, and drawing portraits of family members. I gravitated to photography in junior high school when I was given a beautiful medium format camera.

Of course pretty girls were my favorite to photograph, and certainly I widened out my scope and began photographing lots of different things including sports events and landscapes. Eventually I started my own photography business in which I did just about every kind of photography there is above water.

Then my dad died. That's when I discovered no one in my family had any photographs of our whole family...portraits or snapshots. And that's when I decided to specialize in Family Portraits.

(That's the background...) Around the year 2000, I had an apprentice working with me who had bought a nice DSLR and wanted to learn photography...the EASY way...That is, by hanging around with a pro and asking a bunch of questions. Well, that's fine, but, hey, take a little more initiative than that, will ya?!

It was shortly after that when I began to notice that every "soccer mom" with a nice DSLR was now trying to make a little extra income by offering their photography services for hire! Again, nothing wrong with that...as far as that goes. 

Here's the problem...It's so easy to create a website these days, and if you make enough photographs in Program mode, (that is with the camera set to Program where it makes all the decisions except when to press the shutter release button), most folks will likely get a few pretty darn good photographs! And you can the post those good ones to your website.

Now you have some nice photographs on your website, and you're offering photography for hire. Most people looking for a photographer to create portraits for them just don't know what to ask potential photographers except, "What do you charge?" And that's really the last question one should ask! 

Now, I'm not one to discourage anyone from enjoying the experience of making photographs! Or from entering the wonderful profession of photography, but in order to call oneself a professional photographer, I feel it is required that one has knowledge and understanding of the science and art of photography...not just how to frame an image and press the button! Creating portraits after all is quite a bit more than "point and shoot"!

Now, as a professional I understand that it is part of my job to educate my clients, and potential clients. More than that, it pains me to see and know that so many people are really being scammed and taken advantage of by amateur hobbyists pretending to be professional photographers. Not that all those amateurs are scamming and taking advantage deliberately, but whether they are or not, it's still the client who suffers. They end up with snapshots instead of Portraits, and they're out the money they could've used to hire a real professional...IF they knew the right questions to ask in the first place.

So that's the main reason I wrote "The Guide To YOUR Perfect Portrait".  Additionally, in my career I've had the privilege and pleasure of creating the very first real portraits for many people and families. So I know that must be the case for many fine folks who wind up hiring an amateur instead of a professional. And these nice folks don't know what to expect from a professional portrait experience, because they've never had the experience before! 

"The Guide To YOUR Perfect Portrait" explains what a client should expect from a professional photographer and the whole portrait experience. It describes what a Portrait is, and what goes in to creating a portrait, and what differentiates a Portrait from a snapshot. There's a whole chapter on the questions to ask when interviewing potential photographers, so you can separate the Pros from the Pretenders. There are also chapters on portrait finishes, display options, and even how to care for your Family Art Treasures.

Of course, what is a "Perfect Portrait" for me may be different than what a "Perfect Portrait" is for you. So "The Guide" also helps the reader to determine what it is that will fill their personal need in the way of portraiture. All in all, I believe the small investment in the book will save the reader a lot of wasted money and a lot of aggravation! 

Next time I'll share some of the important questions that will enable anyone to separate the Pros from the Pretenders! Meantime...Keep smiling!   ALOHA!

What Is An Apprentice

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.
 Webster defines Apprentice as: A person under legal agreement to work a specified length of time for a master craftsman in a craft or trade in return for instruction.

I have been a working professional photographer since I graduated from High School in 1971. I graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in 1982. I apprenticed with a master photographer for over a year in 1983~'84. Finally I "took the plunge" and opened my full time portrait business in 1993.

Since then I have taught and mentored several hobbyists and "serious" photographers who apprenticed with me, and at least 3 of them are now working professional photographers.

I enjoy teaching and sharing with others who have a love for photography, and I am currently an associate Instructor with the Hawaii School of Photography. My time, knowledge and experience are valuable.

In my business, an apprentice is a person who trades their time and helpful assistance in exchange for knowledge and instruction in the art, science and business of photography. Specifically Portrait Photography. This is a type of "barter"...money is not exchanged.

While that is the case, the position of apprentice does have qualifications and expectations. A primary qualification is a desire and ability to learn. Because the apprentice will be present and in contact with clients, and in that capacity will be representing my business, they will be expected to arrive at the assignment on time, with a clean, neat appearance, and dressed appropriately.

An apprentice must be responsible, honest and punctual. He or she is expected to answer or return phone calls or emails in a reasonably timely fashion. While being an photographer's apprentice is a fun position, portrait photography is a professional service business, and as such, professionalism and a degree of decorum is required.  

I am currently looking for a part time apprentice. If you live on Oahu and are interested, please contact me. My contact info may be found on my website: www;ParamountPhotography.com

How To Interview A Photographer

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

 I've been creating portraits and commercial images in Hawaii and in California for about 35 years now. I remember when, oh maybe 15 or even 20 years ago, it wasn't all that unusual for a person who wanted to hire a photographer to ask questions like, "how long have you been a professional?", and "who have you done work for in the recent past?" These are good questions.

In the last 12 years or so since so many hobbyists have "come out of the woodwork" with professional DSLRs and offering their services for hire, a strange thing has occurred...It seems the only question people know to ask a photographer they are considering hiring is "how much do you charge?"!!

With some things, you just know that what you want is the 'more expensive choice'. When buying fish for example. If you have 2 fish of the same kind, and weight, one is $5 per pound, and the other is $1 for the whole fish... Pretty obvious there's something wrong with the dollar fish! No Thanks!

When shopping for cleaning supplies, and the local grocery store has the detergent you're looking for priced at $10 for 24 ounces, and the "big box" store right next door has the same thing for just $6, it makes sense to walk next door to buy it! Detergent isn't going to "spoil", so you're not risking anything buying the lower priced product.

With photography, as personal as portraits are, price really is the least important qualifying aspect to use when comparing photographers! I always say, "Price is what you pay, Value is what you get". When it comes to portraits, and hiring a photographer to create portraits for you, this is indeed true! This is one of the main reasons I wrote the book, "The Guide To YOUR Perfect Portrait". (It will be available by June 1, 2012 on Createspace.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com)

For now I'd like to share a few excerpts from my book with some important questions to ask photographers you are considering to hire, and the answers you should hear from a photographer before you hire them...

First thing to ask is: “What is your guarantee?” I mentioned this before, and I believe it is vitally important. If the photographer doesn’t have a guarantee, or doesn’t guarantee that you will be really happy with your portraits, then he doesn’t have confidence in his work. If he isn’t confident in his own work, how can you be?! If he doesn’t guarantee you will be happy with your portraits, or he’ll refund your money, cross him off your list and move on to the next photographer!

Here’s another important questions to ask: “Why did you choose photography as a career?” I really don’t know why many who are in this business got into it. I’ve met a number of photographers who seem completely devoid of personality. I’ve met a lot of photographers who only complain about how demanding their clients are, and what jerks they are! If a person doesn’t love people and love working with them, portrait photography is just the wrong career for them!

In my case, I was raised in a family of artists. My dad was a professional pianist. My older brother was a great horn player. I took to drawing and painting at a very young age. It was just a natural expression for me, and I always loved drawing people. People have always been my favorite subjects, so when I discovered photography in junior high school, I fell in love with photographing people. (Especially pretty girls!) 

I remember being so excited when in the summer of my junior year I got a job with the local newspaper as a “stringer” photographing local sports events! That progressed into working in the paper’s darkroom, and I was just in heaven! That only lasted for the summer, but from then on I have been constantly photographing people. I love making portraits, and I absolutely love

the reactions I get from the people I photograph when I show them their portraits! 

If the photographer you’re talking with answers this question without any passion, you should move on to the next one on your list!

These 2 questions are, I believe, far more important than the question of price. I know we all have to live within our budgets, and investment is important...just not the most important qualifier when looking for the right photographer to create YOUR portraits!

Epiphanies

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

Today there are so many new things happening in the world of technology! Yesterday I published a book I wrote 8 years ago titled, "Epiphanies of the 50th Year". I published it via CreateSpace.com, and it's available there and on Amazon.com! This is all so amazing to me!

"Epiphanies" has nothing to do with photography or portraits...it's just things I've thought about and finally after 50 years of living and learning stuff, I decided to write about. And while the title might imply deep philosophical heavy reading...it's not! It's just musings and anecdotes about topics I believe most people can relate to. I hope people find it amusing and entertaining.

On my first blog post dedicated to the book, I've posted an excerpt from the introduction. Check it out and see what you think at http://epiphany-ist.blogspot.com

Film or Digital

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.
First I want to announce that I've changed the title of my book from "Creating Your Perfect Portrait" to, "The Guide to YOUR Perfect Portrait". After much thought and discussion I felt the original title sounded too much like a "how to" book for photographers, when it's really a guide for people wanting to have a great portrait made for them.

Secondly, I've been meaning to get back to this for at least 2 weeks now...but have been struggling with the cover art for my book. Now it's settled, I want to share a bit more of the book itself. This is an excerpt from the 4th chapter: "What to Expect"...

As explained in the first chapter, a portrait is more than just a photograph. Besides the planning and preparation, and then the photography, after you’ve chosen the image you want made into your portrait, there will need to be work done to the image. Things like removal of blemishes, softening of lines and wrinkles, whitening teeth, and more.

Back in the day when film was the only option there were a number of artists who were trained and skilled in “retouching” negatives, and doing certain kinds of artwork to the prints. Those days are past now, and the art of negative retouching and art working the prints is also a thing of the past. Today all the enhancements and artwork are done digitally.

How does this affect your portrait? Well, if a photographer uses film, in order to do the enhancements and artwork, the negative will need to be scanned and a digital file made from it. Then the work is done to the digital file. Or a print can be made from the film negative and the print scanned to make a digital file to work with.

The problem with scanning is that with every scan a little detail is lost. With every little bit of lost detail you loose some quality and sharpness, which will affect the final print, and limit the maximum size that can be made. So, it’s better to work with the original image, and it therefore makes better sense to work with a photographer who uses digital capture.

Why Should I (YOU) Have A Portrait Made?

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.
Here's the first page of Chapter 2 of my new book, "Creating Your Perfect Portrait". This book is all about helping people who want to have a great portrait made to succeed in that quest...And encourage more people to have a portrait made.

Why Should I Have A Portrait Made?

You may think that only people who are important, or
famous, or wealthy have portraits made of themselves or
their families. You may think that you aren’t a good subject
for portraiture, or that people will think you are egotistical if
you were to have your portrait made.

Let me assure you that people of every status in life have and
enjoy portraits of themselves and their families. And that
every person is a good subject for a portrait! And if someone
should think poorly of you because you have a portrait of
yourself, well, that’s his or her problem! Now, if you have
every wall of your home covered with larger-than-life
photographs of yourself, well, maybe your ego is a little
inflated…That’s a subject for a different kind of book.

It is true that wealthy, famous and important people have
portraits made of themselves and their families. You may not
consider yourself to be wealthy or famous, and that’s fine.
Most of us aren’t. But you certainly are important! You are
important to your family and friends, and you are most
definitely important to you! But let’s consider your family,
progeny and society in general for a moment.

You are important to your family no matter what part you
play in the family dynamic. If you are an unmarried child,
you are no doubt very dear to your mother and father. If you
are a husband or wife, you are very important to your spouse.
And if you are a parent, your children depend on you. You
are a very important person within your family and circle of
friends. For that reason alone you should have a nice portrait
made of yourself.

Digeus Registry Cleaner

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

This is totally unrelated to Photography or Portraits, which as you know is MY thing...But I just want to share this... I just recently obtained a copy of this program called Digeus Registry Cleaner. Here's what it says about what it does: Digeus Registry Cleaner speeds up your computer by cleaning errors in your Windows. It removes the junk that accumulates in your Windows Registry, fixes Windows errors which results in speeding up your computer. With Digeus Registry Cleaner you just need a few mouse clicks and your computer will become as good as a brand new one.

I am not a computer geek and don't even know what "registry errors" are, but I have heard the term before, and this program found some 1400 such errors on my computer! I was shocked! I had noticed that my computer was slower than it used to be, and I thought I was doing well with knowing to run a "cleanup" and "defrag" every month or 2. That didn't really seem to make any noticeable difference in its performance though.

Here's what I can tell you about this Digeus program...It's really easy to install and doesn't take long at all. It's extremely easy to run, one click to check for errors, which may take a while if your computer has as many errors as mine had. One click to "fix" the errors, and the fix doesn't take hardly any time at all! And it does seem to speed up the performance. All-in-all, I'd say it's worth the small investment.

Creating Your Perfect Portrait

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

Creating Your Perfect Portrait is the title of my new book! It's my 3rd book, and it's my first book of it's kind.

My first book was a collection of anecdotes and thoughts that I felt impelled to write after I turned 50 years of age, and is titled, "Epiphanies Of The 50th Year". My second book is a coffee table book of portraits, and featured 12 portraits I created as a personal project in 2004 called "Local Heroes" along with many others.

Creating Your Perfect Portrait is dedicated to people who have an appreciation for fine photography, and are wanting to have a better than average portrait created. It is full of information that is intended to help people to achieve that goal.

There are chapters that deal with the process of interviewing photographers to find the one that is right for YOU. Everyone has specific needs and desires, and not all photographers are right for every person! I know I'm not the right photographer for everyone...and neither is any other photographer! So there's a chapter on questions to ask the photographers you are considering, and the answers that you should hear in response.

There's a chapter on what you should expect of the experience once you've hired a photographer, a chapter on what kinds of portrait products are available, a chapter on how to prepare for the photo session, what kind of timelines you should expect, and even a chapter on how to display and care for your portraits.

My goal is to begin distribution of the book by mid March. Meanwhile, in upcoming posts I will be sharing excerpts from the book. If you are interested in ordering a copy, let me know!

Testimonials

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

Yesterday, 1/25/2012 I received one of the greatest testimonials I've ever received! It was better than most because of the specific, enlightened appreciation that my client expressed.

I want to mention that this client invested several thousand dollars in their portraits...I'm not disclosing this because I want to brag about myself, but because it's validation and verification of my belief that portraits, especially Family Portraits are more valuable than most material possessions.

Besides all the wonderful, beautiful expressions of how much they all love the portraits, how great the experience was, how fabulous they turned out, and how they "are the talk of the town of Gallup, New Mexico", my client commented specifically about how beautiful the day was, (when we did the photography), and that "the lighting was perfect"..."everything was perfect!"

And it's true...it was a beautiful day, the weather was great...and the natural light was good. But it was the artwork that I did after the photography: saturating the sky; bringing up the clouds; and adding light by use of speedlights at the location, and then painting the faces in post production that made the finished portraits look "perfect"!

My client couldn't tell that I did all that to the portraits because it looked so natural. Only I know all that I did to improve on what was captured in camera. But I do know, and it's very gratifying when a client says: "You made it perfect!" "Your work is worth every penny of investment!" (She actually repeated that statement 3 times!)

Price is what you Pay: VALUE is what you Get!

Will The REAL Expert Please Stand Up!

Wow! I'm concerned about something that I'm actually surprised even came up to my conscious mind! (I was watching TV when this occurred to me.)

Do you ever watch TV? Do you look at and read ads in magazines or the newspaper? What about ads on the internet...Ever see one of those?

My question is: Are there really that many experts?! I mean qualified authorities with proven track records, and who have the solution to whatever problem you might be facing, such as: Exercise; Nutrition; Fat loss; Erectile dysfunction; Sleeping disorders; Dry eye; on and on???

Some years ago there used to be a game show on TV called "To Tell The Truth". They would have one person who really was an airline pilot, a plumber, a professional auto racer, etc, etc, and three other people who would pretend to be that genuine (whatever) and do their best to fool a panel of contestants into believing they were the real deal.

As I recall, (I was pretty young back when that show was on), the fakers would get money for the votes they got by fooling the panel of "guessers" into believing they were the real deal. At the end the host would say, "Will the REAL____ please stand up!" And still the fakers would continue to play the part and pretend they were about to stand up! Finally the real (whatever it was) would stand up.

I think it was the first presidential campaign that JF Kennedy won when it was pronounced that from then on television and the way a person appeared on TV would be the determining factor as to who would win. Interesting, eh? Not the facts, the record or the platform...The way they appeared on TV!

There's certainly no question that television is a major influencer in society today. And so is the internet and even the printed word such as ads in magazines and newspapers. All these ads present their pitch as if they are THE foremost authority on the subject, and their product is the obvious choice. They even have testimonials...Of course they may be from actors paid to give them... They expect us to believe them! But should we?

Have you ever noticed some of the disclaimers and "side effects" associated with the use of their products and advise? Some even include the possibility of causing death! Holy Smokes, Batman!

So, my conclusion is that NO! They don't have the answers...But they present slick, believable appearances, and use proven psychologically intimidating and or convincing statements. But we should not trust and believe them just on their say so! I just want to remind you to use your thinking ability when considering decisions about buying and using products and services being pitched in such high-powered ways.

We should ask questions. Questions such as; What is the Guarantee? How long has the business been in business? What is their track record? Are there unresolved complaints about the business or product registered with the Better Business Bureau?

Those are my thoughts... Be well! Don't be duped!

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

November News

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

It's been a while since I wrote anything here, but in my defense, I'm the only one working in my portrait business. There are only so many hours in a day, and so many days in the week...and taking care of my clients takes priority over everything else. (Except for golf on my one day off each week!)

So, I cut my hair. I meant to trim it a little and reduce my ponytail from 20" to about 6", but what happened I can't really explain. Anyway it looked ridiculous when I finished, and I couldn't even get it into a ponytail any more. So I went to Supercuts to get it "fixed" so it looked decent.

My haircutter just couldn't get what I was explaining to her about what I wanted, so I left $20 lighter and no happier with my hair than I was when I went in. The next day I went to the barber here in the shopping center where my studio is, and she fixed it for me...for only $15!

Then I got MARRIED! (No, not to the barber! To my sweetheart of the last 15 years!)
Here we are saying our vows at Magic Island park on Oahu.


It was a very short ceremony, and then I serenaded
my new bride with a love song by Neil Young,
"Harvest Moon".

My good friend and fellow photographer, Steve Dantzig manned the camera during our event, then we put it on timer to include him in the group photograph. Unfortunately this Blogger program doesn't want to upload that photograph for some reason...I tried 4 times! But it was a fabulous day, and the food was great as usual at the Price Court after the ceremony.

I will attempt to be more frequent and regular with posing here in the future. All the best to YOU!

Classes, Actors and Videos!

I've been giving talks and presentations for more then 20 years. I've been conducting classes as an instructor of photography for a few years now. Not long ago, with some help, I made a short video for my website's home page, and that wasn't too tough. Mainly because I was on camera for only two short sentences or so. The rest of the voice over was easy because I wrote what I wanted to say, and I read it. I wasn't ON camera, so reading the script wasn't a bad thing.

Last week I undertook the making of a series of short instructional videos. Actually, I began the process some weeks back, but the actual production began last week. And I say BEGAN, because while I fully intended to make all seven of them at one filming..... That didn't happen!

I had written the scripts for the videos the week before, and I had them to where I thought they were good, and polished to the point I wanted them. When my friend and videographer came to my studio to record the videos I read over the scripts a couple times, and knowing the material, I thought, "This will be easy!"

Hahahah! Not so! According to all the best information out there, videos for YouTube should be about one and a half to two minutes long maximum. So when reading my scripts, I made sure they were no more than two minutes. Shoot! To record 14 minutes of video shouldn't take more than one hour...right?

I suppose that would be so if, and this is a big IF...one has the script memorized! So, even though as I said, I know the material, (heck, I wrote it, and it's stuff I've been teaching for years!), in a matter of three hours we were only able to get three of the videos recorded! And as it was, it would require quite a bit of editing on the part of my friend the videographer!

I'm excited to get them all finished and posted, but I tell you, I now have a whole new respect for actors! They memorize many pages of scripts and deliver them as if it were spontaneous. Nothing to it! That's quite a talent! One that I haven't developed. So, yeah, I have new-found respect for actors!

Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

The Changing (Digital) Landscape of Professional Photography

Forty years ago nobody would buy a Brownie box camera and think to offer their services as a professional photographer. Around thirty years ago Kodak and a couple other manufacturers came out with “instamatic” cameras. Still, no one would think that with an instamatic camera they were equipped to offer professional photography services.

As camera technology progressed, more and more “bells and whistles” got added to the improving models of what then became known as “point and shoot” cameras. Still, nobody with just a point and shoot camera would consider himself or herself a professional photographer.

You see, back in the days before the advent of digital cameras, film was the medium for recording photographs. And before the invention of instamatic and point and shoot cameras, you had to actually know how to use the controls on a camera in order to properly expose the film to make a photograph.

Instamatic and later point and shoot cameras enabled millions of people to make snapshots and record their lives and those of their families and friends. Professional cameras with changeable lenses and aperture and shutter speed controls continued to be the tools of professional photographers and serious amateurs.

Point and shoot cameras designed for hobbyists proliferated and millions of people began to enjoy the hobby of photography. And certainly many got to be pretty good at composing and creating photographs with them. But even if all their friends told them what great photographs they made, do you think a person with a point and shoot camera would have the gumption to claim to be a professional and offer their services for hire? I think not.

Now days with all the available digital SLR cameras geared to the hobbyist consumer with a price tag that is within the reach of many hobbyists, one cannot tell by looking at the camera whether the user knows what they are doing or not! Why not? Because all the DSLRs have Program modes of operation that enable the user to use them just the same as a point and shoot camera.

The advances of digital photography have been absolutely wonderful! Now days a camera is a complex computer with a lens, and most people with a little practice can make some pretty good photographs with them. Certainly the optics for modern DSLRs are vastly improved over the point and shoot optics of yesteryear.

The downside of all this progress is that more and more hobbyists with nice DSLRs are marketing themselves as professional photographers, and charging for their services without knowing anything about photography except how to frame a picture and press the shutter release. As a result many people are being duped into hiring amateurs, and are buying amateur quality photographs because they think they are getting a good deal because the price is low. And because they don’t know how to separate the amateurs from the pros when choosing a photographer to do a job for them, whether it be portraiture or commercial photography.

Caveat emptor…Let the consumer beware!



Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

How To Choose Your Professional Portrait Photographer

In today’s market place, with so many amateurs with nice DSLRs claiming to be professional photographers, how does one determine who to hire to create their portraits?

It used to be a lot easier. In times past it was fairly rare that you would see an amateur with a professional camera. They were too expensive, and one needed a working knowledge of the science of photography in order to operate a professional camera. (I’m referring to the days of film and before Program mode was built into pro cameras as an option.) And certainly one would never see a professional using a point and shoot camera on a paid assignment!

Now days, while it is easy to spot the difference between a point and shoot camera with built in zoom lens, and a DSLR, so many hobbyists are carrying “pro-sumer” DSLRs, one can no longer tell a pro from an amateur by the camera they use.

So, why is it important to know if the person you hire is a professional or not if the cameras are the same? Because, simply put, cameras do not create photographs. What?! You say… That’s right…cameras record the light that is reflected by whatever the lens is pointed at! Creating photographs is the job of the person operating the camera.

What’s the difference, and why does it matter? You can have the best camera and lens in the world, but if you don’t know how to operate it, you can’t make a photograph. If you know how to turn the camera on, put it on program mode and press the shutter release, you can indeed make a photograph. Well, one might say, that’s all you need then, right?

The answer to that depends on what you expect from your photographer. If for example a person knows how to turn the ignition of a car on, and put it in drive, that person can make the car move. However if that same person does not know how to use the steering wheel, accelerator and brake, you wouldn’t say they know how to drive a car…and it wouldn’t be long before they crash!

You see, photography and creating photographs is much more than turning a camera on and making a lot of exposures in program mode. With today’s advanced metering systems and computer programs built in, one is likely to get some fairly good photographs that way, but if that’s the extent of one’s knowledge, the law of averages is not with them.

A professional photographer knows their equipment and how to operate it so that the image they have in their mind, they are able to create in the camera. A professional photographer knows how light and shadow affects the image, and how to balance the light to get the effect they want. A professional photographer knows the difference between a snapshot and a portrait, and how to enhance a photograph so as to turn a photograph into a portrait.

Particularly for portraiture, you want to hire a professional, because a pro knows how to light and pose you to accentuate your best features, and hide less desirable features. You do want to look your best in your portraits, don’t you?

So, how do you know if the photographer you are considering is really a professional? You need to ask the right questions. Some good questions to ask are: Where did you learn photography? How long have you been a professional? What is your guarantee? Can I talk to some of your portrait clients? Why did you choose to become a professional photographer?

Besides being competent with their camera and lights, a professional portrait photographer should also put you at ease, and give you a sense of confidence that they will do the kind of job that will make you happy!


Specializing in fine portraits of Families, Children and high school Seniors for over 30 years in Hawaii.

Why Family Portraits Are So Important

I have lots of snapshots of my family. I have snapshots of me and my brothers and sisters at the beach, at parties, etc. And I have snapshots of mom and dad in various places and times. But there are no portraits of my family with my parents and siblings all together. Both my parents and one brother are deceased, so that portrait of my family can never be made.

The tragedy of not having a portrait of my family, (actually there aren’t even any snapshots of all of us together), is the fact that my children and their children, etc will never know what we all looked like as a family. It’s about lineage and family history. If there are any photographs of my grandparents in existence, I don’t know of them. It’s a shame.

I don’t know why my parents never thought to have a family portrait made, but I sure wish they had. All families are different, and my family completely unraveled shortly after my youngest sister left home. Shortly after that I left the roost, (being the youngest child), and then my parents divorced. No getting back together for a family portrait after that!

Just an hour ago a young family left my studio. The husband is a medic in the Army, and will be deployed to Iraq in two weeks for an undetermined length of time. The wife works for the Army doing outreach and helps those families and spouses who have lost a family member. She determined to have a special family portrait made before he deploys. Her main reason, she said is because she works with bereaved families and knows what their regrets are. One that stands out to her is when the spouse or family has no real nice family portrait to hold on to. She’s not about to make that mistake.

Beautiful, sensitive family portraits certainly portray the family members in the most complimentary way possible, but they also give a sense of the personality of the family, the individuals, and the relationships within the family. The love and connection.

As with many other families, my older siblings left for the military, university, and marriage, and went of to various parts of the world to start their own families. And as many of my clients do, having a fine family portrait created before the children go off to college or other pursuits can bring back the added warmth and comfort to the empty nest. When going about your daily business in the home, you can look at your family portrait on the wall and see the expressions, all the personalities, all the love of and for your family members is called to mind, and warms the heart.

Family portraits also preserve the record of your heredity. Looking at older family portraits you can likely see where you got your nose, or who you inherited your jaw line from, or your eye color, or curly hair. Portraits are a wonderful way to remember your ancestors, and a wonderful heirloom to pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Fine family portraits can give “life” to ancestors from past eras, and give proof to your inherited features. They can fill an empty home with warmth when family members are away. They can bring comfort and preserve precious memories when family members have been lost.

Hawaii Family Portrait Photographers

I am a Hawaii Family Portrait Photographer based on Oahu, but that hasn't always been my specialty.

First let me sat that 90 to 95% of all pro photographers in Hawaii are Wedding photographers. There's good reason for that. Hawaii is the world's number one wedding destination! While I've always been a Family Portrait photographer, for the first half of my career I was a "generalist". That is I did every kind of photography that one can do...above water. After 1991 I began to specialize in Family Portraits. That was the year my dad died. And that's when I realized I had no family portraits - not even a snapshot of my parents and siblings all together. And now it can never be done. Sad.

I have always been an artist, and people have always been my favorite subjects. I moved away from my family as a young 20-something to Kauai, Hawaii, and at that time I just didn't think about my own family portraits. And mortality was absolutely the furthest thing from my mind. I was on a life adventure to Hawaii!

I was a young man with a passion for art and photography living in Hawaii! I free lanced as a photographer for some time, then I took a position as a staff photographer for a Maui advertising agency. It wasn't long before I became the head of the photography department for the agency. Eventually I started my own promotions company and handled all the photography myself.

Then my dad passed away.
It was then that I discovered I had not one single family portrait, picture, snapshot. And that was when I learned the real value Family Portraits. That's when I understood what a treasure a fine family portrait truly is.

You see, no portraits exist of my family, and since my dad died there can never be one made. As a result my grandchildren and great grandkids will never know what my family looked like together. Even if we did have a snapshot of all of us together, it wouldn't be the same as having a fine, professional family portrait.

As a family portrait photographer here in Hawaii I create a lot of photographs at the beach, and so do a lot of other photographers. What I've noticed is that 99% of the beach photographs I see being made by other photographers are being made as if it were a wedding or other editorial type event. What I mean by that is the photographers are using only available light, or only one flash unit mounted right on the camera.

Available light can be very nice, but out on the beach in Hawaii, unless you set up with the sun shining in the subject's face, which will result in squinting, uncomfortable expressions, the sky will always come out white, because it will be way overexposed.

When using just one flash on the camera, the light is flat...but NOT flattering! (You can learn a lot more about location lighting by signing up for my class, "Little Lights - BIG Impact" at www.HawaiiSchoolofPhotography.com).

As a lifetime student of art, and a fan of the "Old Masters" paintings, and with my experience in creating family portraits in Hawaii, I want you to know that I truly care. When you place your trust in me to create your Hawaii Family Portraits, I will take the time and care to make sure you will have the very finest portraits possible. I will invest all my experience, talent and artistry, I will put my heart and soul into creating the most beautiful and sensitive Family Portraits you have ever had....Made in Hawaii!

I invite you to view my website at http://www.ParamountPhotography.com, check out my work and see what my clients have to say.

The Name Remains The Same

And so does the science and the art...of photography, that is!

Yes, there's a 'D' (digital) added to cameras and lenses, and indeed the capture media and post production are now digital, but photography is still photography. That is recording light and shadow. The tools have changed a bit, and all for the better in my opinion.

That wasn't my opinion when digital was first gaining a hold of the market, but improvements in digital media and printing has come a long way, baby! I worked with film for over 20 years, and most of that film was medium format, so I was used to the results of a larger negative. It's been ten years now since I made the switch to the digital format and printing.

I won't go into a comparison of film to digital here. That's for another blog...and it's been done endlessly...And I've engaged the subject before. Suffice to say that Kodak has announced it will be retiring film in just a few more years.

The thrust of this post is that even though the media has changed, photography remains photography. True, digital cameras do have advanced metering, faster focusing, and better program modes, and all that does improve the chances of making a good photograph even if you don't know any more than to point the camera and press the shutter release button. But all that would be true now even if we still used film rather than a flash card. It's just the result of ongoing development.

What makes a great photograph? 1) A great subject; 2) Great composition, (framing); 3) Great Lighting, and : 4) Perfect exposure. Other things can play a part such as focus and depth of focus, and of course post production. All these factors are exactly the same as they have always been.

Post production even remains the same as before digital, except that the tools have changed. Where before digital, one would have to make test prints and adjust the color balance and density by the use of filters and length of exposure on an enlarger, now we use computer programs like Photoshop and Lightroom, etc. And where retouching and dodging and burning to get the look one was after, with film all that was done by painting on the negative and using dodging paddles and masks in the enlarging process. Now with digital, all that is again done with computer programs. Digital is a lot "greener", that's for sure!

The thing is that the tools have changed, but great photography still requires working knowledge of how to make a perfect exposure with your camera. It still requires knowing how to manipulate light, and an "eye" for composition. And if you're working with people, it still requires knowing how to help people pose and be at ease in front of the camera.

The Digital Revolution in photography has made it so that the photographer can have control over the entire process of image making without spending time in a dark room with smelly and toxic chemicals. However, creating great photographs still requires the skills and artistic talent that it always has. So, the name remains the same, and so does the science and art!

For more articles on photography, and to see my take on the whole "Digital VS Film" thing, go to http://www.paramountphotography.com and click on Articles & Links. Feel free to leave your comments! ALOHA

Who Do You Trust

Let's say you go into a store to buy a "weed whacker". You see two on display side by side. They both look like they'll do the job. One is $150, comes in a box un-assembled, and has no guarantee. The other is $250, comes completely assembled and has a full 90 day guarantee. Who do you trust?

Now let's say you're shopping for a car for your teenage daughter. At the car lot you see two cars that look to be in excellent condition, and are the same year model. One is somewhat less in price and has a sticker that says, "AS IS". The other is a bit higher in price, and is offered with a "Satiafaction guaranteed or trade it in for 30 days". Who do you trust?

For some things, like chopsticks for example, a guarantee isn't a necessity. They're very inexpensive and you use them once then toss 'em in the trash. If you are going to invest in something that will have an impact in your life and that of your family, it makes sense to to invest with someone who has a good reputation, and backs their product with a guarantee.

Fine family portraiture can certainly have an impact in your life and that of your family. The one-hour labs, and "Big-Box" stores photo processing is fine for snapshots, but they aren't going to do the art work and re-touch required to turn your snapshot into a portrait for you.

Photographers using the "shoot and burn" business model, that is, they make photographs and burn them onto a disc and give the disc to you to have prints made...or not, will no doubt save you some money on the initial investment, but.... If the photographer isn't willing to finish the portraits for you and guarantee the quality and your satisfaction with them, essentially what you're doing is gambling!

You see, it's virtually impossible to guarantee quality and satisfaction if you simply put parts in a box then turn it over to the buyer to figure it out for themselves! And if a photographer isn't willing to finish their work and back it up with a guarantee that you will be happy with the results, you are better off continuing your search for a photographer who will!

When I started my full time portrait business in 1993, I did everything I could to make sure I made a pleasing composition, guiding my clients into attractive poses, making sure the lighting was just right, and making perfect exposures. Then I gave the film to the lab and left it to them to make the best possible prints.

One day my partner was delivering an order to a gentleman who after looking at them said, "These aren't portraits! A portrait has enhancements done to it!" And he was right! With all the care I took in creating the photographs, there was still shine on his forehead, nose and chin, and every line and wrinkle was boldly captured in my perfectly lit and exposed photograph! Of course back then I sold my photography for a fraction of what I sell my portraits for today. But that encounter left a lasting impression on me.

Now days I guarantee three things to my clients: 1) Everybody will have a good time and enjoy the experience of having the photographs made; 2) My clients will look better in my portraits than they do in "real life"; and 3) They will be THRILLED, not just satisfied with the portraits I make for them!

I can make the 2nd and 3rd part of that guarantee because I personally do art work and enhancements to each photograph they select. I take the time to reduce or remove the shine on faces, I soften lines and wrinkles, I enhance contrast, and I vignette. I make sure that the final portrait prints are as beautiful as they can be. And I guarantee it! Yes, you will need to invest more with me than with the photographer who will photograph you, burn the images to a disc and turn it over to you, but really, who do you TRUST?!

I invite you to visit my website at http://www.paramountphotography.com and see the work I do, and the testimonials from my clients. ALOHA!

Art & Photographic Portraits

What is art? Art is subjective, and not everyone agrees on what makes something art. Something like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

A client told me not long ago that while she had no problem hanging large art pieces on her walls, she just couldn't see a large family photo on her wall...She didn't want to look at herself "that big!"

Wow!

I know my ears turned red because I could feel the heat coming off them! I stood there in stunned silence for a minute, then said, "So, you don't consider portraits as art?!" I felt like I had been slapped in the face!

You see, I have dedicated myself to creating the most beautiful family portraits possible for the last 16 years. To me, and to the vast majority of my clients, (I must say all my real clients), a fine family portrait truly is an art piece. A family art treasure! And I would venture to say that even the client I referenced at the beginning here would, in the case of a fire, grab her family portrait and run for safety....but I could be wrong...it's happened before.

Since I was a very young boy and to now, I have always taken my inspiration for my work from the Old Masters of painting. Their ability to show personalities and emotion in their images has always drawn me in. Most of their works were portraits of friends and patrons. Yes, portraits. Are they art? Absolutely! Very few would disagree.

Back when the "Old Masters" were contemporaries, film hadn't been invented, so there was no photography as we know it. And as I said, the majority of their works were portraits commissioned by their patrons, or inspired by their friends. Certainly landscapes and city scenes, slices of life as it was then were also subjects for paintings. Very much as it is today with painters and photographers alike.

For the most part, the job of creating portraits has been turned over to photographers, and those who specialize in portraiture have received the baton from the portrait painters of old. The art of portraiture largely remains the same. Only the tools have changed. The ability to 'see' and to compose remain the cornerstone of the portraitist's art, along with the ability to draw out the personality of the subject and transfer the vision to print media.

There are many parallels between the painting masters portraits of old and today's photographic portrait artists. Not the least being that we are commissioned to create the portraits in the first place, and it is our passion and livelihood. Depicting personality, emotion and moment has always been about lighting and featuring certain aspects of the subject whether captured in oils or on film or by digital sensor. And today's portraits will be the future's historical record of our contemporary life.

So, are photographic portraits art? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Pride & Prejudice: Why I don't give printable images on disc

The question is asked more and more frequently these days, and it came up again just this week. "Will you give us a copy of the photographs on disc?" More and more people are wanting and expecting that when they hire a photographer to make portraits or photograph their wedding, they will receive a disc of images that they can print themselves, or take to Wallmart or Costco to have prints made.

I understand the reasons for this, but it still irritates me! When all photographers used film, it was rare that negatives were offered as part of the deal. That business model was in existence, but it represented a very small percentage of photographers. And typically it was wedding photographers who sold a package including the photography, (of course), an album or albums, and the negatives. Basically they figured that they would probably never get a re-order anyway, so why not give the negatives to the client since otherwise they'd just be storing them and taking up space.

That business model was rare with wedding photographers, and even more rare with portrait photographers! Fast forward to the Digital Age.... For some reason with the advent of digital photography and the availability of reasonably priced digital cameras, a huge number of people who like making snapshots, and their friends tell them how nice their photos are, fancy that they can market themselves as "professional photographers".

I have no problem with competition. I think it's wonderful that more people are enjoying photography. I think the digital revolution is the best thing that's happened to photography in years! Maybe ever! However, there are standards that need to be met before one can conscientiously call themselves a professional photographer!

You see, photography is both art and science. Ever since cameras have been mass produced there have been people who have enjoyed making snapshots, and many have been talented hobbyists. There have been 1000s of snapshots that were lucky enough to really come out good! But because every now and then a snapshot comes out really nice, doesn't qualify one as a professional!

What has happened in recent years is that a lot of folks have got themselves a good DSLR, and having some luck with shooting in program mode have made some good photographs. Then they figure, "Well, look at this...I can make photos as good as the Sears studio, (or name your favorite big box store or studio), so now I can hire myself out and make an income with my camera!" This has been the beginning of the dumbing of America when it comes to professional photography.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I sure have...The decline of quality images in a lot of professional mediums, such as magazines and PR publications. That is what happens when the first priority is to get the photos as cheaply as possible. This becomes the case when there are so many amateurs professing to be professional, and willing to work for near to nothing. You then get buyers thinking they're doing their employer a service by saving money, when what they're really doing is a disservice because the images they get are just barely good enough. As a result the employer's products are represented by photographs that don't do them justice.

The biggest problem with this is that over all, expectations are lowered and quality continues to decline. When this happens in commercial photography, the general public begins to lower their personal expectations for photography. Besides, just about everyone now has a printer capable of making pretty nice photo prints. So why not hire the photographer that will "shoot and burn", and you get the images and can print them yourself for pennies? Smart investment...right?

Not in my opinion. As an artist and businessman, I've never given the negatives to my clients. True, when working with film I would turn over the negatives to my lab, then after seeing the "proofs" I would give instructions for enhancements and retouch, etc., and leave it to the lab to complete. Now with the digital work flow, I do the art work and enhancements myself. And now after firing at least 6 labs for letting their quality control go downhill, I've invested in a state-of-the-art printer, and do the printing and finishing myself as well.

Does that sound like a professional who doesn't care how the finished product turns out? I think not! In fact, the reason I don't give the digital negatives, or the enhanced and artworked images to my clients is beacause I DO care how the finished product turns out! And I believe that it is the responsibility of the professional to make sure the finished product turns out right.

As I mentioned I've fired several print labs. They generally start out doing a good job because they want the business, but then after a while they quality control goes down. When that happens both time and money is lost because I refuse to deliver sub par results to my clients. And I have a very high standard when it comes to my work.

Here's the thing...I specialize in portraiture: Families, children and high school seniors, because I'm passionate about it! I love photographing people! I love watching their expressions and hearing their comments when I deliver their portraits to them. I know I'm adding joy to their lives with the work I do for them.

I've given clients permission to have a particular portrait reproduced for greeting cards or invitations in the past. As a courtesy. Mostly because it cost's me more to print them than what they can get them done for at a discount printer....But, I've seen some horrible reproduction of my work...and that sickens me! I put my time, no, I put my heart and soul into creating beautiful photographs. I spend my time doing enhancements and art work to the photographs so that they are as beautiful as they can be. Because I care! I should then turn the images over to the client to go fend for themselves and try and get a decent print from them? NO WAY!

I spent many years studying photography. I went to school to learn all about color harmony, composition, balance, and how to achieve various different results with my camera. I apprenticed with a master photographer. I've been creating portraits now for over 30 years. I put my time, experience and artistry into every portrait I make. I won't stop there! I make sure the color and density is right, and I print the portraits I create. And if they don't look right, I do it again! I will only deliver the very finest, most beautiful finished portraits possible. It just makes no sense to invest passion, time, experience and artistry into making beautiful portraits, then let just any printer, who has nothing invested, and doesn't really care how they turn out, print them. And that's why I don't give the printable images on disc to my clients.