about custom photography  -  what we do
 
Behind the price in photography
People wonder why custom photography is so expensive, compared to what they can do with
their own camera. Custom photography truly is not for everyone; it requires a level of commitment,
investment in time and money, planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a large time
commitment for the photographer as well.  I am an emerging member of the AIPP, Australian
Institute of Professional Photographers. Firstly I am a professional, and I shoot with professional
level gear. I have invested over $10,000.00 in photography tools, from cameras and lenses,
to computers and software. This ensures that I can capture almost any image that you as a
client and I as a photographer can imagine.
I have a back up camera should one break during a shoot to capture those moments that will not
be repeated, or that cannot be repeated. I have multiple lenses – wide ones to capture the
environment, big zooms to get in close to the action when it’s far away. I have backdrops and
tripods and all different kinds of props and tools that I might not need during your shoot,
but have on hand for when the time comes up that I do. Before I even shoot a clients job,
there are a number of things I need to do. I need to set up the studio area and prepare
any props needed, prepare batteries, memory cards, and or pack my gear for a location
shoot. If shooting outdoors, my goal is to create the best possible photos for you.
I need to take into account the area I am shooting, making sure there are no unattractive backgrounds,
is the weather OK?, where is the light coming from ? all of these things are things that I cannot
control but that I must take into account for, and work with. Throughout the shoot, I am constantly
visualizing the end result, what images will work with what, how many different looks or poses
I have photographed, and making sure that I have captured all the tiny details that are
important to remember. When the day is over, and everybody has gone home…….
My work is just about to begin!! First I need to back up all of the images that I have taken from
the day, I burn all of the images to DVD, back up to an external hard drive and also have a copy
on my computer. I then look at every single photo, checking for composition, facial expressions,
colour, lighting and background. I then choose the images that I think will be the best images
from the shoot for prints and albums. I correct every single photo that I have chosen for your
gallery, to make sure that I am showing you the best images from your session; this can take
anything from one to several minutes per image. On average for each one hour I Shoot I spend
approximately 2 – 4 hours in post processing. Then your photos are uploaded to an online gallery,
for you to view. If you order prints from me I need to re size them, making sure that before
I send them to the lab to print that they are in the correct format. I use a professional lab with
calibrated equipment, so that the pictures I see on my screen are exactly what you will see
on your prints. They then need ordering and delivery. If you order an album or canvas prints,
these are all custom designed, then need to be proofed by you, the client, ordered and
then delivered. A newborn shoot will end up being two to three full days of work. All of this is
done to ensure that you will have the best possible record of you and your family.

I look forward to meeting you and capturing a tiny snippet of your lives to treasure forever.

Nicole