Why Choose Custom Photography?

Custom Photography as something "special"

Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.

Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly personalized. These more discerning clients have been known to budget and allot time for a custom photography session. Many clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to have custom photography sessions done to record their child's stages in life. Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is not in everyone’s budget, it is something that most families save for to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).

There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom photography sessions for a client. The luxury of great service, better choices and a supberb end product. The result of all this are heirloom quality images. The time invested at the session is only a small portion of time involved in this process.

Custom photography has been likened to purchasing a fine vehicle. To get to point B from A let's face it, even a bus ride would suffice. If you want to luxuriate in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior, perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom photography is much the same cup of tea. It is the Lexus of the photography world. It is where the intangibles make the experience truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money and time truly worthwhile.

Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels. There are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location and destination type photographers. The beauty of custom photography is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options. The customized service level you are sure to experience will be amazing. The knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it. That level of quality and commitment is all but lost in the age of "mass produced," "mass marketed," corporate "everyone is a number". Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?

Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate in value the way your portraits will. The portrait art you become invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in value and become more priceless as the years pass.

Written by Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography

Ten on Tuesday.

This was suppose to go up yesterday, but for some reason it didn't get up as it was scheduled to.

I found this site through another one I don't remember which though. I always follow different links in different blogs and often forget where I began. I thought it sounded like fun so I thought I would give it a try and see how it goes.

1. Pretend it’s Monday morning–take us through a day in the life of you.
-I am usually woken up by Dylan between 6 and 6:30. Get him up, change him, get him dressed and settled in his high chair with milk and cheerios.
-Let the dogs out, feed dogs, cats, and horses. Then I vacuum and put Dylan in his play pen.
-Take a shower and get dressed and if I'm really motivated I will workout first.
-Eat breakfast, watch news, check email, facebook, blogs, then get ready to go to the store.
-Usually get to the store about 9 or 9:30. Do bookwork, get mail, go to the bank.
-Come home have lunch. Get Dylan his nap. Do dishes and pick up toys if needed.
-Chase after/play with Dylan, clean up after him, change diapers. Do some computer/photography work.
-Make dinner, feed animals. Eat dinner, watch tv, chase Dylan and clean up after him more.
-Dylan goes to bed around 8 and Cory and I follow about 9 or 9:30.

2. What’s your favorite reality tv show?
I watch a few but don't really have a favorite and for the most part just pass on them. Mostly just watch the Duggers and the Kardashians (a guilty pleasure). I know they are total opposites, but they both have strong family values which I like. I think it is the extremes of these families that draw me, seeing how th

3. What motto do you live by?
"Nobody ever said life was fair." My Mom's favorite saying when I was growing up.

4. If you knew you could try anything and not fail, what dream would you attempt?
I would love to train a world champion all around quarter horse. I would also like to do a Triathlon. If you know me this is probably the last thing you would have ever expected.

5. What was your first job?
Babysitting was my very first, followed very soon by giving riding lessons.

6. What is your current job?
Stay at home mom, bookkeeper, and photographer.

7. What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name (and you cannot pick the one you already have)?
Never really thought of another name for myself. I always wished my name was spelled Aimee instead of Amy though.

8. What musical instruments can you play?
I use to be able to play the piano. Would like to learn again.

9. Is it easier to forgive or forget?
I find it easier to just move on and mostly forget.

10. What is one food you’d never want to taste again?
I guess I would have to say artichokes.

Fall Portrait Special! (Idaho and Oregon Photographer)

I am running a Fall Portrait Special. The session fee is waived with the purchase of a collection ($125 value).

Now is the time to update your family portraits and get a jump start on your holiday planning. Portraits make great gifts and are always appreciated. Now is the time to give custom portrait photography a try. Capture your family as they really are in your favorite location, relaxed and having fun. No stuffy poses and fake cheesy smiles. Experience the difference with Amy Schmid Photography. Great opportunity for Senior Portraits as well.

I am also planning a trip to the coast in late September at this point. So if you live there or along the way you can also take advantage of this offer.

Book your session now. Only available until Oct 15.

See more of Amy's work at www.amyschmidphoto.com or like us on Facebook.

What Is Custom Photography?

The photographic art you choose to place on your wall is ultimately the result of the vision of the photographer. This vision, coupled with what you wear to your session, the environment, the lighting, even the mood the subjects are in at the time of photographing creates the work that you will want to proudly display on your walls forevermore.

Your first step in the process is more about determining who you are, who your family is and then seeking a photographer that reflects your style. For instance let’s say your family is extremely outdoorsy and loves playing on the beach. You start determining what style you like, browse through photography website portfolios and determine if any of the styles exhibited there would be a good fit with your life and family style. You have already determined that you should probably seek out a beach type photographer (that is if you live near a beach) and then begin narrowing the field down a bit.

Finally after a bit of internet research, you have narrowed it down to two photographers who do what seems like solid work, the sort of outdoor beach look you desire. It is now time to ask yourself: Do you like photographer A’s style over photographer B’s style? Is it because the people in the images of A’s style are having a great time and it seems very caught up in the moment vs. B photographer more posed, looking in the camera images? If this is a case, you probably like LIFESTYLE photography or perhaps even take it a step further and define your desired style as a PHOTOJOURNALISTIC photography style. The photographer you probably should choose is photographer A because their style is very similar to the style you desire.

What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience. Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of who is next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio.

• A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities.
• Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed.
• Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart.

A custom photography experience should have you, the client and your experience in mind.

Written by Marianne Drenthe of Marmalade Photography.

Jasmine Star and Keeping it Real

If you are a photographer it is pretty much guaranteed that you know of Jasmine Star. She is pretty much a overnight success and is now a rock star in the photography community. In January of 2006 she decided she wanted to be a wedding photographer, having never even picked up a digital camera before. The next year she shot 40 weddings. In thefvg few years since then she has become one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the world, has been named one of the top 10 international wedding photographers, and speaks all over the country on her success and how she got there. Last week she taught an unprecedented five day workshop live over the Internet that included a real wedding. It was an amazing opportunity for any photographer.

I have yet to even finish watching all of the workshop and there are so many things spinning around in my head from it. The biggest thing that Jasmine is a proponent of is blogging and in her words "keeping it real." She says that when she started out she only had her personal life to blog about. Now people often say that they try to keep their blogs professional and I have often gone back and forth on this one. But when she explained that in blogging about her personal life she is either repelling or attracting people. In doing this she ends up working more often with clients that she wants, likes and/or gets along with best. This also lets her clients get to know her. They know what to expect from her and when she is on a shoot with her and things go much more smoothly.

I have talked before on here about writing more about my personal life. I have to some extent done this but not to the level Jasmine talks about. After hearing her talk I really do understand more about getting personal. So after a break last month I am going to get back to blogging more and try keeping it real.

Also stay tuned for a fall portrait special I will be announcing in the next few days.

Jaxson: Five Month Old! (Tillamook, Oregon Children's Photographer)

While in Tillamook for my sister's wedding this last weekend I got to spend some time holding and cuddling with my nephew. I haven't seen him since he was a month old. I just have to say I am in love with him. He so small compared to Dylan at that age, but is still so strong. He looks exactly like my brother did as a baby. I cannot believe how big his brown eyes are. I was able to squeeze in a quick shoot of him Sunday after we finished cleaning up from the reception.

Adkins-Hopkes Wedding (Oregon Wedding Photographer)

Well my younger sister got married this weekend. I think it all went really well. I don't even think that there were any major mishaps. It was a wonderful wedding and a great time was had by all. My friend Nate came from Minnesota to photograph the wedding. It was great to visit with him. It is always nice to have someone to talk photography with and I loved watching him work. He was the perfect photographer for my sister, who was in heaven having her own personal photographer for the day. I thought I would have more time to help shoot but turned out to be pretty busy the whole time. I did end up with some great images though.

Laughter and low light equal a little blur.

I love that I can play around with these. I love this grittiness in the images. I really think they go with the rodeo grounds.

I don't know where she gets it from. She probably should have been a model.

I love how two photographers shooting the same thing can get totally different images. Nate has a great one that is every one's favorite so far that he took at the same time I was taking this one.