Why There Are Two of Us - The Benefits of Hiring a Photographer and An Image Consultant

Most people assume a portrait session starts when they step in front of the camera. Ours starts well before the client walks through the door.

Having your portrait taken involves a surprising number of decisions. What should you wear? What photographs well? What do you want these images to say? What about hair and makeup? Location? Then, what are you supposed to do once you're in front of the camera? That's where Harmony Arnold comes in.

Harmony is an image consultant, but that's only part of her role. She's also my creative partner and co-creative director. From the initial idea through the final photograph, we're building the session together.

Before the Camera Comes Out

Every session starts with a conversation - the initial consultation. What are we creating? Why are we creating it? How do you want to be seen? Where will these photographs ultimately live? From there, Harmony and I begin putting the pieces together.

Harmony's expertise in image consulting brings another dimension to that process. She can help with wardrobe, fit, color, hair, makeup and the countless little details that affect how something ultimately translates on camera. Keep in mind that we're not trying to turn you into someone else. We're making intentional choices about how you want to present yourself and what we want the photographs to communicate. By the time I pick up the camera, we've already established a visual direction together.

Two Creative Directors. One Photograph.

This is where I think our partnership really benefits our clients. Harmony and I aren't working in separate lanes. We're both looking at the whole photograph. I'm thinking about lighting, composition, expression, posing and what's happening through my lens. Harmony may see something entirely different: a wardrobe adjustment, a different way to use the space, a change in styling or an idea we hadn't considered. And sometimes she'll see something and say, "What if we...?"

Those can be very dangerous words, in the best possible way. We're constantly bouncing ideas off one another. One of us can see something the other doesn't, and the session can change direction because we discover something better than what we originally planned. That's the advantage of having two creative people invested in the same result.

You Don't Have to Manage Any of This

There's another benefit that doesn't get talked about enough: You don't have to become an expert in photography, wardrobe, lighting, posing, hair or makeup just because you're having your portrait taken. You also don't need to spend the session wondering whether your jacket is sitting correctly or what you're supposed to do with your hands. That's what you hired us to do.

Harmony and I can concentrate on all those details while you concentrate on being present.

So, What Are You Actually Investing In?

You're not simply paying for the time we spend taking photographs. You're investing in everything that goes into creating them.

You're getting two creative professionals thinking about your session before you arrive, working together while you're in front of the camera and paying attention to details you shouldn't have to worry about yourself. There is intention behind the wardrobe, the location, the lighting, the styling, the way you're positioned and even the reason we're making a particular photograph in the first place.

Could you hire a photographer, show up with a few outfits and hope everything comes together? Absolutely. That's just not what we do.

We believe the experience before and during the session has a direct impact on the photographs you eventually take home. Our job is to remove as much guesswork as possible, give you direction when you need it and create photographs that have been considered from every angle. That's what you're investing in.

It's About the Whole Photograph

Great portraits aren't created by any one thing. Great wardrobe isn't enough. Neither is beautiful lighting. The location, styling, expression, composition and the person standing in front of the camera all have to work together. That's why Harmony and I approach portraiture as a partnership. We're not combining two unrelated services. We're creating the photograph together.

Our clients have one very simple job: show up.

You don't have to know how to be photographed. That's our job.

**Check out some of our BTS below...