My Photography Philosophy

There are so many photographers out there - and so many out there with incredible talent and competitive pricing.

I think back to one of my group job interviews, and they took me into a private room and asked me “You’ve seen there are multiple other impressive applicants out there…what makes you better?” I remember I replied. “To be honest, only you know exactly what you’re looking for, so I can’t tell you that. You know what you need, and what kind of person will fit this position - and I am just here being myself and being honest and hoping that I am the right match for you, although I don’t feel comfortable speaking in a way that makes me sound like I am above the others, when I don’t actually know them.” I had read multiple times when preparing for the interview about the correct answers to that question - and that wasn’t it. None of the ‘correct answers’ sat well with me and I’ve never been good at boasting. And yet here we are…In an industry which has become SO competitive ; iPhones take similar quality images to DSLRs now, and anyone can download free filters that enhance their images as if they were done by a professional. Anyone can become a photographer today - anyone. And there is a part of me that loves that. I love that photography is such an appreciated art form now, and the accessibility is incredible. I spent a month shooting in 35mm Film with a friend for fun and in that month we spent close to $150 for a handful of photos. With 35mm film the process isn’t instant, which means you pay to develop photos which you aren’t even sure are as you imagined them, you have to be meticulous about the shots you decide to take because ever single one costs you when there are only 24 shots in a roll. You have to pay to see your images developed by a lab, and sometimes they tell you that light got through and the entire roll is ruined and you lose all of your photos…I adored that month. Although I don’t think anything can ever match the feeling of nostalgia developing a roll of film brings, It reminded me the gift of digital photography. It reminded me that with digital photography an imperfect shot can be followed up immediately by an image recreated just as you imagined it. To have the options of 5, 10, 50 images so you can pick the one that you look just right in. I just love it.

So, why do people pay for photographers when they can just DIY so easily these days? When you hire a professional photographer you will be working with someone who understands lighting, who has been taught to look at your facial features and shoot you in angles that are most flattering for your face shape and to enhance your most beautiful qualities. They understanding all aspects of composing a photo, and look past the main subject and consider the backgrounds, the way the wind is blowing, the composition, and even the clothing you are wearing. They will know how to make you feel comfortable in front of a camera and the best of photographers will even make you reconsider your career choices (“…damn, should I become a model!?”) I love seeing the change in a person’s confidence from the beginning to the end of a photoshoot. A photographer shoots an image and can envision the final image before they’ve even processed it. So, the difference between Pro and DIY - peace of mind. You can relax knowing that the images you are hoping for, you’ll get.

If I have to talk about what I believe sets me apart from other photographers, it has the be what happens after the photos are taken and the magic that is Photoshop.
This is a topic which for so long made me feel that I was inferior due to the mentality a lot of people used to have which was “A real photographer will get it right in camera.” I never saw it that way. Of course you need a good quality photo to do good quality enhancements, but for me - the photo was the canvas and the post processing was the paint; where the real magic begins. In fact, I started exploring Photography due to my passion for art.
I started to discover Photo Manipulation style images and spend hours upon hours, and years upon years learning the world of photoshop. My first images weren’t great, but as I practiced I got better and better and now am quite confident there isn’t much I can’t do on there.
(See below for baby Sam’s early Photoshop self portrait days - Photos taken from 2007-2010)

This isn’t to say I’m going to take your portrait and turn you into a dragon and add lightening strikes to your images, but knowing my way around photoshop means knowing how to remove any blemishes without loss of your skin texture (2010 Sam had not yet learned that skill so do not see above images for examples of that…heh), it means being able to edit out that bra strap that popped out by mistake, removing stray hairs, or something distracting from the background. I will treat every single image I take as an individual photoshoot and edit it accordingly. I don’t believe in putting a single filter over every single image and stopping there.

I try my best to emulate 35mm film with my images, and I’d say thats my style but I do not have one filter that I use for everything. Often when I give a client a final gallery I would have spent hours before looking at different colour options and picking specific tones, hues and shades that suit their gallery. Some people say they can recognise my images, but I think you will notice, unlike a lot of other photographers my photographs don’t all fit into a single filter/colour scheme; Personally, I think that’s a good thing. I find that when I fall into one single editing style (even within my own personal instagram) I become so OCD with sticking to that style and it takes the creativity out of the photography for me. In saying that, I will absolutely make sure your images in your gallery are matched well, and look good as a set - I know this is important for the gram! If there is a certain style you’re after I am always open to discussion and often will ask to see your ‘inspiration photos’ before we shoot - Just as you pick me, I pick you back - and I will not agree to shoot for you if I don’t feel I can achieve the look you are after, although I am fairly confident I can achieve most looks - as long as it fits within my style. (I will not…I repeat…will not…edit a photo in black and white and keep one part of the photo in colour.)

If you’ve made it this far, I commend you in taking your photoshoot and photographer choice seriously.
Below I’ve added some “Before/After” Images so you can see what I’m yabbering on about above, Enjoy - and I hope to hear from you soon!