When folks ask me what to look for in a Dallas portrait photographer, I tell them to view different portfolios to see what aesthetic really clicks with them. If there’s something about a photographer’s style you really enjoy — their sense of humor, their technical abilities, their way of “bringing out a person’s soul” — then you’ve already narrowed down your decision in your hunt for a portrait photographer in Dallas.
If you’ve looked at my work and enjoy the type of creativity I use to approach a subject (thanks, buddy!), then that’s because of how I editorialize — how I use a picture as an opportunity to tell a story. An editorial shot isn’t a standard headshot (which I totally do as well, because they’re important): this is an immersive look at a subject within a context, and capturing their reactions to the photographer, the camera, and the environment around them. And in the end, you get one of those pictures that exudes emotion in an organic, intentional way.
When a client and I collaborate on what they want out of their portrait photography needs, there’s a fun exchange involved. We talk about a rough concept before the shoot, and bat around some ideas of how best to represent what they are trying to say through images: a stirring family portrait at home in Highland Park; something environmental and brooding for print; a studio photoshoot to pad out a modeling portfolio; a professional group portrait that sells a law firm; snaps of your dog being awesome — we pare it down to the type of images you’re looking to get out of the shoot and the tone we’re trying to strike. We figure out details like the wardrobe, the setting, put together a checklist of the must-have shots (as a wedding photographer, I love my checklists), check for any special props or technical needs, and set the time.
And then, on the day of the shoot… we just kind of roll with it. Because after the planning that goes into a portrait, what you’re really seeing when you look at a compelling shot is that spur-of-the-moment exchange between the photographer and the subject through a creative lens, so to speak — that spark of recognition that jumps out at the viewer in a compelling way.
I do portraiture throughout the entire Dallas-Fort Worth region, so if there’s an idea you would like to see immortalized forever, let’s get in touch and make it happen.