Work · Portraits
Portraits
One person at a time, in light and places that suit them.
Most portrait sessions end with 300 photos and one you'd use.
The gallery arrives, you scroll past the same face 40 times, and you pick one. I'd rather hand you 25 you'd actually print. Fewer photos only works if every one of them is finished, and that is where my time goes.
A good portrait looks like you on your best day, not a stranger doing an impression of a catalog model. That takes a conversation first, good light second, and a photographer who knows when to stop talking and shoot.
I specialize in solo portraits: one person, my full attention, in a place that suits them. Professionals, creators, men who hate being photographed, anyone who wants a portrait photoshoot that looks like them. I'm a Colorado Springs portrait photographer, I work across the Mountain West, and if you're covering travel I'll go anywhere in the world.
The best part of a portrait session happens before the camera comes out.
We talk first. What do you want captured, how do you want it captured, and what are the photos for? Your own walls, your social feeds, a big print over the couch, a new website, or all four? Those answers change the whole shoot, so I ask them before anything else.
Then we choose the location, the time of day and the outfits together. A white room at noon and a sandstone overlook at sunset make very different portraits. You pick the one that fits the job.
On the day, it's just you and me. Nobody is checking a phone and nobody's pose is fighting yours. The best frame usually arrives a few minutes after you loosen up, and my job is to still be paying attention when it does.
Most of my time goes into editing, not the shoot. Skin, color and light all have to hold up at full size. You get 25 finished photos in two to three weeks, or 10 if you book a mini.
Good light forgives a lot.
Nobody is unphotogenic. They've just been photographed badly.
The right location is the one that suits you.
My portrait photography runs from clean studio-style rooms to sandstone overlooks, dunes, city streets and snowy roads. I'm based in Colorado Springs, and I work across the Mountain West. If you're covering travel, I'll go anywhere. Where we shoot depends on what the portraits are for. We settle that in the planning conversation.
A plain wall and one honest look beat a fancy location.
Questions
Fair questions, short answers.
What does a portrait session cost?
Prices are on the pricing page. A solo mini starts at $650 and a full solo session at $1,250 with a model release, and $250 more without one. Couples and elopements are listed there too.
How long is a session?
About an hour for the standard solo session and about two hours for the extended one. A mini is shorter and comes with 10 photos.
What should I wear?
We decide together once we know what the photos are for and where we're shooting. Bring a few options and I'll help you narrow them down.
How many photos do I get, and how soon?
A full session comes with 25 edited photos and a mini comes with 10. Expect them two to three weeks after your session.
What can I use the photos for?
Personal use, social media and prints. Commercial use isn't included.
Who it's for
Anyone who wants to look like themselves.
Professionals and creators
Photos for your website, profile and social feeds that look like a person you'd hire.
Individuals
A set for your own walls, a milestone or the pleasure of finally liking your photo.
Couples
Couples are welcome too, planned the same way, with the same conversation first.
Tell me what you want to look like.
Prices are listed up front. Tell me what the photos are for and we'll plan the rest.