www.photoboothjacksonvillefl.com
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1124 Riviera St. Jacksonville, FL 32207 (904) 398-7668
info@danharrisphotoart.com
~ Professional Imaging Consultants ~
(Home-studio located in the historic San Marco area -near downtown)
Not just pictures, Heirloom PhotoArt®
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Our printed Heirloom PhotoArt® looks much better than digital files!
WARNING: The digi-uglybugs have escaped and are rampantly multiplying --unflattering pictures are everywhere!
When you hire us, you can rest assured that everything we photograph will look it's absolute BEST! Guaranteed! --because everything we do (from Equipment choices, to Lighting options, to Retouching decisions, even our Art enhancements) is geared to maximize your true beauty! Too many of today's photos are adding 10+ pounds to everyone; making you look pre-maturely aged and washed-out and sickly; should photography make your skin look orange?, or blue skys white? or white clothes blue? We have what it takes to guarantee your best results!
How can you tell a true professional photographer?
click here to see Jacksonville Professional Photographer Examples
It's time for a new photography experience! (And I'm not talking about the overly-excited fauxtographer who lights scented candles and oversells herself --pretending like it's a day at the spa) I'm talking REAL professional, REAL quality and you really getting your monies worth, not just settling for cheap enough! Now is the time to try something different, completely guaranteed! Call now to schedule a consultation to get your best portrait ever --pleasantly!
Invest in ART, Heirloom PhotoArt® . . . for generations of enjoyment!
(Exclusive Patent No. 3,846,818)
“Your image is your representation of you and should be impeccable!"
We take our photography business seriously, but not ourselves! We are storytellers and visual artists, we visually communicate in a universal language stories of; joy, love, quality, happiness, accomplishment, family, beauty, strength, teamwork, professionalism, elegance, fun & serenity. If a picture is worth a thousand words, it is our goal to make a picture for you that is worth 3,000! Professional photography is an Art, a Science and a Business. Sharing just the visual Art is only a part of our professional story. We have created this website not only to share thousands of our images (the Art), but also to explore and share our philosophy, personality and beliefs as it relates to the Science and the Business of photography.
There are twice as many 'professional' Jacksonville photographers today than there were just a few years ago, sadly the increase in quantity hasn't translated into an increase in quality. There are more chances today to have a bad experience. Our impeccable reputation of unsurpassed photographic excellence and 15 years of officially being in the photography business at the same location insures your success. Dan is one of the best photographers around and you will not be able to get the professional quality he offers anywhere else at any price! Call today for a free consultation.
We spend more time on our client’s projects than on our own self-promotional projects, that's why you won't see a lot of slick multi-media presentations here, we believe our customers want honest, delivered results rather than self-flattering hype. Everything on this website is the REAL DEAL from real client photography projects. Sit back, relax and enjoy (no need to fasten your seatbelts)... and let us know if you have any questions or we can help you with anything. Because everything we do is customized and not 'cookie-cutter', you may not find an exact sample on our website of what you are envisioning from your jacksonville florida photographer, but please don't hesitate to call and discuss your exact needs --we guarantee our results and your complete satisfaction!
FREE DIGITAL FILES with minimum purchase
(We have given FREE digital files with ALL our event packages since the year 2000)
Photography GIFT CARDS make great gifts!
(does that sound redundant? Call and ask us about it.)
Check out what one of our Jacksonville brides wrote about us in Premier Bride Wedding Magazine
Click here to view Photos from your Event including Wedding Photography & Family Portraits
Check out this professional group portrait:
(imagine what we can do with the clowns in your organization)
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Click here for info regarding: What Digital Camera Should I buy?
Jacksonville Florida Professional Photographers BLOG
It's hard to believe in 1999 this website was state-of-the-art! The wordy ramblings below (some from the year 2000) were my initial attempts at blogging!
I was blogging on my website long before blogs were ever invented! In a true artist fashion, I am pleased to NOT conform to today's current Website vs. Blog format but continue to set my own standard with my weblogsite! (which really didn't catch on), not that I don't appreciate the way today's blogs are well organized, searchable and in date/time order, maybe it's the principle, or perhaps I am just too busy working on my clients projects to re-work what's already been done. Yes, I could pay someone to do it for me but then it would have more of the personality of the designer than the artist behind it and isn't the real point of these things to get to know the real person you plan to work with rather than the fake persona they fabricated to impress you? Wrap your mind around this: the internet and websites are great communication tools and like the yellow-page ads of old, the biggest or fanciest isn't always the best.
What is the purpose of a blog? Many jacksonville wedding photographers post 1% of their pictures from their latest photo shoot and then post a paragraph that includes specific key words and phrases for the purpose of getting higher rankings on the web. I've even heard from marketing instructors that you must spend an hour a day on social networking, blogs and tweeting. Being a practical person I ask: who has time for all that? What will it really do for my customers? From where are the costs and resources of such an endeavor allocated? I don't get paid to entertain my clients (although sometimes I can be entertaining, but that's totally free and a whole different subject) I choose not to post the top 1% of all my photo shoots on my blog because it creates unrealistic expectations and false advertising as 99% of the pictures taken may not be as good as the 1% posted!
Just the other day I met with an engaged couple who paid a photographer to shoot some engagement pictures for them. Two photographers spent 2 hours on the photo session and took hundreds of pictures. The couple was very disappointed when they were only shown 20 images --of which only 3 were considered by them as being 'half decent' (the same 3 that were posted on facebook) The other 17 pictures were not much better than what their friends could have snapped with their cell phones. When they asked the photographer about the other pictures, she said these 20 were the best of the bunch. Not only was this couple disappointed with the results they received, but they were also upset about the 'false advertising' this photographer was promoting with their photos! It seems lots of photographers today are selling lots of hype and very little substance.
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I have chosen to post sporadically to this blog any photography idea or thought I want to share. I won't post boring drivel about my daily personal life because I respect my customer's time and truly believe their lives are probably much more interesting than mine. If I thought I was better than everyone else or that my daily life was more interesting than my 'fans' perhaps I would post daily updates about where I'm going and what I had for dinner. If I were really that impressed with myself I would even go so far as to post a lot of cool videos of myself doing cool things, but I'm not that egocentric. I feel that you should be sold on my photography first and ‘me’ second because what you purchase from me will last much longer than me! You won't find clever listings of 'my favorite things' (chocolate, perfume and shoes) or my most overused words (fabulous, beautiful or gorgeous) because I'm not looking for dates or soliciting new friends. I'm a professional business person and am happy to do business with you on whatever level YOU are comfortable with! You don't have to be my BFF, or hang out and have drinks with me, or be my same nationality, or have the same beliefs about the afterlife, or like the same types of food, or go to the same church as I do, to work with me! If my thinking changes, so will my postings and if you have a suggestion or counterpoints for me to consider, please feel free to share them with me via e-mail.
I have updated most all the information (but not the format) on this site. I have links to newer sites that are more modern and current. If I were selling websites, it would be critical that mine be over-the-top and super cool, but I'm not. This older historical website communicates that we are not the newest here-today-gone-tomorrow, flash-in-the-pan, fad photographer and demonstrates that what we did 10-15 years ago remains relevant and timeless. We like to work with people who appreciate being different and have their own ideas and appreciate that our website is an ever-changing dynamic communication tool that doesn't flash a lot of mirrors and blow a lot of smoke but is very honest and communicative. Enjoy-- and when you get bored from reading this drivel, just give us a call and we will answer all your jacksonville photography questions personally and help solve your imaging needs in the most professional manner possible with less hype and more substance! Right here in beautiful Jacksonville Florida!
Visit our frequently asked questions regarding wedding photography. Shopping for a modern wedding photographer? Here's some things to consider before hiring your friend with a nice camera.
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Please be impressed and get excited that we received another impressive award!
This is based on REAL customer reviews, it isn't one of those dumb designations you get by telling all your online friends and family to vote for you!
(At least it shows we are still alive and making customers happy!)
High Definition Photography
~ NOW WITH OUR NEWEST 64-MegaPixel, LARGE-FORMAT DIGITAL CAMERA ~
"When Quality Matters"
By International award winning wedding photojournalist Dan Harris
"There are two sides to every photograph, the image and the memory behind it, we insure both are pleasant."
Taking pictures is only a small part of what we do, We are: PhotoArt Consultants; Wall Decor Designers; Master Printmakers and Archival Album Craftsmen!
What you need to know about doing business with us:
~ We are easy to work with (and easy to get a hold of).
~ Our work is affordable and a good value (but not cheap).
~ We care about your unique needs and have the ability, equipment and experience to meet or exceed your expectations.
~ We are trustworthy and guarantee your satisfaction.
I encourage all of my customers to buy a nice digital camera and take tons of pictures, attend some photography classes and even do your own retouching, editing and printing! Yes, doing it yourself initially looks like it will be less expensive (unless you also account for the cost of your time, the learning curve and the cost of professional equipment and software). Even after all that, you will not be able to create the same type of artistic image we do. An educated customer will ultimately understand the value of hiring a true professional to get the job done right! A proficient professional makes the job look easy. If it were really as easy as it looks, everyone's pictures would look professional! But it really isn't that easy and the majority of the non-professional pictures taken don't look professional. Everyone will eventually get a few lucky, once-in-a-lifetime shots, and all your fans on facebook will tell you your pictures are incredible (even if they're not). I know you can't afford to hire us to take every picture you need and we most certainly won't have the time to fill your digital facebook albums and scrapbooks with professional photos. But when an important event or milestone arrives in your life, treat yourself, hire us to do the job right and create an exceptional piece of Heirloom PhotoArt ® which will last for generations of enjoyment. You will be glad you did.
(Mouse-over the image for more information - Click here for more bad photography examples)
The Heirloom PhotoArt® works you purchase from us will remain in your family much longer than the current artwork you own. Our top-of-the-line Heirloom PhotoArt® Wedding Albums (including the most expensive options) will only cost $60 per year of enjoyment (and our less expensive Heirloom PhotoArt ® thin-page albums will only cost $45 per year). Our nicest custom Heirloom PhotoArt ® Wall Portrait will only cost you $50 per year of enjoyment and that doesn't include the enjoyment your ancestors will receive from it! Our Heirloom PhotoArt ® products require minimal maintenance, no repairs, are not dependent upon electronics or software compatibility and are totally guaranteed! They are one of the smartest investments you can make!
The uneducated are quick to look at initial costs without taking into consideration the real cost of ownership. Today's newest large-screen TV may cost you $300 per year of enjoyment (not including service, as long as it doesn't require any repairs or pre-mature upgrades). Your furniture may cost you $200 per year of enjoyment. A nice handbag and pair of shoes may cost $80 per year of enjoyment. Today's newest mobile communications device (including service) may cost you $1,000 per year of enjoyment and the latest tablet or mobile computer device may cost $150 per year of enjoyment (assuming you don't drop it or lose it).
Anyone can do FREE photography and free photography is ALWAYS worth at least what you paid for it! But when purchasing professional commercial photography from a Jacksonville Florida photographer the real concern is will you get your money's worth? Too many Florida and Georgia photographers are overselling what they have to offer (showing images that in no way represent anything like what a real customer might get) leaving their customers disappointed in the end. We work to insure our marketing is a true representation of what we can really do for you. We GUARANTEE the final outcome and ALL of our finished products and won't leave you stranded with a 'do-it-yourself' homework assignment.
"Unsurpassed quality because we own our own lab and do ALL of our own processing and the majority of our own printing!"
We are a FULL-time (you can even speak to us during regular business hours!), FULL-service consultants --here for YOU along every step of the way to insure your finished products are the best possible. We will meet with you as many times as it takes to insure you get exactly what you need! We won't leave you stranded with a half-finished photography project or 'do-it-yourself' homework assignment.
Lazy photographers who only take snaps and burn them to a CD are not much better than your friends with a camera. Why would you pay good money to someone to only do a small part of the job? Is it really a good value to pay half price for only 20% of the work?
Click here for blog stuff for professional photographers and hobbyists
You will be more impressed with the finished products we deliver to you than any of our marketing materials --Guaranteed! It will be worth your time and energy to research what we can provide for you. Enjoy our ramblings here and feel free to drop us an e-mail or call if you have ANY questions about anything, we will respond quickly and give you some direction, or tell you where to go! :- )
Random Thoughts and Ramblings:
Please note: We don't charge sales tax, we only collect it for the government!
(IF a business is NOT charging you sales tax, take your money and run away quickly, there's a good chance the state will shut them down before you get what you paid for.)
Let's talk about what others don't!
The newest trend in the digital revolution? Better screens! So now your latest digital camera, tablet, pad or phone appears to take even better pictures than ever!!! The problem? The picture doesn't look as good anywhere else. So now you have a false sense of security --you think you've taken a great picture (based on the pretty screen) only later to find out when the picture is downloaded and posted online or printed, it doesn't look good at all. For a professional, it requires additional discipline to NOT be seduced by the beautiful screen, but to remain true to the founding principles that make truly great photography great!
Cheap vs Professional
We get a lot of our work from people who initially opted for cheap and then regretted that it wasn't professional. Many photographers say they are professional (because they get paid for their photography) but too many of those don't understand what being truly professional really means. A real professional will guarantee the end result of their work and see your project through the whole process along every step of the way, including editing, retouching, designing and printing. A true proffessional photographer won't just shoot pictures and leave you stranded with just a CD of digital files and no guarantee of getting any acceptable finished products.
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What's up with the loss of detail? Poor quality?
While looking at 'real weddings' in a recent bridal magazine I noticed much of the detail in the brides very expensive and nicely detailed wedding dress was gone --blown-out whites. Many of the wedding pictures printed in this magazine had blown-out highlight details. Was it a problem with the magazines printing? Or a problem with the photography? Or did the photographer do it on purpose? So, if you were a bride who paid a lot for a beautiful wedding dress with lots of fine, intricate detail do you want all your wedding photography to only show you in a detail-less bright white piece of material? (similar to a white flour sack?) I think not! Sadly it's just poor photography being widely published in a magazine that pretends to be sophisticated but probably doesn't realize their own lack of quality. I guess to the uneducated it is plenty good enough, but to the educated, it's just really embarassing! That's one reason you won't see me advertising in or supporting that publication!
The Jig is UP!
The word on the street: --enough people have overpaid for inferior photography classes by unaccredited instructors who, as it turns out, are only really good at selling hype! Many very successful photographers with proven credentials are teaching superior classes at reasonable rates, their marketing just doesn't sound as impressive. The same thing is happening with 'overly-hyped', 'flash-in-the-pan' photographers, big flash today, gone tomorrow. How many times can customers be burned by 'the con job' before they start to catch on? Pushy salespeople (with attitudes) are selling lots of fluff. We have always believed that honesty is the best policy and our customers appreciate it! We are the real deal! Not someone who has to over-impress to make up for a lack of ability, skills or equipment. Lets chat about your project or event and you will appreciate our candor!
There is no Photography without light
The best photographers understand that light is what photography is all about. Just the other day on TV a supposedly 'professional photographer' was giving photography tips to the audience and she talked about backgrounds, outfits, colors and locations but didn't say anything about lighting. She then proceeded to demonstrate (in the professionally lit TV studio) how to photograph your pet on your couch. I'm certain that anyone who tried her pointers at home would be completely disappointed and may not understand why their pictures don't look anything like hers (unless of course your living room is professionally lit by a TV crew). It amazes me the number of people calling themselves 'professional photographers' who have no understanding or regard to the direction, properties or proper use of light. If you were a buyer of photography you would only have to look at a photographer’s use of light to determine their skill level. Asking a potential photographer about light, equipment and experience will tell you immediately if you have stumbled on one of the overly confident but poorly prepared faux-tographers who over-sell their capabilities but are unable to deliver the goods.
DSLR Videographer
Although we now offer the best quality 180 degree panoramic zooms for your website and 360 degree panoramics for your virtual tours online, we currently are not offering videography. Typically photographers who offer photography and videography attempt to be the jack-of-all-trades, master of none. What amazes me today is the number of new videographers who, without much training, try to shoot a live event with a manual-focus, DSLR camera with poor sound quality. What are they thinking? Yes, the manufactures have done some good advertising and many a user is announcing that the same type of camera they bought was used to shoot a commercial and a TV show. But what no one is talking about is a commercial or TV show is scripted events that allows for pre-planned positioning and focus marks, separate sound and repeat takes, all of which makes the DSLR camera useable for this type of shoot. This is definitely NOT the right equipment for an inexperienced videographer to use at a wedding! Most every shot will either be very static or out-of-focus because even with the proper rigging, manual focusing to set markers requires a lot of practice and skill not to mention the issues with poor sound quality. Grandpa's low-end Sony consumer video camera will do a much better job of focusing! So now let's talk about why the cinematographers in Hollywood use this type of a camera to shoot ads and parts of TV shows, it allows a production crew to have several cameras that can shoot with interchangeable lenses (that only cost a couple thousand dollars) rather than the $150,000 camera setup they normally use. If I were to hire an event videographer, I would be more impressed with what they can do with their equipment (based on viewing actual events they have already covered) rather than being impressed by their camera being used to make a TV show.
Professional Courtesy
If it's worth hiring a professional for, then hire one you can trust to do it right, communicate your concerns, desires and dreams and then don't interfere with them doing their job. (WARNING: here's where I get on my soap-box and rant a little) It is totally unprofessional (and embarassing) to hire a professional photographer and then show up with your camera planning to take pictures --like you are the backup photographer. (if you want to be a backup photographer, come apply for a job.) When you hire a professional chef to cook you dinner do you bring your sauce pan and head to the kitchen? When you hire a professional who makes their living selling photography, don't embarrass yourself by asking them to give you free stuff. Are you the bread winner of your house and do you work at your job for free? How long would you keep your job if you gave away the products your compnay sells, for free? (unless of course your job is to give away free stuff, then you would want people to ask you for stuff for free, that may be a cool job to have, I wonder how much that job pays? Would you ever get tired of people asking you for free stuff if your job was giving out free stuff? -sorry, I digress)
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Most our customers are well educated and polite and very fun to work with, but there are a few who do incredibly un-professional and embarrassing things (usually it's one of your strange relatives -and you know who I'm talking about), so that's why I mention it. When you just purchased an instant printout at an event, please don't stand within earshot of the professional photographer and tell your friend that you are so cheap that you would be willing to violate federal copyright laws ($10,000 fine) to save $10 by scanning it for them. If the quality of the work is nice enough to pay for, please show your support and appreciation by buying multiple copies. Stealing only insures that at the next event the cost per print will have to be increased to make up for the loss, or worse yet, there won't be a professional for the next event. Even more embarassing is when an aspiring professional photographer doesn't feel it necissary to support the photography industry but one day hopes the photography industry will support them! (it's that oximoron that causes me to rant, sorry to whine to you, but if you know the type, please spread the word, we appreciate your support!) If you appreciate great service, you should tip generously. That will insure great servers will remain employed to serve you! If you appreciate great photography, you should buy a lot of it! That will insure great photographers will remain employed to serve you! Common sence that isn't so common.
Quote of the day
"Professional photography is similar to cooking. Many of the processes, tools and recipes are accessible to everyone. The difference between the well trained and experienced professional chef and the amateur cook is the consistency of great results and their high level of proficiency. The question then becomes whether the professional chef is worth the price or should one gamble with the amateur cook?" --Matt Culpepper, UNF Photography Major Graduate
To add to that: With the same ingredients one may make something delectable while the other may make you sick. The best professional chefs in town aren't giving away their most prized recipes… and neither are the best photographers.
Heirloom PhotoArt ® will outlast digital files. Digital files hide in the 'Digital Graveyard', a dark area in the nether-regions of all electronic devices where they await their final corruption. Digital files, by their very nature, can't live by the light of day, but must be electro-tronicated into a fleeting view; this very process insures progressive damage, instability and ultimately a very untimely death. Let us create some Heirloom PhotoArt ® from your digital files that will last for generations, --before your digital files ditch you!
What's the latest in the world of Jacksonville Wedding Photography?
I always try to keep my customers (and potential customers) well even my friends (and competitors) updated on what I'm seeing in the world of Jacksonville wedding photographers:
So now after 14 years of being one of the areas most sought-after wedding photographers, I'm being told by one of the newest self-proclaimed 'rock star' wedding photographers that today's females don't appreciate logic, facts or intelligent discussions regarding photography but are more 'emotional' in their purchasing decisions so I need to 'dumb down' my presentations to contain less intellectual substance and more emotional fluff. (Intelligent women everywhere should be insulted by this mis-guided logic and should throw this insulting fembot off her pedestal ...but I digress) So the newest way to deceive your clients is to take some acting classes and learn how to convincingly 'fake' cry in your presentation OR better yet cry on a video (because you can edit and do multiple re-takes) then post this on your website, blog and facebook so you can take advantage of the emotionally weak! For REAL? Does she think women are 'dumb blondes'? Is she from the dark ages? How stupid does she think her class students and the general public really are?
I am very emotional about my commitment to my clients and take seriously my responsibilities to do the best job possible for my customers. My everyday work demonstrates my passion; the majority of my clients have a strong emotional attachment to my work. If my work brings them happy tears of joy, I am pleased, and I don't plan on being emotionally abusive about it. I don't use unethical emotional ploys to deceive people or distract them from the realities of what I can deliver. Nor do I believe an emotional attachment to me personally is going to make up for a lack of equipment, skills, experience or ability to produce superior end results. Don't be looking here for a soon-to-be released, academy-award winning, tear-jerker video. (But do watch for the mindless sheep followers who will be quick to 'follow-the-fad' and will soon be posting their B-rated cryers) -- It's sad, and makes me want to cry, for the ignorant ...but not on video ; -)
There seems to be a big influx of new album companies offering everything from cheap photobooks to fancy albums. I'm saddened to see national online photo chains promoting cheap digital photo books as replacements for library-bound archival leather albums. Digital photo books are cheap thermal-bound color photocopies with a composite cover, (similar to single-use corporate presentations) and won't last. Many of them are using unproven materials. I just saw an album that uses a piece of foam-core for the cover of the album with a picture glued to it, if you set anything on the cover it will dent the soft material and the dent won't come out! It's obvious to me this album won't last long, but it does have 2 advantages: it's lightweight and it's cheap, so if your priorities in buying an album are 'lightweight and cheap' and NOT longevity I think you have a winner with this new design! We are also seeing a lot of imports making their way into the US market, many of these are odd European sizes. Some are gigantic, which look impressive at bridal shows, but sit on a couch and put the album on your lap and it becomes cumbersome like a large stiff newspaper, bulky and difficult to view. The most popular foreign models are the cheapest, when they start falling apart 2-3 years from now who will you contact for repairs? China? Italy? Mexico?
Another recent fad in wedding albums is the I-Pad digital album; it's exactly like an internet magazine ad, complete with an array of multi-media presentations. So what happens two years from now when today's technology is obsolete? Will the wedding album of your dreams, you had hoped to pass down for generations, now be unusable? I think a digital album is cool and fun but only secondary to a real Heirloom PhotoArt ® printed album that can be viewed for generations without electronics.
This just in --old news is new news; many businesses are scrambling to survive. It saddens me to hear about brides who can't get their albums, can't find their photographer, don't have their pictures and lost the money they spent. It's heart breaking to hear of fellow photographer's who have gone bankrupt and lost their homes during the economic slowdown. Many businesses are surviving by branching out into new fields and trying new things. Photographers are becoming caterers, caterers are becoming florists and florists are becoming photographers. The under-employed are making new starts in new business adventures. Perhaps you have felt the crunch in your household. There's a lot of turmoil in the marketplace, we will continue to see more of the same, many of today's start-ups will be tomorrow’s heart breaks, a rare few will become success stories, the odds aren't promising. More jobs need to be created. Breaking into an industry by under-cutting prices or doing a job 'for free -for the experience' only adds to the problem by creating less jobs, not more.
Many companies today are getting back to their roots; money and greed, so now we are seeing more venues promoting only the vendors who pay the biggest 'kick-backs'. Some well-meaning employees are being forced to promote the services of inferior vendors, by their bosses, because of this policy. Several large hotel chains have 'partnered' with 'national' wedding photography companies who claim to be able to 'match you perfectly' with the right photographer from your area, when in reality they are matching you with the low-bid photographer. We've seen this time and time again... they are a middle-man hiring mediocre talent at the lowest cost for a healthy markup and tacking on a fee to pay the venue. Don't be afraid to talk openly with your coordinator about kick-backs and vendor fees, because ultimately it's your money that pays such fees. If they avoid the discussion, you can guess the honest answers. The best vendors are the most honest and will treat you right, charge a fair price for their services and be up front about their fees and not try to wring additional cash out of you through hidden channels.
Photography for the sake of Photographers
Every photographers website, blog, facebook page typically talks about their passion and love of photography, you've read the stories about their fascination as a child with their moms camera, etc. I think I even have something like that somewhere on my website. Ok, it's a given, if you didn't love it you probably wouldn't do it. Today many jacksonville florida photographers are working very hard to 'stand out from the crowd' by taking pictures that are 'different', it's what the self-proclaimed photography experts on world tour are promoting. The problem is many of the pictures being taken by today's budding professionals are calling attention to the photography with no regard to the subject matter, mood, feeling and overall purpose of the photograph.
Next time you see a 'cool' photograph ask yourself, do I think it is cool because of the effects used by the photographer or do the effects the photographer used become a secondary element which emphasizes and re-enforces the theme, message and mood of the subject matter in the photograph? There are a lot of superficial 'cool' photography effects calling attention to themselves today that will ultimately prove to have no lasting or meaningful value. Dark and moody cinematography is really cool to help convey mystery, suspense and dark, underworld figures, but if it were used in a children’s happy-themed movie, no matter how well it was done, it would be inappropriate to the subject matter.
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There is a new program out that I call 'paint-by-numbers' for photographers. It comes with an assortment of special effects and you only have to push a number on your keypad to apply an effect. With no rhyme or reason new photographers are applying effect #2 to this photo and effect #6 to that one. The program makes editing look easy and of course the results are just as "amazing" as those beautiful 'paint-by-number' pictures you see hanging in classy residential parks. (next to their Elvis paintings on velvet) Too many inexperienced photographers today are applying incongruous, inappropriately related effects to their photographs, some are just applying 'lipstick to a pig'. Real professionals have an eye and an understanding about what 'effects' or retouching or enhancements need to be made to which pictures to make them their best. The discerning client will see beyond the special effects and will invest in images that will provide lasting value for generations.
Photography Art vs Photographic Science
When photography was invented it was very much a science. Photographers couldn't take pictures unless they understood chemistry, recipes, mathematical formulas, the properties of light and the mechanics of the camera, etc. Today's modern digital cameras have removed much of the science from the camera operator. You can give an automatic camera to a child and they may accidentally create some really cool art. You wouldn't expect this same child to fulfill a photography assignment with any degree of consistency.
The first lessons you learn in Photography 101 class are about light, exposure, focus, camera settings --much of the science behind the art of photography. You also learn the most common issues, problems and errors that create bad photography and how to avoid them. It takes years of practice to learn how to apply the principles to achieve a desired or repeatable result. A person with a good eye and the ability to see and get their equipment to reproduce their vision will make a good photographer. Not everyone has that talent. Some people have a special gift for being able to bring together both the art and science. This basic scientific knowledge combined with years of experience gives a talented photographer the foundation they need to be able to accomplish their desired end result.
Many self-proclaimed 'professional photographers' today have skipped the foundational science classes and through self-experimentation have learned how to make and sell their photographic art. Nothing against their choice of career paths or the art they create but too often this type of photographer is a 'one-trick-pony', only able to create a few particular styles under certain set circumstances, without much reasoning or purpose. For example a photographer may use a high-contrast, over-exposed, bright 'sun-flare-in-the-background' look to create some artsy pictures, but what happens if you have an event at an impressive location and you really would like to see the building in background? Experienced professionals understand that it's really easy to blow-out backgrounds and with cheap lenses it's real easy to get lens flare, to properly expose and capture detail in a high-contrast lighting situation takes much more skill and is much more challenging. The best photography calls attention to the subject matter, not to the photography. A talented and well-experienced professional has the experience and skills to know how to work in any circumstance to get the shot, many amateurs take a lot of pictures in the hopes of accidentally getting a few good ones.
With the latest digital revolution (the world is once again flat) everyone everywhere is an 'expert'. In the wedding photography industry some untrained, self-appointed wedding photographer experts are teaching and promoting their artistic 'style' as though it is the newest, latest and greatest. Sadly it is based on exploiting the most common pitfalls of consumer-quality equipment, these same issues that have been labeled by experts over the years as bad photography. The uneducated blindly follow with awe and admiration. To the embarrassment of many, it doesn't take much education to realize that this 'new art' is some of the old 'most common problems' taught in photography 101 class that are now being glamorized as art. It is almost funny to watch this fad develop among amateur wedding photographers and then see some truly professional wedding photographers with expensive lenses (that are difficult to flare) now using photoshop to add flare, isn't that backwards? Should I mimic inferior-quality problems because inexperienced wedding photographers have tried to make it a popular wedding photography fad? It has been done before with such effects as adding blur, tinting or harsh-contrast to an image, if done judiciously to create a specific look or to achieve a neat effect is one thing, to be used to hide basic exposure or focus problems is another.
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In advanced photography courses you learn the how’s and whys of good composition; lighting ratios, highlight, midtone and shadow relationships and how to manipulate light to your best advantage; how to make a 2-D photograph look 3-D; the advantages and best uses of; C-curves, S-curves, triangular poses; when to use selective or hyper focus; when, how and why to use a wide-angle or tele-photo lens, etc. Many of these fundamentals originated in the art world long before photography was invented and form the foundation for the world's best art. I think it's clever for the amateur wedding photographer to attempt to create a fad (and call it art) based on their lack of ability, poor techniques and inferior equipment. I guess everyone is doing the best they can to sell what they've got. Will it become a lasting trend or only a fleeting fad? Meaningful photography subtly stirs a deep and lasting emotional response to it's viewers that grows over time. Fad photography initially calls attention to itself but ultimately its superficiality will become offensive to its viewers.
Should you hire a Consumer, Amateur, Pro-sumer or Professional Jacksonville Wedding Photographer? Give us a call and we will help you with your decision, even if you don't hire us.
Dan can guarantee your success because he has successfully covered nearly 500 events in the past 15 years! Dan understands that your event isn't about him, it's about you!
He wants you to have 'Your Day, Your Way!' Hiring Dan and his staff will insure superior quality without compromise.
Consider this:
DIGITAL IS DECEIVING!
Every picture can look good on a computer screen or on the back of a digital camera! You must look at LARGE prints or ALBUMS to reveal the true quality!
Don't settle for just a CD:
(Computer's Crash, CD's Deteriorate and Electronics Fail)
When ultimately what you really wanted was a Heirloom PhotoArt® Storybook Wedding Album:
Our printed Heirloom PhotoArt® looks much better than digital files!
Heirloom PhotoArt® lasts for hundreds of years and will provide generations of enjoyment!
You hire a professional to see your project through from beginning to end, you pay a professional for their experience in giving you the best advice to insure your goals are met and your project is successfully completed with fully guaranteed results. If you settle for a wedding photographer or family photographer who only gives you a CD you will only be disappointed later when you discover your CD is incapable of giving you the quality finished products you really wanted in the first place.
A photographer who has been hired to shoot for a CD will not shoot with as much care as one who is shooting for an album or for Designer Wall Decor as the requirements of a print file are much more demanding than a digital file on CD. They will spend little to no time editing and retouching. A 'shoot-n-burn' photographer will NOT guarantee the end results. Most make you sign a waiver saying they are not responsible for the finished products, guaranteeing your disatisfaction. Are you a professionally trained retoucher? Do you know someone who is? Do you know what it will cost to pay a retoucher to fix the images you received on CD? Is it a good value to pay someone half the price when they only do 25% of the work?
A CD is NOT a professionally finished, heirloom keepsake that will be passed down for generations! It probably won't last 5 years! (it's not rocket science, but even NASA lost the original hi-def images transmitted from the moon!) Our promise to you: we will NOT give you an unfinished product! All our products are fully guaranteed! We include complete retouching and digital re-mastering on all our printed products. Our Heirloom PhotoArt® LeatherArt Storybook wedding Albums and Prints will outlast any digital file.
In an emergency evacuation situation, when you grab the few items that are of the most value to you and your family, do you grab a CD or do you grab the family albums? Dan Harris PhotoArt is a full-service wedding and family portrait photographers studio that includes complete retouching and editing at no additional charge and guarantees the quality of ALL your finished products! Don't settle for disappointment. You deserve more from your once-in-a-lifetime event photography or family photo shoot than just a deteriorating, unreadable, shiny CD!
We don't hold your digital files hostage, in fact we want you to have copies of ALL your high-resolution digital files from your wedding or mitzvah because we don't want to be the only ones on the planet responsible for your originals! This has always been our policy even in the days of film. We continue to store our customers film and digital negatives, in fireproof safes (at no small cost to us), since 1996! Please call us to purchase your originals!
Amateur quality lenses and digital cameras vs professional quality photography
For years lens manufacturers have spent millions on research and development to create professional lenses that avoid problems of distortion, ghosting and lens flare. These lenses are very expensive and professional (and worth every penny if your goal as a professional photographer is to achieve the best quality possible, especially in less than optimal conditions).
Consumer/ Pro-sumer lenses and cameras mimic many of the features of professional equipment but at a much lower cost. Manufactures understand that most consumers don't need the same quality as the professionals use so offer the lower cost 'amateur' products by not providing the superior optics or capabilities afforded in the professional 'top-of-the-line' quality ones.
So today we are seeing many uneducated amateurs with consumer-grade (inferior) equipment attempting to sell the weaknesses of their equipment as though it were pre-planned art, --the sad part-- the uneducated believe them. Although blurry, blown-out, over-saturated pictures may make cool art, that 'one-trick pony' will get old very quickly.
Amateurs don't have the quality equipment or know-how to give you the crisp, clear, properly-focused and color-corrected images. Most clients don't want every picture blown out or blurry (in fact that type of special effect can be easily done in Photoshop, after capture, to any picture!) These amateurs have got it backwards because you really can't undo blurry or blown out later.
Don't be deceived by the unprofessional. Amateur equipment is easily recognizable by pop-up flashes, telescoping lenses and large lens flare!
Click here for more information for the beginning photographer.
Modern Jacksonville Wedding Photography and Photographers Fads and Fashion Trends
Wedding photography has always been about family relationships, romance, happy times, intimate moments, fun, excitement, anticipation, love and joy. In the days of old, wedding photography formally captured the closest family relationships and very little of the spontaneous moments. When photojournalists began photographing weddings more of the candid, spontaneous moments were captured. The heartfelt and emotional relationship images, whether captured formally or spontaneously, will be cherished for generations. As time moves on, the best of these images will be the classic ones uninhibited by time and place. If a picture has a lot of 'dated' elements in it, the fashion trends of that period will eventually distract from the image and take it from being a really cool, 'I look like a model in a magazine' image to a totally humiliating 'what was I thinking' picture that people will laugh at.
Magazines have often influenced wedding trends. Wedding magazines used to pay the best professional wedding photographers for their publication pictures. Today they have reduced their photography budget (and publication standards) by soliciting and printing most anything from anyone. It is very prestigious for a professional photographer to be paid handsomely for an image that's published in a respectable magazine especially when a well-trained, photo-editorial staff selected your shot from hundreds of other top professional photographers images. The sad reality is that many magazines have down-sized and eliminated their experienced photo editors so today the untrained office assistant chooses the pictures for the magazine from the few free submissions they received. There was a time when I was totally enamored with being published in a magazine, now, not so much. (remember the first time as a kid you saw yourself on --closed circuit-- TV... it was so exciting -you ran around telling everyone you were on TV and your dad had a hard time getting you to understand that you really weren't on TV, later when you realized the truth -you were a bit embarrassed.) Today's wedding magazine fashion photography trends of super saturation, funky colors, blown-out contrast, sun flare, the grunge look and fuzzy focus will probably not become classic styles and will ultimately be just another sad fad --hopefully not too embarrassing!
A few other notes regarding fashion photography images you see in magazines; professional models are easier to photograph and usually look better than regular people in photographs (silly, did you forget? That's why they are models! and if you were that 
photogenic you would be a model too!) Photographers who promote themselves because of their modeling images may be giving you a false sense of reality. The real question is what can they do with every-day normal people who aren't models? Well-trained photo editors print the images that are the most universally appealing, the pictures where the bride and groom are less identifiable. Have you noticed? Check it out! This common practice is based on the assumption that more brides will be able to relate to a picture if the details of the bride are more generic and less specific. Some Jacksonville wedding photographers are using this same psychological ploy on their websites posting mainly 'artsy' pictures depicting a generic bride and groom (blurry, face-in-the-shadows, backs to the camera, small head sizes, washed-out or sun-blown details, etc.). These types of pictures may be appealing from an outsider's perspective but if your wedding-day pictures were so artsy that you have difficulty identifying yourself in them, the reality of the final result may be major disappointment and dissatisfaction. Don't hire a photographer based on one thing hoping to get another, in the emotional frenzy of wedding planning, be sure to take some time for a reality check.
Now let's talk about an even more bizarre modern wedding photography trend. Some people call it: modern, trendy, chic, high-fashion, with-attitude, trash-the-dress and sometimes even retro. The images I'm referring to portray a dark and sad, disconnected and aloof, under-fed model often in unnatural and unauthentic poses. (do real people spontaneously contort like that?) Sometimes they look arrogant, void-of-feeling, defiant, stuck-up, bitchy or superficial. Very cold and contrived! You've seen the pictures I'm talking about where a lifeless bride and disconnected groom are separated by a piece of furniture or with their backs to each other and are cluelessly staring off into different directions or a haggard bride is bent into a funky masculine pose with the 'I don't give a care' attitude look, with dark and moody lighting. (it would be the perfect lighting setup to photograph a fallen clown in a mental institution.)
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Although these type of pictures may look very 'fasion-forward', I'm not sure that these type of images depict the true feelings of the bride and groom or the attitude of the bride towards her wedding or her wedding dress. (Maybe it reflects her attitude towards her mother-in-law? sorry, I didn't mean to say that. Reminds me of the crack-whore fashion models of the '80's --modern then, embarrassing now!) I assume these images are being made in jest and are NOT a true reflection of their REAL feelings ...or are they? ...a Freudian slip? I guess time will tell whether the bride really has distain for the groom or really hates her wedding dress! It would be sad if the lie that is communicated in the picture eventually becomes the truth. (I guess the divorced couple will then cut the furniture in half and each will take the picture of their disconnected self with them.) But on the other hand, if the modern bride and groom really dislike their faces they can cover them in lampshades and we will say the picture is modern art!
Should a wedding photographer force a bride and groom into a pose or picture that doesn't reflect their authentic feelings? I believe FAKE is a 4-letter word. If a bride and groom prefer not to perform public displays of affection, should a photographer force them into public 'sexy' or 'romantic' poses, portraying something completely false, for the sake of the photography? If the bride and groom are dignified should the photograher force them into doing something corney? We all really want to look our best in pictures but do we really want to look fake, corny or like something we're not? Do you want your photographer to create lies to mask the truth? (is the truth not pretty enough so it has to be superficially over coated?) Photojournalism photography works to document the real truth. Too often fashion photography works to artificially fake the non-existent. Will your wedding and photography be REAL or FAKE?
Two other bizarre trends worth mentioning (they are similar in nature); one is making the wedding day all about the wedding photography at the sacrifice of the guests and the other is making it all about the things and less about the people. I just went through the current issue of a national wedding magazine that just announced their 'best of weddings winners' popular voting contest (does the voting public ever get anything right?) and I was amazed to see that 90% of all editorial pictures were of things and not people! Is that really what weddings are about?... I guess they are if you are selling things! So my long-winded words of advice, don't buy into today's trendy hype that will be tomorrow’s disappointments. Hire a photographer whose pictures will capture your honest values because they will increase in value over time, not today's fleeting fads that will embarrass you tomorrow.
That's how I see it, feel free to share your comments VIA e-mail
Business Content: A quick note to the ORPHANED bride: If your wedding photographers left you out in the cold with only a CD of your hi-resolution images (or digital negatives) and you don't know where to turn or who to trust for professional help, we can provide complete design, editing, retouching, printing and album services. We can make the photos the best they can be (maybe not as good as if we took the pictures ourself, but we will try). Our complete album design service starts at $500. E-mail us for more information. Please note: all price quotes are non-binding until we see the actual files you will be providing to determine if a quality product is capable of being produced from the digital files you provide.
"We get the shots that others miss!"
~ "Capturing the distinctive moment . . . for a lifetime of memories" ~
"Everything we do is customized for YOU! -- Your Day, Your Way!"
"You won't find better quality at any price! You Deserve The Best!"
"Anyone can take pictures, we create Heirloom PhotoArt®"
"Nobody tells your story better!"
"We provide enduring heirloom ART of a contemporary style, not fleeting fashions that fade!"
(Looks like I'm collecting tag lines ...maybe I should have been the tag-line writer for an ad agency. I can't decide which is my favorite.)
Modern Rock Star Photographer
When I was 9 years old I dreamed of being a rock star just like Davey Jones, but I shortly grew out of it. After college, at the beginning of my career, I thought it would be really cool to be on the road and travel --until I did it! Now I am content traveling 3-4 times a year to exotic locations of my choosing (but not much more than that as my dog misses me). I encourage everyone to follow their passion and dreams, but I also suggest you 'test the water' before 'jumping off the cliff'. I know several wedding photographers who passionately (and with the encouragement of paid instructors), jumped off the cliff only to learn (after they booked 40 weddings and shot 15) that it wasn't what they thought it would be --so they skipped town. Not really a smart business move, but an incredible 'school of hard knocks' education!
If you have the dream of being a rock star and want to do a fantasy photo session and really glam it up, we can create some fantastic images that will give you the exact look of a super star, without any of the downside! It will be fun! But realize I'm not the rock star and won't be wearing the rock star jeans! Reality TV, the internet and social networking sites have instilled in today's youth the 'rock-star' dream of fame, hopefully your dream doesn't include long workdays, boring bus rides, difficult living and working conditions and too much time away from the people and places you love which drives you to drinking! We will capture you looking your best and will help you 
get your photographs published worldwide if that is what you want, or we can just publish them to the web for your close friends and family to enjoy --your choice!
The Jacksonville Wedding Photography Assistant Photographers of Dan Harris Photo Art are now available for hire!
Dan Harris Photo Art has 5 good assistant wedding photographers on staff but Dan usually only uses 1 or 2 of them per week. (Most of them have full-time weekday jobs and only shoot weddings part-time in the evening or on weekends.) Many of the images on this website were taken by Dan's assistants then edited and retouched by Dan. If you are on a tight budget, Dan's assistants have agreed to help you out by shooting your wedding for less than Dan's price. Dan and his staff will still provide all the pre- and post-wedding consultations, retouching, album design, etc.
Call or e-mail to set an appointment to go over all the details.
Check out one of our weddings featured in "Wedding & Reception Services" magazine
But don't be too impressed, the magazine didn't pay us for the spread ;- (
as featured in:
Click here for our frequently asked wedding photography questions.
Science Content: Professional Medium-Format true 16-bit images (at any size) have a clarity that even Full-Frame DSLR and Consumer Half-Frame Digital Cameras don't; Check it out:
The quality is in the details. Medium Format Digital has an unsurpassed clarity (at any size) that isn't found in any smaller camera.
Click on the images above to learn more.
"EVERYONE'S A PHOTOGRAPHER"
Isn't photography fun! Taking and sharing photos of your family and friends, with the internet and modern digital technology, has become faster and easier than ever before. The new age of instant gratification! Some of my best customers are photographers. Just about everyone today is a photographer, some for fun, some for hire, we are all just on different levels! To the 'mom-with-a-camera' don't let your 'one-shot-in-a-thousand' images stay trapped in the camera or computer (destined to die in the digital graveyard) bring them to us and we will pull out the best, bring it to life and produce an heirloom work of art for you to cherish for a lifetime!
Anyone can take pictures but that doesn't mean your important photography job should be left to just anyone. Not many jacksonville professional photographers can see your complete project through from beginning to the finished Heirloom PhotoArt-® that will be passed down for generations. A less experienced photographer will take hundreds of pictures hoping to get a few good ones; an experienced professional photographer will take hundreds of images and deliver hundreds of good ones. A real professional is not just a picture taker but has the best experience, training, equipment, skill and talent to bring it all together! When you pay a professional you aren't just paying for someone to 'snap a picture', you are paying for expert consultation, valuable advice and creative input based on years of experience (including the best photo selection, digital re-mastering and image retouching) to ensure your images are the best possible representation of you, your event, your family, your product or your company.
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Everything we do not only insures exceptional heirloom quality but insures complete success at your event. Even the best jacksonville photographers will have equipment malfunctions; we have the experience and backup equipment to ensure that your event photography won't suffer, no matter the circumstances.
Most everyone in photography has a strong passion for photography, but that doesn't insure success. The hobby of taking pictures isn't the same as the business of photography. One of the most difficult photography assignments (when done properly) is wedding photography, yet here in Jacksonville, Florida it seems wedding photography is where the inexperienced photographers want to start, I guess that's why so many brides are dissatisfied with their wedding photography. A smart photographer apprentice will properly educate themselves then work their first 3-5 years in photography under the protective wing of an experienced pro to 'learn the ropes' and insure career success with limited failures prior to breaking out on their own and then will 'break out' on photography assignments they can guarantee to be successful, like family portrait sessions in ponte vedra beach, not once-in-a-lifetime events. A true professional doesn't meet you at the local cafe or coffee shop, doesn't get photographic prints at the grocery or drug store and will know how to fully retouch and archivally store, preserve and reproduce your images so they will last multiple generations. Your image should be the best, don't pay for something less!
Consider this: The Bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten!
Professional Quality with Personalized Informal Service
manifests itself in the finished products. Taking the photos is only half of our service, we assist our clients along every step of the artistic process including choosing, editing, croping and designing their finished artwork, albums and frames --this enhances the final outcome and insures total satisfaction on your unique 'one-of-a-kind' project.
