Commission Original Art!
Portraits are my speciality. I have been working as a portrait photographer for about 10 years. Six of those years I worked primarily with small children and special needs individuals doing in home location portrait work. I have worked on location for numerous portrait commissions, both photographic and painted. Unfortunately I lost a lot of my files in my recent house fire and much of my work's copyright is retained by the companies I've worked for throughout the years. However if I am successful in retrieving any damaged digital files I will post more samples here.
Commissioning a portrait is easy. My painted portraits begin at $450 for a single individual's bust, $650 for full length. Add 75% of the price for each additional person to be painted. These prices will vary with complications and can be negotiated. A large group on a smaller canvas or a complex background are examples of complications.
All of my oil paintings are created with Windsor and Newton oil paints on a professionally primed super-flexible canvas or linen. I work with amber resin infused mediums from Alchemist Inc. according to Flemish tradition. This is work that will yellow very little with age, needs no varnishing, can be easily cleaned, and if treated with respect will last a millennium.
I prefer to work from photographs, and I prefer to shoot the photographs myself, being that I know what kind of image will transfer well to a painted medium, although any professional photograph will do (ForYourInfo, 9 times out of 10 I would not consider those guys and gals at Sears and Pennies and Walmart professionals. If you saw the individual taking your photograph at McDonald's serving your food the month before, get out of there. I don't care if their 8x10's are only $2.50 each, they're still a rip off).
I will travel anywhere in the world if my expenses are paid and I receive reasonable remuneration.
For a location photo shoot I charge a $150 sitting fee, plus reasonable expenses, and $50 of that is applied toward print purchase. I will also sell negatives for $200, and if you spend over $250 on prints I'll give you the negatives free of charge. I shoot on proessonal equipment including a Nikon D200 used for the majority of my work, a Mamya 645 Pro (medium format), and a good old 35 mm Nikon 2000.
I have experience not only with families and children but have been hired for pet shoots and portraits as well as boudoir photography and modeling portfolio shoots.
Digital retouching and alterations are available. I charge $40 for basic retouch or $18 per hour for dramatic and artistic digital alterations plus negative scanning fees if needed.
Nothing is too crazy, and creativity has no bounds. Just ask me and I'll do my best to make your vision come alive!
