Here’s a few from Nicole and Matthew’s wedding. Their gallery will be up in a couple weeks.








Here’s a few from Nicole and Matthew’s wedding. Their gallery will be up in a couple weeks.








Just a peek at one of the many things offered to my clients!
The guest book is usually a hit at receptions. It’s like an album showcasing the engagement photos. Never again will couples stash their boring guestbook away never to be seen again! These pages are thick, lay-flat pages – not thin, cheap magazine-style pages that bend and crease. Now you’ll have a reason to get it out and take a peek AFTER your wedding.
Also, ALL of my clients get a custom case for their disc. Wedding discs come in a custom fabric case (not shown). Engagement and other portrait sessions come in a custom photo case with magnetic closure. This particular case cover was printed on metallic paper…giving it a high-impact look and depth. The photo does not do it justice.
Interested in what we can offer you? Schedule your FREE consultation!

It was cold today but we did it anyway! We met out at Jax Beach for the engagement session. It was fun. We talked. We laughed. We froze. Ha ha ha. But in the end, it was a good photo session!
Here’s just a few from today.



I’ve finally finished editing all the photos from Nicole & Matthew’s fun session…and here’s some more!







More to come soon!
Today, I met with Nicole & Matthew for their engagement session. They are so comfortable in front of the camera – it makes my job so much easier! I am now sure that photographing their wedding will be a blast! Nicole & Matthew are a fun couple who so clearly love each other immensely. I just LOVE seeing pure love between two people.





Met up with Kimberly and Michael (and soon to arrive, Kendal) last week for a maternity session on the beach. It was fun and relaxed. I’m looking forward to Kendal’s arrival to hopefully take some shots of what will no doubt be a beautiful baby boy!





Little Jackson was only 2 weeks old when I went to photograph him and his parents at their home. Oh, how I miss little babies!

This article has been very well received by the photography community, and is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.
It was written by Shawn Richter of Caught on Film Photography
Why are professional photographers so expensive?
In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home “photo printers,” we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is not just paying for the actual photograph; they’re paying for time and expertise.
The average one-hour portrait session
First, let’s look at the actual work involved:
You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a personal photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.
The eight-hour wedding
A wedding photographer typically meets with the bride and groom several times before and after the wedding. And it’s not uncommon to end up with 1,000 – 2,000 photos, much more than a portrait session. Many photographers spend 40-60 hours working on one eight-hour wedding if you look at the time that is truly involved. Again, when a wedding photographer charges $4,000 for eight hours of coverage, clients are NOT paying them $500 an hour!
(Don’t forget that the photographer runs the wedding day to some extent. A comfortable, confident wedding photographer can make a wedding day go more smoothly.)
The expertise and cost of doing business
Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.
Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!
In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.
The chain store photo studio
Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run in, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.
Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a personal photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or the patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.
The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What the chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos…and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.
The real deal
Professional, personal photographers are just that—professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with professional, personal photographs of cherished memories.
Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors costs $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.
The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.
Conclusion
We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Here’s just a few of my favorites so far as I’m going through Jennifer & Hunter’s wedding photos.





I met up with Joanna this past Sunday for a fun photo session. Here’s a few…but you can see the entire gallery at http://www.jeanmoree.com/customerproofs/joanna/





I finally decided to get rid of my long, long hair. And, yes, I’ve had this same hairstyle for 9 years. And, because I had soooooooo much hair, I decided to donate it. I went to Scorpio’s Day Spa in Starke, FL and had Tim (the only one I trust to cut my hair) do the deed. I brought my friend, Melissa, along with me to photograph this event.

Sarah and Phil are getting married December 12th in Amelia Island.
Here are some of my favs from their engagement session.










And who can resist a cute face like this??? I HAD to photograph this adorable baby!


September 13, 2009
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
University Center
located on the University of North Florida Campus
12000 Alumni Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
For driving directions click here