ABOUT SHORESHOT PHOTOGRAPHY
ACTIVE MEMBERS OF BOTH PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF AMERICA AND WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL
WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE:
If you are so inclined..... please read the following..... it is a nice way to introduce you to Professional Photography Services... and why you need it...
You are special.... and the events in your life are special. Precious in fact.
In the digital revolution that we are currently experiencing, many people make the common mistake of believing that purchasing an expensive (or not so expensive) top-rated camera will produce great photos. Unfortunately, many will look at the pictures they took and find that this simply is not the case. There is more to photography than buying a camera, and taking "pictures." That process is called taking "snapshots," regardless of the camera used.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS A SCIENCE! It must be studied, learned and applied. It takes professional photographers thousands if not tens of thousands of photos before they even begin to understand the science applied in this art. In fact, take a look at a "simple" definition of the word:
"Photography is the technique of recording and generating permanent images, by the capturing and preservation of physical stimulus-patterns on a layer of chemical material. It involves recording light patterns as reflected from objects, on to a sensitive chemical layer through momentary exposure. The process is done through mechanical, chemical or digital devices commonly known as camera.
The word comes from the Greek words "phos" ("light"), and "graphis" ("stylus", "paintbrush") or phos graph, together meaning "drawing with light" or "representation by means of lines", "drawing."
Therefore, Photography is both a Science, as well as an Art. You can't have one without the other and expect great photos. This is what separates the Professional Photographers from the average "Point and Shoot" weekend photo enthusiasts. Several factors enter into taking a Professional Photograph, many of which are completely unfamiliar to non-professionals; Grey-scales, circles of confusion, depth of field, aperture settings, white-balance, drop-off, lens flare, composition, thirds, stops, and a host of hundreds of other scientific principles. It is our job to know both the science and art that is Photography.
REMEMBER: Cameras don't make photographs..... Professional Photographers do!
Our Front Line Staff ( ok.... who I am.... and the others you will meet along the way.... )
Gary S. Latimer: This is me... In a nutshell... I love life.... I love people... I love anything that is visually stimulating. THIS is the perfect combination for your Photographer! Now take those elements.... and add with it a Bachelor's of Art's Degree from Kean University, several NJ State Issued Licenses, and what you end up with is a well-rounded person ready and able to do what you need... capture great images, have the educational capacity to understand what you expect... as well as being checked and double-checked by the NJ State Police and the FBI! It just doesn't come any cleaner than that! (OK... just so we clear the air.... I hold an RN License... a Real Estate License.... I've been a Special Police Officer and Auxiliary Police Officer as well as an Intern (with Security Clearance) for the United States Postal Inspection Service.... and spent 9 years as a decorated FireFighter / EMT / Haz-Mat Technician in Middlesex County. The positions I've held over the years have allowed me to see a side of life few ever get to. Both good and bad. In turn, it has allowed me to broaden the way I view life, and how I approach people. Everything is not just black / white.... rather 256 shades of grey. To that extent... this helps me view events and people in a wider scope..... not just as a subject, rather an entire person that will have emotions, people and items that are important to them.
Having lived life in the E.R. ...... and having saved lives and whatnot with my years of public service.... I wanted to take all that energy and focus it on things that are inherently happy. Portrait sessions are always fun.... as are weddings. At least... that's how I view them.
Stephen M. Latimer is also on staff for events, rallies, as well as other assignments.... in particular, if it happens on the streets... he can cover it. Well-traveled around the globe, Mr. Stephen Latimer has been published in magazines and has captured the flavor of the cities, villages and cultural events ranging from Mexico, (Cold-War Soviet Union) Russia, to China. His specialty is "capturing a side of life that most of us miss.... or never had the opportunity to see".
And that's it for the "Latimer" folks.... the others are dedicated photographers and assistants that enjoy the photographic journey as much as we do. We contract with top-level photo editors, graphic designers and other professionals to help create your end-product.
We have a nice and down-to-earth group that is ready and willing to work with you...... and for you. That said...... let's go to the next section~!
It's VERY, VERY, VERY important to know what WE WILL DO!
It is always my goal... no matter what the occasion.... to ensure that each moment, each little nuance...... is captured. It's THAT simple. Can I give you a guarantee on this? No... but for the most part.. we capture nearly 100% of what our clients' expect. For our portraits... we hit 100% almost consistently.... and if we don't .... we shoot again (no charge). We do guarantee our efforts.... and we do try to hit the highest marks possible.
Once we contract with you, you will become our focus. What does that mean?
Our clients understand that like a specialty meal prepared by a master-chef, each wedding, portrait or event is personally crafted by me. Each image is reviewed and gone over to look for any obvious flaws, color correction and finally end-product design. Because of the service we provide, the process takes time. It's not automated, and looking over several hundred images and editing takes roughly 40-80 hours worth of time (this is the "hidden" aspect of professional photography, and generally the reason that Professional Photographer rates are what they are).
Along the way, particularly for weddings, we will be in contact with you from time-to-time before and after your wedding. We can help guide you with the event process as we have been to, and worked at, several weddings each year. We know for the most part, when the bouquet toss will be, when the cake-cutting will happen as well as what "spur-of-the-moment" type things will occur.... people are people, and we know what to expect. It's what we do best.
For portraits, we typically work with those who are easy-going, like to be adventurous and want more than a typical department store type image. We use familiar surroundings and come to you. In your environment, you will be more at ease, and your portraits will show better as a result. We do believe that portraits are an investment, and as such, like weddings, we go over each image to find and create the "perfect" portrait. We look at the little things like hair and eyes.... are they perfect, or is there another image where the eye "twinkles" just a little more?
There is a limited amount of items we generally will not agree to shoot. We don't list them specifically, however, if it's not in good taste, or otherwise illegal or immoral, you can pretty much assume that we will not agree to work with you.
Any time a minor asks to have their portrait taken, a parent or teacher/coach must be present during the session. There are never exceptions to this rule.
If a female is requesting a "glamour" type session, a female from ShoreShot Photography must also be present, particularly if there are plans to have images done which involve minimal clothing or swimsuits. The only exception to this is if the client has another person present during the session as a witness, however, we may still insist upon brining another staff member along anyway.
Last on this short list, is the point that we do take our time reviewing images. It is a lengthy process... and barring any exceptions we may individually agree on, images and your final product do take time to deliver. Again, if a quick portrait/picture is all you are after, then certainly there are plenty of department stores willing to do this for you. What we do is different.... individualized.... and time-intensive.
Professionalism, dedication and commitment to creating a superior image.
We work with those who love life, like having a great time during their sessions and overall have a positive outlook on things.
The photography is all about YOU. YOU are what we base our business on, and it shows. Thank you for taking the time to review this section and we look forward to serving your needs.
SHORESHOT PHOTOGRAPHY
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-267-4969
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY, PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY, SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY, EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY, STILL LIFE / COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY