We’ve received a lot of questions here at TimothySmithPhotography.com. The following is a snippet from a recent interview given by owner Tim Smith.
Q. What got you started in this photography business?
A. When we {my wife and I} were in college, we bought our first camera together, started shooting, and discovered we really loved it. We eventually discovered buying a camera with our college money also meant we didn’t have much left over to eat… Since eating was (an still is) much to our liking, we started charging money for our pictures…Lo and behold, our business was born.
Q. What makes you different from other photographers?
Affordability without sacrificing quality.
Did you know Photographers will charge you a session fee PLUS you have to pay for the prints? Most even require you purchase a specific dollar amount of prints just to receive a “lower” session fee. Be sure to check the fine print. Photographers charge more if you choose to have your pictures done during the weekend. Some even go so far as to limit the amount of people per shot.
We don’t require you to purchase our prints. We give them to you copyright free on a DVD! This means you can print them anywhere you like! We don’t charge you more to have your pictures done on the weekend. We don’t require you to purchase anything more from us at all. We don’t limit the people in the shot. We don’t limit the number of shots, we don’t limit clothing changes. We figure it’s your hour. We don’t have any fine print.
On location shooting. We go anywhere, any time, to photograph anything. Yup, we’ll even photograph your Great Aunt Tessie riding Jumbo the Elephant. Don’t Worry. Included
Multiple clothing changes. Included
We don’t limit the people in the shot. So you booked for you and your loved one. Then your mom called and now you’re stuck with a 20 Family member shot. That’s ok. Included.
Q. What goes on behind the scenes after the photo shoot?
A. Good Question! Actually, it’s quite a long process. We begin by backing up the photos then editing with PS4 and Lightroom. We check print levels, and design the Custom cases. After printing, we verify the media integrity and ship. Occasionally, we’ve even been known to deliver. 
Q. Why/how are you able to keep your photos so cheap?
A. We understand wanting memories to last. We also understand not everyone can dig under their couch cushions and find the $250 charged by most photographers. So, we came up with an alternative– Timothy Smith Photography. Since we don’t own a studio, we’re able to cut that cost. We keep our advertising to a minimum, relying largely on word of mouth referrals. Each gig we do, we put that money right back into our photography. All this, plus photography isn’t our full time job provides us with the opportunity to offer exclusive savings to others.
Q. What Equipment do you use?
A. We are a Canon only shop. We also endorse Last – o – Light, Manfrotto, and Apple.
Q. How often do you do photography sessions during the week?
A. At least 2-3 per week. Obviously it takes a lot of time for us to edit and ship, plus we have our own jobs too!
Q. Do you prefer shooting Artsy photos or Traditional?
A. A mixture of both. I find great liberty in shooting artsy photos, it gives me great pleasure to my soul. Traditional photos are a lot of fun because inevitably people cut up and laugh a lot during the sessions. It is always a joy to spend time with people, laughing and enjoying life. My goal is to translate this using the image.
