FAQs
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, you can ask it by using this form.
Store Questions
Q: Do you review store orders before they are printed?
A: For all Print Store prints I do. I offer my prints in many sizes. Some of these require the photo to be cropped to make them fit the size you selected. You have the ability to adjust this yourself when ordering, but just in case a person forgets this or doesn’t know about it, I review the order and if necessary make changes to ensure it will look good when it arrives.
This additional step adds 1-2 days to the shipping process, but it is already calculated into the estimated delivery period when you place the order. I want you to be happy with your order so I feel this added step is worth the extra time.
For Portrait session prints, I don’t review the orders. I format the pictures to standard sizes (e.g. 4x6 or 5x8) and expect most people will order the print to match that size. I also usually give an explanation of how to order prints with clients when reviewing their proofs.
Q: What usage rights do I get when I buy one of your prints?
A: You are free to use the print for all non-commercial use. You are free to display it in your home or office as you would any artwork. You are not allowed to resell it in any way, even if you modify it. You are also not allowed to display it in an Art Gallery. If you’d like to show some of my photos, please contact me.
Q: There is a photo in your gallery that I want to print but it isn’t on your store. How can I get it?
A: All of the images in my gallery should have a title with them. Send me a message with the name of the image and I’ll see about making it available!
Q: Why did the link to your store take me to a different website?
A: I use a company called Pixieset for both my Print Store and my Client Proofs. This is the website you are taken to when you click on the store link. They are a Gallery Platform that is easy for clients to use on both desktop and mobile phones. They offer secure transactions and provide quality services.
Q: There was a problem with my order, do I contact you or Pixieset for help?
A: Please contact me. I want you to be happy with your purchase so if you’re not satisfied with your order, please let me know using this form and I’ll work to sort it out.
General Questions
Q: What type of cameras do you use?
A: I always say the best camera is the one you have with you, but when I get to pick which one I carry, I use Nikon and Fujifilm cameras. My main cameras are the Nikon Z8 and the Fujifilm X-H2.
Q: Why those cameras?
A: When the Fujifilm X-T3 came out, it got a lot of praise as a good video and photo camera. Since I do both, I decided to give it a try. Then I started investing in lenses for that system and got hooked on the Fuji Style and ecosystem. I enjoy the weather sealing and physical dials of the cameras. The lenses are, for the most part, excellent, with a few primes that struggle for video work.
The Fujifilm X-H2 is a powerhouse of a camera that provides some of the best photos and videos from a cropped sensor. However, as I grew in my photography skills, I kept butting up against the limitations of that cropped system due to its weaker lowlight performance and deeper depth of field. I bought the Nikon Z8, a full-frame camera, to improve wildlife photography. It’s led to more keepers from day one and was an excellent choice. I still love my Fuji cameras for their picture beauty and have no plans to stop using them anytime soon.
Q: How do you capture the Astrophotography Photos?
A: I use my Fuji X-T4. If it is a wide shot showing the horizon and many stars I will usually use the XF16mm f2.8 prime or, if I need things a bit wider, the XF10-24mm f4 lens. I’ll just put that on a tripod and take a number of photos then use stacking software like StarryLandscapeStacker to realign the stars before taking it into Lightroom or Photoshop.
For the deep space objects, I use the XF150-600mm f5.6-8 telephoto lens and will sometimes put a 1.4x teleconverter on it to get a bit more zoom. This setup then requires a star tracker to rotate the camera at the same speed as the stars to allow for up to 2 minutes of exposure time. I use the iOptron SkyTracker Pro for this. This is a difficult and time-consuming setup, and if you are only interested in taking astrophotos, I’d recommend looking at a dedicated telescope and camera mount, but since I photograph a lot of subjects, I invested in the telephoto lens and have just figured out how to make it work. The iOptron SkyTracker Pro is great. The problem is the lens isn’t made for pointing up into the sky. It doesn’t have a zoom clutch nor a manual focus lock so I am constantly fiddling with these over the course of a night. I use slightly different stacking software called Starry Sky Stacker to combine the multiple long exposures into a final image before doing post processing in Lightroom or Photoshop.
Q: Can I use one of your pictures for a project?
A: I own all the rights to both the printed and digital copies of my photos including what you see on my website. When you purchase a photo from me, physical or digital, you are given a license to use it for personal use only. This amounts to displaying it yourself or giving a copy to your family.
If you want to use use one of my photos for any other use, please get in touch with me. For the most part, I will charge you for a usage license to use the photo, with the exception being perhaps for a school project in which case I would provide you with a watermarked image if approved.