About Me
Hey, I’m Steven
I’m a Dallas, TX based Photographer and Videographer that loves helping people. I truly enjoy being behind the camera and using my creative gifts to connect with others.
My Camera Journey
I grew up a stones throw from New York City, with the city skyline a backdrop looming in our suburban landscape. We all dreamed of that world and what it entailed: television, music, theater, fashion, film, business, and other industries my childhood brain didn’t understand. I idolized filmmaking from an early age, which would lead me to decide to study TV/Film in college at St. John’s University. During that time, while I enjoyed all the film studies courses and really learning about the craft, I gravitated towards television as it seemed to provide more post college opportunity at the time. I was fortunate to start working in the live TV industry right out of school, and even as a fish out of water in the professional world, I was overjoyed and just soaked everything in. I even met my wife at the studio, so it was literally life changing in many ways.
I really gravitated towards everything camera related.
Live TV was a rush - until it ended abruptly. Changes in technology and viewership basically shut down our productions, and I was forced to take another path. I found my way to a wonderful job at Showtime Networks on the program planning team, where my role was literally to screen films and program the schedule for several channels. So even then, I was still studying and consuming all things film. Then as fate would have it, opportunity took us to Texas. My wife grew up in the DFW area and I fell in love with the state. Wanting to settle down a bit and start a family, we took a chance and 13 years later, I’d say it worked out! I then spent the next 10 years working at the University of North Texas, leading a group of creatives on the marketing team for the student union. We did some amazing work together, much of which was video focused. While there, I also went back to school and obtained an MBA. Working with creative minds every day was life changing, and we all learned and grew together. Shortly after when I became a dad, I really picked up photography and everything just “clicked,” pun intended. I then transitioned to an in-house full time content producer role, developing photo and video content while freelancing more on the side. I think the variety of experience I have from live TV, film studies, marketing, and content production really sets me a part from a lot of other creatives out there.
Companies I’ve Worked With
Fun Facts
I grew up on Long Island, which really just means I have a lot of strong opinions about pizza.
My first “real” job was at a Blockbuster Video. If you don’t know what that is, ask your parents.
My first real job out of college was at MTV Studios in Times Square. I was part of the technical crew that worked on TRL, MTV News, MTV2, and much more.
My useless movie knowledge proved useful in helping me obtain a job with Showtime on the programming and scheduling team.
My first Emmy nomination didn’t come from my time in television, but for an advertisement I produced for the Credit Union of Texas.
I was once woken up by Dave Grohl. See job at MTV.
I was a Make-A-Wish kid, and actually the 2500th wish recipient for the Metro New York Chapter.
I once played drums in a punk rock show at CBGB’s before it was torn down.
I also performed with a supergroup band of musicians that normally played with Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
I have never broken a bone.
FAQ
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My goal as a documentary style shooter is to capture things the way I see it. I’m not dark and moody, or light and airy, but probably somewhere in the middle. I try to ensure my photos and video accurately reflect the colors and light of the scene.
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Absolutely! I’m always down to grab a cup of coffee and talk about your project or just talk shop. I’m based out of Frisco, Texas.
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I pride myself on efficient workflows, and strive to have most Family, Events, Couples, and other lifestyle photo sessions delivered within a week. Wedding packages may vary depending on the season, but I always try to send sneak peeks very quickly. I think the longest delivery turnaround I’ve had yet is 6 weeks.
Videography is a slightly different process and varies project to project. But for weddings, I try to deliver the wedding teaser 1-2 weeks after the event date, and the final deliverables within 8 weeks. -
I generally deliver all useable images for each shoot. For example, family sessions typically see 30-50 images. For weddings and other private events, I think a good guideline is 50-100 photos per hour of shoot time.
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As mentioned above, I deliver all useable images and my package details are reflective of this. I’m not one of those photographers that charges a session fee and then are surprised to learn you have to buy the digital rights for any of the actual photos after the fact. While that approach leaves money on the table for me, I feel I deliver a better customer experience.
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For photographing most weddings, it is strongly recommended to have a second photographer ensure no details are missed. If your timeline is stacked, it’s also helpful to divide and conquer. If I’m photographing the bride, my second can go shoot the groom.
For video, second shooters are included in all of my main packages as I feel it is more imperative to have second angles and back up coverage to edit your film. -
I keep your images on the gallery site for a minimum of 1 year. However, I haven’t run out of space yet, so I have all of my shoots from the past few years backed up. For videos, I keep delivered files accessible on file share sites for 3 months and I hold on to raw video files for a minimum of 1 year. But I always try to educate my clients on best practices of storing their images and media files when I can.
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Yes. If your venue needs documentation please let me know!
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As of now, I try to stay local to the DFW area. Depending on the right circumstances, I’d be open to discussing a destination location!
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My photography kit includes a Canon EOS R5 and R6. My videography A-Cam is a Canon C70 cinema camera with the R5 and R6 as B and C cameras. I have a variety of lenses that covers pretty much all needed focal lengths. I also own a drone for aerial video and photo as well as a full light kit and audio kit for different video needs.
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