Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are answers to the most frequent questions asked of me as a professional photographer. If you don’t find the answer you seek, please reach out right now.

General Info

Here I’ll answer your most burning personal and professional questions.

It’s really, really good.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people overestimate their abilities and don’t recognize their self-serving favoritism. I can’t say if I suffer from this effect; that’s for you to judge.

Although saying I’m the “best photographer” is an opinion, and some folks might assign me that label, you should decide if I’m the best for you.

When determining who is best, objective and subjective standards influence any rankings.

Objectively, I can quantify that I have more photography awards, more prestigious clients, and better equipment than other photographers. I also have more experience than most photographers.

Subjectively, my peers have recognized me as a photography leader, and my photography is regularly recognized as superior to most contemporaries.

Folks sometimes also identify the consistency in my photography. That means that my photographs are intentional, not lucky or happy accidents—although I, too, get lucky from time to time.

You can see my work, read my words, and then decide if I’m the best Houston photographer for your project. I hope you’ll decide in my favor!

I’m sure that by almost any measure, most folks would consider me a successful photographer—at least among my Houston photographer peers.

However, for true success, my work must evolve and improve. My professional goal is to always be better than I was last week. And if I can meet that standard, then my continued success is assured.

Rather than list my personal and professional virtues, let me answer your question with a quote sometimes attributed to John Ruskin:

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that’s all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot—it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder …

I switched from a hobbyist photographer to a professional photographer in 2004. For my full story, check out About Rob Greer.

My studio carries $1,000,000 dollars in business liability insurance ($2,000,000 general aggregate) and full replacement equipment insurance on all gear valued at more than $100.

I also carry a $1,000,000 personal liability umbrella policy. I’m happy to provide certificates of insurance (COI) on request.

My business liability insurance company is The Hartford—an A+ agency that’s widely considered the best overall for its highly rated claims service.

I use the best equipment in the world. For more information about my gear, check out my Photography Equipment for a full list.

You might not be aware of the quality and expense of the equipment that I’ll bring to bear on your project.

For example, instead of buying just the equipment in my smallest camera bag, I could have purchased any of these brand-new automobiles: Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Kia Soul, Mazda MAZDA2, Nissan Cube, Nissan Versa, Suzuki SX4, or Toyota Yaris.

Although I admit that these cars aren’t luxury brands, they represent a larger investment than you might expect to see from many photographers.

In addition to the expense of camera bodies and lenses, I also must pay for flashes, memory cards, straps, and the other equipment that I need for every project.

As Dr. Hammond of Jurassic Park fame famously said, “I spared no expense!” This investment helps me create the best possible photographs for your project. If you’re interested, you can always check out more gear information.

As a super-busy photographer creating headshots and portraits and covering events at venues across Houston, I manage hundreds of thousands of image files every year—and every one of them is incredibly important.

With that in mind, I’ve developed a carefully considered and secure method of helping to make sure that none of your image files are ever lost, misplaced, or damaged.

First, my cameras use two memory cards. This feature, usually only available on the best professional camera bodies, means I can simultaneously write the same image files on two cards. That means that in the highly unlikely situation where one card fails, there’s another memory card available with those same files, ensuring photographs aren’t lost if there’s a problem with the card.

In addition to writing to two cards, I only use 256GB or 128GB memory cards. I use these large-capacity memory cards because I never need to exchange them during an event. Given anecdotal evidence, most stories of lost photos occur when photographers misplace memory cards when they remove them from their cameras.

Since I use large-capacity memory cards, your photographs never leave my cameras until I return to my computer, where I’m in a safe, clean environment and ready to download them.

If you want to geek out further on my workflow, check out my Photographer Workflow article, designed to help other photographers ensure they never lose their client photos.

As for my camera and lighting equipment, I always carry backup camera bodies, backup lenses, backup flashes, backup studio heads, backup batteries, and backup memory cards.

And my primary photography equipment and my backup photography equipment match. This means that if my camera body dies, my backup camera is the same quality. And if a lens breaks, I have at least one other top-of-the-line lens available.

If the unthinkable happens and my photography equipment fails, I’ll complete your job with backup gear that’s as good as my primary gear. For a full accounting of gear, check out my camera equipment inventory.

My pricing for most projects is available online. Check out my headshot photography pricing, portrait photography pricing, event photography pricing, and product photography pricing.

My story of becoming a professional photographer began with an obsession with nature photography. While pursuing my hobby, I realized that it would make better financial sense to write off my incredibly expensive camera equipment.

And with that sole idea in mind, I became a professional photographer.

My most common work is as a commercial and industrial photographer, headshot photographer, and event photographer. However, I also work as a product photographer and an editorial portrait photographer.

If you ever ask me which photography discipline I prefer, I’ll usually reply with “all of them.”

As is the answer to many of life’s questions, it depends on the situation.

For event photography, I prefer the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and
Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. For commercial photography, I prefer the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S, Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S, and Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S. For product photography, I prefer the Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro Lens.

And if my feet were held to the fire (which probably hurts) and I had to pick one lens, I’d pick the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2.

When I was an amateur, I used film. I even developed my own work using traditional darkroom chemicals and experimented with both 35mm and medium-format film systems, and I enjoyed that process.

But I’d never use film professionally. Besides the cost, film isn’t as reliable as digital capture. If there is any error, the images are lost forever.

Also, since film negatives are scanned and digitized, and since digital files can be made to look exactly like scanned film, I see no benefit to what some photographers call “the film look.”

Although using film has become a popular photographer differentiation strategy, given film’s technical and business limitations, I won’t use a film-based workflow in my professional photography practice.

Here are some reasons why I believe digital photography is superior to film photography:

  • Digital photographs are immediately available. Labs delay film development.
  • Digital camera issues are immediately visible. Film camera issues are discovered after film is developed.
  • Processing and storing digital photographs costs less than developing, printing, and digitizing film.
  • Digital photography promotes experimentation while film costs are restrictive.
  • Digital camera light sensitivity settings are modifiable, but film cameras often require film roll changes.
  • Digital requires less struggle than film photography. Struggle takes a mental toll affecting photography.
  • Digital camera shadow sensitivity is significantly superior to film. That means digital cameras have better dynamic range.
  • Film camera settings aren’t reversible after capture. Digital photograph settings are changeable.
  • I determine how digital photos are processed. Labs determine how film photos are processed.
  • Software can make digital photos look like film photos.
  • Digital cameras have double the resolution available in 35mm film cameras.
  • Digital cameras can produce better low-light images than film cameras.

Although I’d hesitate to cite any single photographer or artist as my primary inspiration, I admire the works of Dorothea Lange, Richard Avedon, Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Pete Souza, and James Nachtwey.

As a slightly amusing side story, I met Pete Souza at a photography conference. When we were in line to get our books signed, other photographers were asking for selfies. When it was my turn to meet Pete, I handed him my iPhone and asked him to take my photo. With that one move, I can now claim that I was photographed by Obama’s photographer.

I lock myself in a closet, turn off the lights, and play Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger at full blast on my Sonos speakers. And then I chant the following mantra 10 times:

I’m going to do a terrific job today! And I’m gonna help people! Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!

My answer above isn’t true. I don’t really chant those things. Really. I promise. Why don’t you believe me?

You don’t need to practice. It’s my job to pose you and make you look amazing. You don’t have to worry about anything when I photograph you. Are you ready to look spectacular?

Some photographers may need to get to know their clients before they can create good photographs. And that requirement may be true for those photographers; it was true for me when I was a beginner.

However, with my many years of experience and easygoing approach to photographing people, we don’t need to become best friends before I can start taking amazing photographs.

I have great people skills, so you can rest easy knowing I’ll make you feel at ease, find your real smile, and take great photographs. It’s what I do for total strangers every single day.

But if you’d like to be friends, let’s do it! I’m down. I always like making new friends. Or not. It’s totally up to you.

I always wear black when I’m working as an event photographer, wedding photographer, commercial photographer, or product photographer. Let me outline my reasoning since some visual professionals don’t accept this idea and favor fashion over function.

First, we’re in Houston, Texas, and you know that summers are brutal in Space City. Black clothing helps conceal sweat better than other colors, so I stay presentable longer. Likewise, even though I don’t roll around in the dirt, if I did, my black clothing hides dirt and stains better than other colors. With that in mind, I’ll look fresher longer on your job.

Additionally, wearing black means that I’m less noticeable when I photograph events. Black helps me blend into the background. I don’t want people to pay attention to me during your event coverage; I want them to look elsewhere—preferably at you, your speakers, and your event guests. Have you ever noticed servers and similar staff at conferences and events you’ve attended? One reason you didn’t notice them is that they’re dressed professionally in nondescript black attire.

Also, when photographing reflective objects, if I appear in the reflection, I’m far less noticeable if I’m wearing black than if I’m wearing other colors. For example, let’s say that I’m photographing shiny chrome objects, glass doors, or areas with windows. Wearing black means that if I can’t position myself outside of the reflection, what I wear won’t be as noticeable.

Similarly, clothing colors can add a color cast to objects photographed. As a product photographer, color accuracy is super important, and that’s one reason I wear black when doing that work. While wearing gray would also prevent a color cast, black offers additional advantages.

Finally, people judge appearances. I submit that folks are more likely to judge someone wearing a trendy style instead of a photographer who wears all black. For example, if a videographer showed up to your event wearing a kettle-brim hat, cropped red jacket, and irregular footwear, are your guests going to pay more attention to the videographer or to me in my black shoes, black trousers, black shirt, and black vest?

That said, some visual professionals incorporate fashion into their personal brand, and that’s certainly fine. But when working with clients like you, in addition to delivering amazing photos, I want to remain as invisible as possible and bring every advantage to bear on your project.

I don’t need fancy apparel to create amazing photographs. First, check out my portfolios. Then, remember that I wore black when taking every photo.

Need I say more?

Hell no. Your photos are delivered online, and everything is downloadable. I’m not a photographer who uses session fees and in-person sales meetings as an upsell opportunity. Instead, my headshot pricing, portrait pricing, and event pricing is all-inclusive and fully transparent.

I avoid trendy styles or techniques in my photography, but I don’t fault other photographers who use popular methods in their work. I prefer a classic and natural style, which is reflected in my photography portfolios.

If I were pressed to point out just one overused trend, I think some photographers might benefit from using fewer dark and moody filter presets in scenes that are underexposed or where colors don’t look natural.

My event photography covers candid moments that happen spontaneously.

Although I might develop a shot list for commercial photography projects, I don’t work from a list when I’m photographing most events.

While you should tell me about your most important or key photos, please avoid providing me with a list of speakers or photo grids of people you want me to photograph. Photo lineups (aka tip sheets) are difficult to follow as the photos of the people on paper often don’t resemble the folks in the room—especially when they’re all strangers to me.

Those lists force me to walk around with a piece of paper or smartphone as I figure out your event landscape and who is who. And that means I’m not taking photos because I’m consulting a list.

If you need certain people photographed, assigning someone to me who can point out those folks and any important details helps ensure I’ll cover everything if you think that I won’t notice those things in my normal course of photography.

But rest assured that I pay close attention to what happens around me. When important-looking people, popular people, or anyone on a stage or speaking to a group are involved, I know that person is important, and they’ll be photographed.

The fifth wedding I photographed was in a church basketball gym. Steel chairs were at round tables with plastic tablecloths, and artificial Ficus trees were scattered around the room. IHOP catered the reception dinner. And the couple was lovely.

I remember being sad when I photographed that event. I felt the venue and décor prevented me from creating great photographs.

But that was my failure as a photographer. I didn’t rise to meet the challenge.

Today, I’d love to photograph a couple in a similar circumstance. Instead of being sad, I’d climb a ladder and photograph the ceremony through the basketball netting. Or I’d pull out the bleachers and create an ironic family portrait.

There are always solutions to every problem. Venues are what you make of them. Even with the most challenging venue, there’s an opportunity to see beyond the mundane and create great images.

Everything.

Less is more.

I was a perfect kid. I never got in trouble.

Except for that one time when I was 7 and I demonstrated my film-inspired karate trip moves on my sister. I might have accidentally broken her collarbone. How was I to know about that huge, super-hard root hidden under that soft grass?

I gave up karate, but I still enjoy Bruce Lee films.

I’ve already had long dinners with many of my favorite people. That’s one reason I’m chubby.

But, assuming I could pick anyone for a long dinner and assuming there was steak involved, I’d choose Bill Gates. I can’t think of anyone else who would be more interesting, thoughtful, and intelligent.

In the 8th grade, my classmates called me Cricket. The origin of that nickname speaks to my deep love of financial profit. One bright spring day on a blacktop schoolyard in Dry Prong, Louisiana, a group of kids wagered $20 that I wouldn’t eat a cricket. I left that encounter with a new nickname and $20.

I believe in love, equality, and diversity. I despise sexism, bigotry, and hate.

After seeing the film twice in the opening 24 hours, I recorded 27 major and minor issues with the Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Those issues ranged from concerns about Leia’s superhero flight to Luke’s fish-catching methods.

However, the film’s nostalgic elements, combined with some powerful scenes, allowed me to forgive those flaws. Viewers who aren’t as invested in Star Wars or who are overly invested in Star Wars may disagree with me, but The Last Jedi is an incredible film.

I pressed the shutter-release button on my camera a few million times. And I paid attention.

I prefer email communications over most other messaging options for the following reasons:

  • email reduces the chance of missed communications
  • email provides clear documentation of all communications
  • email templates ensure I can quickly respond to most client questions

I’m happy to use text messages for quick questions during a project or when short answers are required, but I’m a slow finger typist, making texting difficult.

If the words on my site, the photos in my portfolios, and the reviews everywhere haven’t convinced you, these random business facts might help you choose me.

My business is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) registered in Texas by the Texas Secretary of State. This registration will reassure you that I take my business seriously and operate professionally. This also means you’ll have superior accounting documentation when filing your taxes and writing off my work.

I collect, file, and pay state sales tax as required by law and the Texas Comptroller. My sales and use tax permit is current, which means you’ll be working with a legally registered and responsible photographer who avoids “under the table” dealings.

My business name and logo are trademarked and registered with the federal government. My consistent, established, and protected brand can help you trust that I’m committed to the best long-term business practices inside and outside my studio.

Sometimes you might ask for deliverables that don’t align naturally with my typical offerings.

Before I develop an estimate, if you share your approximate budget or a general range, that will help me recommend the recommend the best approach. That might include how much time I can spend and what I can include or leave out.

Knowing your budget isn’t about charging more; it’s about making sure I don’t over-quote or suggest things you don’t need.

And just to be transparent, if your budget is super tight, I might not be the best fit—and that’s okay! I’d rather be upfront from the start.

For most projects, your photographs are delivered via a private online gallery where you can view and download photographs for free or purchase individual prints.

Absolutely. Every photo in every portfolio is 100% mine. I’d never try to fool you by presenting photography that wasn’t mine as my own.

In case you’re wondering, a styled shoot can include a photographer, models, florists, makeup artists, designers, and planners. In some cases, top-tier professional photographers teach workshops or seminars where students are provided with a styled shoot as part of the class curriculum.

A styled shoot is not a real event, and the pressures of creating work with real clients during a fixed time at uncontrolled locations are removed. Thus, it’s easier to create better work than a photographer might in real-world situations.

Styled shoots are often undertaken by newer photographers or photographers who may not have enough “real photography” to share with potential clients.

I’ve never used a styled session to promote my work, because I have enough work from real projects to establish my skills.

I once asked colleagues how many photos they included in their portfolio galleries. As predicted, their answers were varied, but their recommendations were supported by questionable logic.

From their varied recommendations, I concluded that the correct number of photos to include in any portfolio was however many images were needed to convince you that I have the experience, skills, talent, and qualifications required to produce your desired work.

For example, for portrait photography, elderly male subjects might want to see photographers who have experience working with elderly male subjects. Similarly, subjects with dark skin or light skin might want to see examples of subjects with similar skin tones.

Given the many types of people who need a headshot photographer or portrait photographer, a large portfolio might be needed to convince potential clients that I’m their best choice.

For commercial photography, someone who needs industrial machinery photography often wants to see examples of industrial photography of similar machines. And with so many different types of commercial and industrial photography, a large portfolio is necessary to prove that I have that experience.

I’m convinced that there are no such things as too many photos in a portfolio, assuming that the images shared are strong examples. This is such an important concept that I even teach other photographers how to curate their portfolios.

Some folks argue that too many photos will bore you and cause you to leave that portfolio. While that may be true, there’s no harm in abandonment if the photos you saw were enough to convince you that I’m the best photographer for your project. And some visitors never get bored and consume everything I share.

If you’re viewing a portfolio and have seen enough, you’ll stop viewing that portfolio and visit another page. And when you do that, you probably won’t begrudge that I have more portfolio photos you’ve not yet seen.

Finally, some photographers share few example photographs. It’s relatively easy to hide behind those few good examples, but with portfolios as large as mine, you can see my consistency and rest easy knowing that you’ll receive similar results when you hire me. You’ll never wonder, “Can he do the work I need?”

When I speak of professional prerogatives, I’m referring to my decisions as they relate to my business authenticity, values, and goals. For me, the most important professional prerogative is to always do the right thing.

I operate with integrity, honesty, fairness, and responsibility in my personal and professional life. For example, I always try to pick the fairest option when my choices are limited. And I’ll always tell the truth, even when that truth may not reflect favorably on me or further my immediate business goals.

I won’t always say what you want to hear, but I’ll always share what you need to hear.

Here’s a take that hopefully hits with some truth and doesn’t come off as gatekeeping. Let’s get controversial. I think “passion” as a photographer descriptor is nonsense, empty rhetoric.

First, since most photographers can or do make that claim, those brands are shouting that same word at everyone. It’s not a rare or even uncommon concept. Therefore, I submit that anyone using that word is guilty of white-noise content marketing. It’s like when a business cites excellent customer service; every business makes that claim.

Next, passion doesn’t guarantee good work. People are often passionate when they begin something new, but few people are initially good at that thing. And even with time, there’s no guarantee of professional improvement, even with passion. And since producing excellent work doesn’t require passion, that’s not a differentiating advantage.

Also, you can’t measure or prove passion. As an empirical guy, that lack of accounting reduces the importance of the word as a differentiator. I recognize that there are passion indicators, but even those are unclear.

For example, if one Star Wars fan has seen Return of the Jedi 20 times and another fan has seen it 200 times, someone might think that one fan is more passionate than the other. But what if the person who has seen it 20 times also owns 2000 action figures in their original blister pack? Which fan is more passionate?

Finally, passion is about me and my feelings, not about you and your feelings. And my work needs to be about you and not me.

Years ago, I stopped using the word “shoot” in relation to my photography. Since the word “shoot” is sometimes linked to violence, that language can trigger or cause discomfort in some audiences.

Since there are other ways to refer to my photography, I’ll use those synonyms instead of the word “shoot” wherever possible. For example, I use the words session, project, production, and campaign instead.

However, the word “shoot” is so deeply embedded in photographer culture that I unintentionally use it sometimes while speaking. When I do and I recognize it, I chide myself for that usage and always try to do better.

Instead of mentioning other photographers and how they work, I focus on what my studio brings to your projects. Through my website, I share everything about my work, pricing, processes, and thoughts, and then hope you’ll choose the best photographer for your needs.

That’s going to be me.

Too confident?

I hope not.

I don’t need to point out other photographers’ failings because I know you’re creative and smart enough to objectively compare and evaluate our differences.

Also, from a marketing perspective, mentioning other photographers distracts from my brand and messaging. I prefer that you remain here instead of wandering off, checking out, or thinking about my competitors.

I’m the best photographer in Houston, Texas, anyway. Pick me and discover for yourself what previous clients already know.

I’ve thought about this for years, and I think the three most important things about photography are consistency, connection, and curiosity.

Of the three, consistency is probably the most important, at least for folks like you when you’re selecting photographers. Consistency means that the work you see in my portfolio is closely similar to the work that you’ll receive when you hire me. You’ll notice an overarching consistency in my portfolios, and that should make you confident that I can deliver similar work for you, too. That may be harder to realize if you select someone else.

Connections are most important to me when photographing people. I know how to connect with someone quickly and authentically. That connection is valuable when creating photographs, not only because the subjects feel more comfortable, but also because I’m able to create more authentic photography.

With my innate curiosity, I’d engage with folks and learn about processes even if it wasn’t my job. I’m someone who looks up something on Wikipedia and then spends hours down a rabbit hole, where I end up far from where I started but happily full of newfound knowledge. When I’m photographing commercial projects, I also bring my curiosity. I want to understand people and processes so I can photograph them accurately, but with a tourist gaze and novelty bias that might appeal to the folks viewing the photography I’ll deliver.

For Students

I receive weekly email inquiries from students enrolled in photography classes. These emails frequently share how their instructor asked them to contact one of their favorite photographers and ask questions about their life and their work.

The students who contact me always ask the same questions, so I’ll provide those answers here for convenience.

I’ve been a professional photographer since 2004.

I don’t have a degree from a photography school or organization. However, I’ve attended dozens of workshops and classes.

I can’t recommend pursuing formal photography degrees because, if you’re a dedicated learner, you can teach yourself this craft at a fraction of the price and with much greater speed.

Taking this idea further, if you’re considering an expensive private art school, know that only a few students will achieve success in their fields, justifying the incredible expense of attending most schools.

I have dozens of photographer friends who owe hundreds of thousands of dollars from art school loans and are barely making enough money to pay rent, much less pay back their loans. Although graduates of prestigious art schools certainly share success stories, I would caution against those debt traps.

The most rewarding part of my job is choosing the jobs I want to pursue. This freedom allows me to work with who I want, when I want.

The next project that will bring me the most joy. Or the most money.

Although prospective interns sometimes approach me, I don’t have enough time available to provide the exchange in value someone deserves as an intern.

Although some photographers offer incredible internship opportunities, I recommend caution when approaching most photographers. You might end up with long or unpredictable hours and limited learning opportunities.

When approached by interns, some photographers see this as an opportunity to hire cheap manual labor. Those photographers sometimes task the intern with menial duties they don’t want to do in their business.

Before accepting an internship, receive clarity on your compensation, determine the hours you’ll be working, discuss overtime, ask about parking and meal reimbursement, and dig deep into your potential learning opportunities. Once those things have been ironed out, get it all in writing.

If you’re an intern looking for your next opportunity, I wish you the best in your learning journey. You can do it!

Pursue a business-related degree in college and work on your photography in your free time. After college, pursue a full-time job in the business sector as you build your photography business.

If you don’t go to college, that’s fine too. Just make photography your side hustle until you have so much work you can make it your full hustle.

Achieving success as a full-time photographer is difficult, so it’s often best to have a good foundation in business before pursuing it full-time.

ChatGPT says that the average pay for Houston photographers is $65k to $86k. However, I suspect that the AI is wrong. I expect most full-time local photographers earn about $50k annually. And many folks struggle with far less income.

Top photographers with lots of experience and who are in salaried positions earn about $85k per year. Top freelancers can earn more. The best Houston freelance photographers earn $300k+ annually.

However, most photographers can’t find salaried work, and many of them fail at freelancing. There are lucrative professions out there that offer greater chances of financial success, so I wouldn’t recommend photography as a profession for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for a quick buck.

There isn’t anything that I would have done differently.