FAQs

What is your background?
DDM (Dragonfly Digital Media) was founded in 2000, in Virginia Beach , Va. , with one purpose in mind -- to provide high end photography that everyone could afford. I've been a professional photo-journalist and videographer for over twenty years, documenting real world events that have had international coverage and have been published in various magazines like Newsweek, Shutterbug, Naval Aviation News, All Hands, Nth Degree, and the Pittsburgh Tribune.

In 2003, the business moved to Butler , Pa. , and I treat every job as a personal investment to provide excellence.

I still contribute to various publications, articles, teach and mentor local photographers across the nation.

Do you work with a second photographer?
Yes I do. One of my other photographers I shoot with is Steven Dietz, owner of SHARP IMAGE Studios , when there are two photographer shoots. He is the winner of the 2006 Golden Quill Award for photography for his work at the Valley News Dispatch and a regular photographer for the Butler Eagle Daily. A graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he brings an amazing level of expertise.

I also work with a wealth of up and coming talent in the Pittsburgh area.

How many photos are shot for a wedding?
As many as it takes to tell the story. On average a wedding ends up with a final product of 350-600 images. Many photographers (especially digital photographers) offer thousands of images. A majority of those pictures are of little quality or multiples of the same images. I do not count multiple images in my count to sound more impressive. Before the advent of digital, the average wedding was between 250-350 images for multiple photographers. Dragonfly Digital Media is about complete coverage and quality coverage of your event.

Do you shoot your weddings from a list?
While there are traditional images that are documented in every event, each wedding is unique. A thousand unanticipated things happen on a wedding day. Don't worry about labels like Editorial, Photojournalistic or Traditional when choosing images: just focus on making good image.

I let the day progress naturally. This is your day, and my job is to document it without disrupting it.

Creating impactful imagery but requires that the day needs to progress naturally and with minimal interference from the photographer. This means, while ever effort is made to capture every single special moment, no specific image can be guaranteed unless the bride and groom help make it happen during the ceremony. As a professional, my job is to bring my skill and vision to your wedding, but it is impossible to know YOUR vision without your help.

You mentioned Editorial and Photojournalistic photography. What is it and what do you shoot?
The big "buzzword" today is photojournalistic wedding photography . The truth is, very few people who shoot this style have ever worked in photojournalism and have taken advantage of a trend to create very artistic candid photos. The images can be really amazing but there is a give and take to any documentation style. I don't like the word Photojournalist style because, as a photo-journalist, I know that no wedding experience is improved by giving a photographer unlimited ability to roam and impose himself into the nuptial experience. Photojournalism style also implies a total "hands off" approach in relating to the clients, and what you get is what you get.

Before the ceremony, I should be able to guide the preparations to maximize the beauty of the anticipation. During the wedding, I should not be noticed and become part of the wedding ceremony. During the reception, I should be very interactive with everyone to keep the energy up instead of disrupting it. A professional wedding photographer needs to be able to know when to be seen and when to blend in. He should know when to speak up and when to just let the moment happen. I call the work editorial, because I am telling a story unconcerned with keeping to a preconceived notion of a "style."