Randy Smith Photography

Serves Austin, TX

35244

Hired 166 times

2 employees

19 years in business

$200

5.0

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo.

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Credentials

Background Check

Randall Smith
Completed on 12/11/2019

Introduction

Things I WILL NOT DO: I'M SORRY I DO NOT DO VIDEO!! I DO NOT Provide RAW Images to Clients Edited or unedited! In some cases my wife and I will cover your events so you can get 2 photographers for your event for the price of one. We have over 20 years of event photography experience, working with some of the premier events in the Austin Area! Please Note: Rates for Multi Day Corporate Conventions, Retreats, Seminars, and training, are negotiable. We want to be your large event photographers and will work to get you the best pricing and coverage we can. Events We have worked on are: SXSW Full Festival- Staff Photographers 10 years SXSWEDU - Educator Conference Staff 10 years SXSWECO - Ecology Conference 4 years before folded into SXSW Full SXSW Gaming Convention Mack Jack and McConaughey - Official Photographers 8 years CrimeCon Austin 2021 - Official Photographers COINDESK Crypto Convention for Chainlink Blockchain 2022 NAG Convenience Convention 2023 Monarch Joint Venture Seminar 2024 Imply Employee Connect 2024 Franchise Sales & Development Conf. 2024 Galaxy Con Austin 2023 IMA Financial and Accounting Global Convention Texas Stars Professional Hockey - 2 seasons Official Photog Various Horror Fests Comic Con's Gaming Conventions Multiple Large Corporate Conferences Solar and EV The Austin Symphony College Football Big 12 College Baseball Big 12 Golf and Country Club/Member Events Sports events large and small Parties Graduation Photos Quinceañera's Birthdays Reunions Family Portraits Anniversary Celebrations New Product Photography. Brand Photography We conduct ourselves professionally and capture your events best moments! We source your digital delivery within days of the event!

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

We do our best to offer you the best pricing we can, You are important to us and we want to be your photographers. Occasionally if my wife is available she shoots second camera for me on larger events. So you get extra coverage and no extra cost in those cases. We do not provide RAW images to our clients. Only edited jpg files!

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

We discuss your project and what your shot list or wish list is for the event. We discuss the event details, date, time, arrival time, parking, etc. When we arrive at your event we will get right to work. We work hard to capture the moments you want and need. We send you a link to the digital files almost immediately after event, and begin adding them so you can review, once we have completed edits we notify we are done so you can download the whole folder. This allows you start looking at the shots usually starting hours after the event ends.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I have photographed since I was 11 years old. My father was an amateur photographer, and he taught me the basics, and then hooked me up with the Air Force base photographer to go out on Saturdays to take pictures for the Air Force base we were stationed at. I learned a lot, but over time it fell by the wayside and I didnt pick up my camera much at all for years and years. Then with the advent of Digital Photography I found that I could put my photography to work for me. I was a senior graphic artist for a State Agency in Austin and had developed a knack for photography in my computer graphics. Over time I shot items that we used in artwork for the agency. After leaving I joined an Engineering firm as a Sr. Graphic Artist and photographer, which morphed into that an event photographer. I have over 27 years of graphic arts and photography experience, and I have taught my wife who is in many respects is better than I am at framing shots and capturing fun moments. We also have over 15 years of event photography, from SXSW and Austin Charity Events. To Golf Tournaments, and sporting events. We have covered it all. We also have a thriving Landscape photography print business.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I donated some of my landscape prints to many charities and they invited me to participate in their events. I worked closely with SXSW and they used some of my shots of Austin in their advertising. My wife and I began shooting events for SXSW in 2011 and it continues to this day. Word of mouth from one charity to another, and great people who brought us on to some of the highest profile events in Austin. We work with other great professionals hand in hand to cover these events. Its true that your work speaks for itself in more ways than one.

What types of customers have you worked with?

Charities, SXSW, SXSW EDU, SXSW ECO, XGAMES Austin, Some F1 Austin Events, Any Baby Can, Austin Children's Museum Thinkery, Mack Jack and McConaughey, The Arc Austin, Susan G. Komen race for the cure. American Cancer Society, just to name a few.

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

We just completed a members only event for a local Country Club. Photographing families enjoying the parties, food, and festivities. So much fun. We were onsite for around 4 hours and we delivered the digital contend in about 7 days.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Be sure they have your best interest in mind. Don't take for granted that they know what you are hoping to capture at the event. Make sure that your photographer listens to your needs and what you want. Create a shot list, with time frames in the schedule that you want specific shots of. This will help insure that you are getting what you want, and not what the photographer wants. Hiring a photographer should be a collaborative experience. While an experienced event photographer will have these skills intuitively, an armature might not.

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

Make sure you know what rights you have to your photographs, what you can and cant do with them, and what you will need to get permissions for in the future. Many Photographers operate differently, and their rights on what they allow may be different from the next photographer you might hire. Be sure you know what you are getting for your 1,2 4,6, 8 hr events. Or even portraits and headshots. Know what you can do with the shots before hand.