Michael Keel Photography Weddings/Events

Serves Turlock, CA

35244

Hired 433 times

1 employee

18 years in business

$275

4.9

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

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Credentials

Background Check

Michael Keel
Completed on 3/3/2022

Introduction

**Please read before contacting me** My main service is WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. I travel all over California, and other states shooting weddings/events. When I am not shooting weddings, I also photograph corporate events, various types of party events, and I work with tourism boards making travel photos for their advertising. I have 18+ years full time experience in the wedding industry, and I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Please note that Thumbtack CHARGES me a fee when you contact me $80-$150. So I please ask that you review everything first. If you like what you see after googling me, and my official website. Please contact me with date, venue, guest count, and any information pertaining to your wedding. My style is more natural editing, and not "over" edited. I focus on real, not fake. I absolutely love what I do. I capture absolutely everything on your entire wedding day. While you are running around, and enjoying your moment. Interactions between friends, family, candid moments, and all the special moments in between occuring. If you're camera shy, don't worry. I'm personable, easy to get along with, and understand fully. Even though I'm a photographer, I actually don't like being in photos myself, so I understand this feeling. I help you relax, laugh, help with natural posing during portraits, focusing on real moments between you both. I'm there to guide, direct, and always help you. I think my photography stands out from others as I have shot on film my entire life (now digital). I focus on everything and those "real moments". When I make photos, I strive to get the shot right the first time "in the camera" - not in Photoshop! A lot of photographers overly utilize Photoshop and manipulate their photos far beyond what they originally shot making things look "fake". With my work, I edit in Lightroom as a "digital darkroom" to develop exactly what I SHOT naturally, darkening, lightening, color correction if needed, removal of unnatural blemishes on face that appeared day before your special day. Photoshop is only used in my work if something major needs to be done, mistake, or a client has a special request for that magazine look of brushing, for example a fashion shoot, modeling ad and so on. No one should "rely" on Photoshop. You should rely on your "photography skills" - while on the job. Note: You will see many "companies/teams" that will reach out to you with their photographers. But many of those other photographers do not edit their own photos. I think it is VERY important the person making the photos, edits their own shots. It makes zero sense to me that the artistic side of the photo, or exactly how the shot was taken by the photographer shooting - is edited by someone else. I do not use fake filters, I actually care about each photo I take, and each one is meticulously edited. Each shot is personalized with MY EYES for your special day. Lastly, of course I WILL EDIT /remove blemishes, pimples or something out of place, color correction, if camera translated colors incorrectly. BUT I cannot do requests for making you thinner, or making you look completely different from who you are. I'm a photographer, not a graphic art designer, nor a Magician. If you want beautiful, non-fake photos that actually represent your special day - and your beautiful self inside and out. Showing your happy moments, joy, love, surprise. I'm your photographer. If there's one major thing to lookout within my photos. Take notice of LAUGHTER. I really strive to capture REAL moments of laughter, smiles, tears, and love.

Q&A

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

When I give a quote, all travel, taxes, my editing time is all included in the quote. There are no extra charges unless something very specific is mentioned from the client. Extra travel, extra hours and so on.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I started making photos at thirteen years old, inspired by my grandfather who was in the Sierra Club and The California Camera Club back in the 1930's. I remember as as child awaiting the weekend to see him. He'd reach into old trunks that had stickers from places he'd visited; taking out glass bottles of chemicals. I thought he was a wizard, "Look Michael,you see?The tree developing on paper? From there, it never ended. The passion of making photos continued and I only switched to digital photography about five years ago. I try to incorporate old techniques with new technology.

What types of customers have you worked with?

Photography with travel writing, Indie films, indie music, shooting actors on movie sets, A LOT of weddings! Plenty of engagement clients, newborns, maternity, foodie shots, corporate/commercial photography, portraits, family photos, photo editing. All of my jobs involve some kind of research, which could range from the culture I am writing about, chef, food topic, business, area I am traveling to or in, press trips and so on.

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

Look for someone that has actual experience in photography. Photographers who shoot digital but have a film photography background like myself, shoot in a unique style that looks different from the typical digital photographer. If you are looking for a wedding photographer that does journalistic, natural, and not cheesy, or the "typical" wedding photos - you would hire me ;) I'm also not "just" a wedding photographer. I am a "photographer" in the fullest sense - because I shoot everything from magazine work involving travel articles to corporate work to fashion to newborns to modeling to weddings. so, I look at "everything" and each moment, frame, counts to me no matter what genre of photography it is. Hire writers that have travel experience, culture, history interests, or are actually related with interests of what the project is, the writing will be so much better and you will be happy. For example I also was a chef in the past for five years, so my food knowledge/wine is extensive as well, combined with my travel experience makes for a great article. Basically I personally think even if you are just looking for a "wedding photographer" you need to look at a photographers entire body of work from all genres. It could be newborns, people, portraits, commercial, corporate, landscapes or whatever. But to get a good feel of how a photographer works - look at all of his work - not just one type of photography.