Seventeen Reasons to Own a Sports Photos USA Portrait

1. I love what I do---When you love what you do, the quality of your work is consistently high. I constantly ask my clients in the studio “Are you having fun?” And I work hard to make sure they are. Why? Well, when a person is having fun, their images reflect it. If the photographer is having fun, the images will reflect it as well. It is a real shame how many really good photographers create really bad images --- because they do NOT like working with people. I believe I have the best job in the world. I make sure that it shows in the images I create.

2. Product Donations---Each time I visit a training center it is a WIN-WIN-WIN proposition. The athletes get great portraits and photographic products, the gym gets a donation of some great products that they can use for décor, promotion, or fundraising needs (each year I donate over $50,000 of products to gyms and charities I work with), and hopefully I make some money.

3. Awesome Photography---Whether you bring us in for a Sports Portrait Program at the gym or to provide coverage of a live meet, tournament, or competition you are hosting, you will find that we provide the best images and the most creative products in the industry. Your parents will love you for bringing in Sports Photos USA.

4. No Posing Assistance Needed---I am always amazed how many photographers don't learn the sports they photograph. They have a coach pose the gymnast and don't even know what the pose is or when to photograph it. I understand the sport and will use appropriate terminology to convey posing tips to your athlete on my set.  The more your photographer knows about the sport, the better the images will ultimately be.  Also, the fewer people your athlete has to work with and worry about, the better he or she will look in the final images.

5. Best Guarantee in the Industry---You will love the portraits of your child when you first lay eyes on them, even to the point of tears. You will be proud to tell your friends about them and show them off. If you aren't, if a portrait is ever less than completely satisfying, I will fix it. If I can't fix it, I will let you exchange your portrait for another one, I will redo the portrait session, or if all else fails, I will give you your money back. It's that simple. If I don't simply WOW you with your child's images, I don't deserve your money.

6. Fanatic Customer Service---I take care of my clients. Following a day of photography, I or one of my production specialists will prepare your images for your online viewing and ordering, and make sure everything is online as soon as possible.  Your order will hit my inbox and my lab at the same time.  Your images will be meticulously printed and shipped within three days (some poster designs may take a couple of days longer) directly to your address.  If there is ever an order problem, simply call us and let us know (leave a message if we are busy). We will get on the problem quickly, and report back to you as soon as practical.

7. I love what I do---I spend the summer developing new products, poses, lighting styles, and backgrounds that make your athletes look fantastic in this year's portraits. My commitment to being new and fresh is what sets Sports Photos USA apart from my competition.

8. Cool Technology---My virtual reality set is like magic. I have traveled for years with a heavy, cumbersome virtual background system.  It allowed me to changed backgrounds as I captured the image. Today, however, green screen technology allows you to have background choices AFTER the image is created.  All you see at the set is the ugly green background.   But once our powerful servers have removed the green background (in less than 30 seconds), you can have fun selecting from a huge selection of backgrounds. 

9. Best equipment---I use only the best professional equipment from the finest manufacturers in the world. The Canon cameras and lenses paired with Photogenic lighting equipment make for awesome images.

10. Creativity---I constantly strive to give my clients new lighting techniques, poses, poster designs, and digital workflows to simply blow the competition away. If you like the old stuff, it's still available---just let me know.

11. Speedy delivery directly to you---Our labs are instructed to deliver your portraits directly to the address you gave us. We don't mess around sending all the orders to the gym forcing them to hand out portrait packages for weeks on end. Your order comes directly to you within 4 weeks of the end of the portrait project at your gym. We use Fedex, UPS, and the USPS for delivery, depending upon where you are located, and the physical size of your order.

12. Did I mention that I love what I do?---My dad's interest in photography and our home darkroom sparked my love of photography. My photography career began with photographing my first wedding at age 18. Working in the darkroom as a teenager, I was fascinated watching the image magically appear on paper in the chemical baths. Today I am fascinated by the digital process. I am absolutely amazed with the process each time I photograph an athlete.

13. The Ultimate Photographic Papers---My labs use only the best photographic imaging papers from Kodak. Endura™ Papers have a guaranteed 99 year life. While I won't be here to find out (probably none of us will), the best minds in the industry have created these papers for generational prints.

14. Awesome Products---Whether it is the warm cuddly WovenArt Blankets or the ceramic coffee mugs with your picture, we always have new, unique products that are available to you at very reasonable prices.

15. High-tech systems—Just because something is on the cutting-edge of technology, does NOT make it a benefit to you. On the other hand, our image processing system lets us change the look of each and every pose—giving you so much more potential variety in your portraits. Our computer preview system is a hassle to carry around and set up at every gym we visit, but it gives you the chance to immediately review your images. You’ll know on the spot if you are happy with what we have captured for you.

16.Professional lab---I no longer print images myself. Upon the completion of your gym, all images will be uploaded to our professional lab partner. They will analyze each image, printing it to the highest standards in the industry. Did you know that prints from quick-labs have a earlier color fading problem? It is all because of the standards of the process used. The pros do it right.

17. Continuing education---I attend continuing education programs throughout the year, and have monthly discussions with colleagues so that I am staying on top of the trends. You will never have a pose, print, or poster that looks like it was designed 30 years ago (unless we are specifically looking for a nostalgic image or poster.

18. Patience---We make it our mission to be extremely patient with the gymnasts we photograph. Don't tell my employees that I have that trait--I'm pretty demanding of them.  On the set, I can work with those kids who don't really want to be there with the best of them. (I may go out back and beat my head against a tree at the end of the day.---Don't watch, okay?)

19. Something for Everyone---Our product line contains something for every budget. Our budget packages with a default background provide a reasonable entry point for the beginners and budget conscious shoppers. On the other hand, the most extravagant shopper can find high end products like our custom posters, GymOils rendition of your image with oils on canvas, or our WovenArt blankets.

20. Digital Paintings that highlight your gymnast---Our artists begin with the actual image we capture on the set or at the meet.  Then they study the image to develop an impression of how the gymnast should be isolated from the background.  Painstakingly applying brush strokes, a new image emerges from the original.  Upon your approval, we print the final image on artist's canvas, allow the print to cure and then roll it up shipping it to you in a tube very economically.  You take it to your local Hobby Lobby for mounting and framing, and you have a masterpiece you will be proud to display for years!

 21. And finally, I absolutely LOVE what I do---One thing that separates me from other photographers is my enthusiasm. It is real and infectious. Invite us into your gym and experience it first-hand. Your parents will love you for it.

Did you catch that I couldn't stop at seventeen reasons?  There are just too many reasons for you to do business with Sports Photos USA.  Join the family of satisfied customers today!