Light Photo Studio / Tony Ventouris Photography

I got tired of dealing with poor work from photographers in my other businesses. I have had 6 businesses. Almost a decade ago I decided I wanted to turn my passion for photography into a business. I wanted to work with the same kind of people and companies I worked with in my businesses. I wanted to make sure they had someone they could relate to and communicate with that understood their industries AND could still create art. Yes, I am an artist...AND I actually am a business. I guess there are so many people running around hocking cameras and business cards that it gets lost.

Insurance, fixed expenses, copyright documentation, accounting, financial statements, business development, investments, budgets, planning, forecasting, contracts, estimates, meetings, etc...

Real photographers are businesses just like you! That's why photography isn't free. Same reason your accountant, lawyer, dentist, gardener, chef, designer, web programmer, mechanic, grocer, etc... are not free. I'm sure there are super cheap and free ones...but I know better than to go to them. (no hard feelings to you low-ballers!) I'de never think of walking into my my web designers office telling him I have $200 and asking for $5,000 worth of work while also saying how long I think it should take to complete and why my $200 is justified. Totally nonsense.

Why us, or anyone? When searching for a photographer do not get a bunch of prices and pick the lowest or the highest. Find out HOW they will do the job. Find out if they are insured. Find out why their price includes what it does. The more complex the work, the higher the price. The more valuable the licensing, the higher the price. The larger the production (stylists, catering, rentals, wardrobe, permits, etc...) the higher the price will be. Make sure to communicate and be open to suggestions. Maybe you are "over-buying" when making requests to a photographer. Maybe you think you need a certain level of production...but we can make the same images with a much smaller "footprint." I often save my clients a lot of money by bringing their desires in line with more manageable ways to produce the work. Communication is key. Your are entrusting a person to create your visual first impression with your clients. Make sure they "get-it" and really understand what your needs are and what your brand is about. Cameras don't make iconic images, planning, timing, and a unified message do. That is why our clients repeatedly choose us.

Depending on the work, we can have products shipped to us for photographing. We can also shoot "live" so a photoshoot can be viewed remotely. For instance, we shoot an interior in DC while a marketing director is viewing the shots in New York live as we work. Same with products and portraits.

Masks and sanitary procedures are of utmost importance in our studio and on location. Our studio is closed to outside public and by appointment or scheduled shoots only for now. Social distancing practices when possible, cleaning of equipment and the space, provided sanitizer, and other recommended CDC procedures are kept as close as possible when photographing. We have also been keeping our crew footprint to a minimum as needed by location shoots.