I'm honored that you'd trust me with your first photo shoot! The main thing I want to emphasize is that, although my process is highly collaborative, I see it as my responsibility to guide you along the way, so you should not be afraid to ask me questions during any part of the process! It's not only my job to bring my gear and skills, but it's also my job to help you think of why good images look good and how we can maximize the amount and quality of good images we create together. My community and client mantra is: "What matters to you matters to me."

Please wash and detail your car before the shoot, as close to the start of the shoot as you can—unless a dirty or grimy car is the aesthetic you're going for, then I'm down and I can make that look cool too!

This will vary depending on the type of photo shoot we're doing—for example, whether we're doing it indoors or outdoors, with a vehicle, with a pet, in a Catrina or Catrín design, etc. But in general, I recommend coming dressed in something you feel comfortable and confident in. I do not provide hair and makeup, but you are welcome to bring your own hair and makeup artist for the session! I also have some referrals for HMUAs in the Los Angeles area.

Unfortunately, given my personal obligations, my services are currently only available to those in the greater Los Angeles area. If you are not sure whether that includes you, definitely feel free to contact me!

I don't have access to my own studio, so location scouting is part of my services for any package. For most clients, this will be moot because we will likely have an on-site shoot at some location of our choice—but I wanted to let you know anyway.

Cash, check, Venmo, and/or Zelle. Except for those packages that I expressly mark as “no deposit required,” I require a 20% deposit up front, and then the remainder after delivery of the final edits. I can submit invoices upon request for any and all portions of these payments.

For photo shoots that require a deposit, I will take cancellations no less than 48 hours before your shoot. Cancellations must be in writing, email OK. For all proper cancellations, I will provide a full refund of any then-paid amounts.

For all other types of photo shoots, as a courtesy I ask that you let me know that you wish to cancel no less than 24 hours before your shoot, so I can re-fill my time.

Bodies: I shoot with two Canon mirrorless bodies: the R6II and R5II. I also still use my first camera, my Pentax MX, for 35mm-film photography.

Lenses: I have an arsenal of Canon RF L lenses, both primes and zooms, that cover me from 7mm to 200mm and that easily handle low-light.

Other gear:

• A gimbal for videography, though my handheld technique is pretty solid. All that weightlifting has to count for something.
• A DJI Mini 4 Pro drone, though please note that at this time I'm not doing paid drone footage because I have not yet gotten my part 107 commercial drone license.
• Lots of lighting gear, including for off-camera flash, such as several beauty dishes, softboxes (octa and strip), c-stands and other light stands, and several speedlites. I'm primarily in the Godox ecosystem, notably including my ad600 Pro II and two ad200 Pro II strobes.

Absolutely! Please reach out to me on my Contact page or via email at sam@samtlam.com.