Today's Guest: Donnie Stevens of Left Right Photography in Toledo, Ohio
Today's Host: John Bentley
Listen to this Show
Publish this Show on Your Website
Show Sponsor www.morephotos.com
Left Right Photography
Donnie Stevens Transcript Page
Donnie Stevens Expert PageANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Photography Spotlight is brought to you by morephotos.com helping professional photographers with all their internet needs. Welcome to the VTalk Radio Photographer Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Today on VTalk Radio Photographer Spotlight, we have Toledo, Ohio, photographer, Donnie Stevens, of Left Right Photography joining us via telephone. Welcome to the program, Donnie.
DONNIE: Thanks for having me.
JOHN: Now let's talk a little bit about photography. Let's talk about Left - Right Photography. What are you guys up to in Toledo.
DONNIE: We're doing some weddings. We just got done doing some team pictures for a couple local schools. We did their team shots. We did a lot of their action photos for their sports also.
JOHN: Now you guys do family portraits too and a number of other type of photography. Tell us a little bit about that.
DONNIE: We do family portraits. We do child portraits. Infant portraits are getting pretty big now also where babies and newborns or pregnant mothers get their pictures taken and have photography sessions. It's getting pretty big. We also do event photos and corporate photos for advertising for their websites and pamphlets.
JOHN: Now you guys have a studio right there in Toledo then?
DONNIE: Yeah, we actually don't shoot out of a studio. We shoot mostly on location photography. One day we hopefully will have a studio, but we're not sure yet. We're not sure which way we are going to want to go, but we do a lot of on location photography, on-site photography, definitely event photography. So we're mainly traveling around pretty good.
JOHN: Now you say "we" because you have a co-owner and you guys merged your businesses didn't you?
DONNIE: Yes, Joe Sparks, who was from Joe Sparks Photography and myself, Donnie Stevens, who was from Rondon Photography both merged this year to produce Left - Right Photography.
JOHN: That's an interesting name. How did you guys come up with the name for the business?
DONNIE: One of the criteria that we were looking for when we were starting the business for the name was something that emphasized two of us. And one of our big things was actually search engines and was to have a domain name. We first originally thought of PB&J Photography, but decided that maybe we do child and kid portraits that's not all we do so we came up with Left - Right, and there's numerous reasons of why it's Left - Right.
JOHN: It's a catchy name. I hope that works for you guys. Let's talk a little bit about weddings. Is that a big part of your business?
DONNIE: Yes, weddings is big part of our business. Joe's favorite thing to shoot is weddings. One of my favorite things to shoot is weddings, because of the family portraits and it's a good time when all family gets together, but it's always a fun time.
JOHN: Now what kind of problems or dilemmas or situations do you run into in a wedding situation that you don't run into in a studio situation?
DONNIE: Weddings you can't do it over. Weddings is only a one shot deal. You only get that first kiss once. With studio photography, we can do things over and over if we have to; take a couple different takes. But for the main part in the weddings it's a one shot deal.
JOHN: Now I know that action sports is something that you guys do a lot of, and I would imagine you like doing that, don't you?
DONNIE: Yes, action sports would be my favorite. Shooting different basketball games, football games, high school sports. We shoot a lot of those. The kids enjoy it. The kids get the most fulfillment out of looking at their pictures the week later when we post them online.
JOHN: Now I know you have baseball shots on your website, are there any other sports that you do photography?
DONNIE: Yes, we do most high school sports like we'll be doing football in the fall, girls' Lacrosse and boys' Lacrosse, and we also shoot field hockey, and volley ball. Last year we did track and then we did baseball and we did little league baseball and we did one little league football game which was nice, but the majority of our is pretty much high school sports and high school activities. We do a lot of activities as far as school events. We do different, like the do basketball games at school and also they have plays and musicals that we shoot for.
JOHN: What about soccer and hockey? Have you done any of those sports?
DONNIE: Yep. Soccer and hockey...soccer is coming up...hockey is almost year around here at Tamaron there is an ice rink there that we shoot at and it's pretty much year around. We do shoot Ottawa Hills Sylvania hockey games which is nice.
JOHN: Now obviously you're doing senior portraits for the high schools. What time of year are you doing that?
DONNIE: Senior portraits we typically do in the summer. The summer before their senior year, actually next week, we're going to be shooting a couple of seniors from Ottawa Hills High School that we have scheduled.
JOHN: And families, do you get a lot of return business from doing weddings or family portraits and consequently their children? How does that work?
DONNIE: Yes we did a family portrait which included a baby and an infant that we did a couple weeks ago, and we're going to be doing their daughter...she was also in the session...we're going to be doing the daughter's senior pictures.
JOHN: Babies are fun. I absolutely adore babies, and they must be fun to photograph, huh?
DONNIE: Yeah, babies are good. Babies are fun to shoot, but they're also very tricky to shoot, and doing babies with families with mothers and fathers...doing group pictures like that is the most fun, because you get to see the true parents come out and see how happy they are.
JOHN: Yeah, what a rewarding experience. Now, Donnie, we're going to take a little break here, but before we go, why don't you give our listening audience your website address and contact information please.
DONNIE: The website address is www.leftrightphoto.com. You can email me at rondon@bex.net or call (419) 450-6584.
JOHN: We are in the studio with Toledo, Ohio, photographer and co-owner of Left Right Photography, Donnie Stevens, and you're listening to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. We're going to step aside for these important messages. Do stay tuned.
ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Spotlight is sponsored by morephotos.com, the online photo sales solution to professional photographers worldwide.
VTALK RADIO: VTalk Radio.
ANNOUNCER: Did you ever wonder why the groom is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold? What does the saying something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue mean? Visit www.weddingdetails.com and click on the lore and tradition section. We've got culture and tradition information from around the world. Visit www.weddingdetails.com tonight.
ANNOUNCER: We now return you to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Welcome back to VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. I am your host, John Bentley. We're are speaking with Donnie Stevens. He is a Toledo, Ohio, photographer and co-owner of Left Right Photography with Joe Sparks. Welcome back to the program, Donnie.
DONNIE: Hello. Thank you.
JOHN: Now we've been talking about all sorts of types of photography that you do. I did want to get into to one part of photography, the senior aspect of it. What are some of the high schools in the community that you're doing photography for, Donnie?
DONNIE: Right now we're doing a lot with Ottawa Hills High School. There's some surrounding schools that we would love to be shooting for. Sylvania North View and Sylvania South View...great schools that we like to be shooting. Whitmore High School which is both me and Joe Sparks are alumnists of Whitmore High School so we would love to be shooting some sports photography over there and some senior pictures there also. My wife teaches out at the Oregon High School, and we've done a couple events for them. We did their musical so that was kind of nice.
JOHN: I believe I saw some photos on your website from that, didn't I?
DONNIE: Yes, that was Willie Wonka Junior was the musical that we did there.
JOHN: Cute. Let's talk about some of the cities and communities around the Toledo area that you do work out of, Donnie.
DONNIE: We did some work out in Maumee, Ohio, and then we shoot in Sylvania a lot. We shoot at one of our main places that we do senior pictures is Toledo Botanical Gardens. We do our family portraits there, babies portraits and our senior portraits at Toledo Botanical Gardens which is located in Sylvania, Ohio. We do a lot of stuff in Toledo and Oregon, Ohio.
JOHN: And what about, you mentioned the gardens; are there any other many facilities or banquet halls or anything like that you use?
DONNIE: Yeah, we use, as I said, our main one is at Toledo Botanical Gardens. We also use Wildwood and a lot of the Toledo-Lucas County metro parks. Those are always great places to shoot at and usually good scenery and good background there.
JOHN: And how long have you and Joe been together with this Left Right Photography?
DONNIE: Me and Joe started this year with Left Right Photography. I have had Rondon Photography for the last couple of years, and Joe has had Joe's Sports Photography, I believe, for the last 4 or 5 years. We just merged this year.
JOHN: And why did you decide to become a photographer, Donnie?
DONNIE: I've always loved photography. They always say that photography...you just get that one moment that you can't capture anywhere else with photography, and I believe photography shows the best expressions of people.
JOHN: It certainly does. When you're in a session, what are you looking for, or should I say, what is the end result that you're trying to achieve when you're photographing somebody or an event?
DONNIE: When we're photographing someone, the best picture is no matter what the person is always the pictures when they're being themselves. So I always try to make them feel the most comfortable, and you get to know them on a level of almost a friendship. That is when you the best pictures. When they're themselves and they're not doing the fake, here you've got to smile or 1, 2, 3 say cheese. To me, those aren't the good shots. The best shots are when they're naturally happy and just being themselves.
JOHN: I would imagine that would mean, you know, obviously you're doing digital photography, most photographers are anymore, and thank God for that, because you'd be going through lots of film then, because you're taking lots of shots aren't you.
DONNIE: Yes. We take a ton of shots. At a wedding, Joe will edit probably 2,000 to 3,000 shots for one wedding.
JOHN: Wow!
DONNIE: And he'll go through all of those, and we take our time going through them, because there's those random shots that people don't think of that are just the great shots. When someone doesn't know that the camera is on them, and we don't know we are taking their picture. Those are usually the best shots.
JOHN: They sure are. I always try to...whenever I have my camera in hand, I'm always trying to be as invisible as I possibly can so you can catch those candid moments, and I'm sure that's what you guys are after, isn't it?
DONNIE: Yes. The candid shots to me are the best.
JOHN: Now what do you think separates Left Right Photography from the competition?
DONNIE: I would say the main thing, for one is there is always two photographers at any event, there's going to be two photographers. Weddings, senior pictures...there's always going to be two of us there, there's always going to be me and Joe. We don't really see that the business, you know, obviously it is a business, but we see it as a relationship with the customers. All our prints are hand delivered. We don't ever mail prints to people. When we get our prints, we go through all of the photography prints to make sure they are to the level that we expect them. We wouldn't give a customer a picture that we wouldn't hang on our own wall.
JOHN: What about photo organizations. Are you guys involved in any organizations?
DONNIE: Yes. Joe is, I believe, part of the Wedding Photographers of America as a business we have not joined many, but we will be in the future.
JOHN: Certainly. Well I appreciate you joining us today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight, Donnie.
DONNIE: Great. Thanks for having me.
JOHN: Now before I let you go, let's get your website address and contact information one more time please.
DONNIE: Ok. The website address is www.leftrightphoto.com. Our email is rondon@bex.net. And our telephone number is (419) 450-6584.
JOHN: Thanks again for joining us, Donnie.
DONNIE: Great. Thank you.
JOHN: We've been on the phone with Toledo, Ohio, photographer, Donnie Stevens, of Left - Right Photography and you've been listening to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight. For my engineer, Damien Allen, this is John Bentley signing off. Good day.
ANNOUNCER: You have been listening to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight; only www.vtalkradio.com on Radio for the 21st Century.