Philadelphia Wedding Photographer - Family - Phillies
Dave McShea
My love of photography started when I realized the happiness photographs can bring to other people, even strangers. To have the ability to capture a moment and the opportunity to catch emotions all with a single click is really empowering. After 13 years of shooting weddings, I've learned that the key to having a couple walk away from a wedding feeling thrilled with the experience is to start the day as prepared as possible and to use the time that I'm given as efficient as I can.
If you hire me, you get me!
Unlike some of the larger photo studios, you will meet me face to face for our consultation, and you will be able to reach me by phone or email or text with whatever questions you have leading up to your wedding day. If you hire me…you get me. I believe it’s important to meet my clients before the wedding not only to make sure I know what they are looking for but to establish a relationship with them. After all we will be spending a lot of time together on your wedding day.
Passion vs Money
Photography has always been a love of mine ever since I was a teenager. After 10+ years of working in the chemical industry, I felt that the decision to go into photography shifted me in the right direction. I reached a point in my life where I realized it was important to follow my passion instead of the money. After doing wedding photography longer than engineering, I love getting to provide something that is cherished by others.
Providing cherished treasures
A great photograph of family or friends or just a special moment tends to be one of life's most treasured possessions. Providing that photo is the allure of photography for me.
I take great pride making sure everyone is delighted
Throughout the entire process from our details meetings to the final turn around of the final photos, I take great pride in making sure you are happy with everything from beginning to end.
I do not consider a wedding complete until I receive that delighted review from the bride and groom.
Way too much info:
I went to college and started my career as a Chemical Engineer. But one of the more valuable things I got out of college was getting matched up with a roommate that was really into photography as well. My Reactor Design course was on the lesser end of value.
Our oldest daughter, Paige, is every photographers dream. Takes me 15 seconds to get a good shot of her smiling and as she gets older, her posing surprises (and scares) me. Our youngest, Sara, is a little crazy when it comes to photos. I just try to get her not looking like shes gonna bite my head off in photos.
I live and die by the Phillies and have fully brainwashed my entire family to jump on board.
I love riding my bike to get around in the city and love seeing more and more people commuting to work on their bike.
My wife and I would live at the beach in a perfect world. If our daughters end up not liking the beach, we might have to get rid of them.
On average we have about 6-7 different boxes of cereal on our fridge at any time. We are cereal freaks.
I love that in a set of say 10 photos I can pick out my top 5 and someone else's favorite might not even be one of the 5 I pick.
I’ve run the Broad Street Run the past 15 years and at this point, my goal is to not be worse than the previous year. Not as successful as I'd like to be on that goal.
I will admit that I’ve teared up at a clients wedding before. A lot.
My wife and I are eco-conscious enough that we have a worm composter in our basement and went through plenty of cloth diapers in our days. We believe in reducing our amount of waste. Not just for our family's sake but for everyone sake.
I’m getting to do something that I’ve always wanted to do (besides getting shoot photography for a living) by fixing up an old house from the late 1800s down the shore. Maybe in another 20 years, we'll be finished with the work.
We have lived in Brewerytown/Fairmount section of Philly for the past 15+ years and love watching the neighborhood blossom. Meeting new neighbors and being a helpful part of the community is so enjoyable and rewarding to us.
And I think it’s not right having to pay $6,000+ for a wedding photographer (and this is coming from someone that did just that for our own photographer over 10 years ago…still feel ripped off) just to get some decent pictures of your wedding. I'm happy to package together every add-on I offer, but I try to keep my budget range as wide as possible starting with my base package, and let you build from there if you wish. When I see other photographers label their pricing as "investment" it makes me laugh. If you want an investment, buy some stock or real estate. If you want a photographer that is always trying their best to provide the exact photos that a couple wants on their wedding day, without breaking the bank, then I'd be happy to help.