April is Headshot Month!

You may be looking for a summer job, or even graduating. You're editing your resume and LinkedIn profile, and you realize: I don't have a professional-looking picture of myself!

A good headshot is important. Many recruiters will check your online presence before meeting you. (Ever receive a "people are looking at your LinkedIn Profile" email?) It's the ultimate first impression: a headshot that conveys confidence goes a long way.

For the month of April, Brian Surguine Photography is offering a $60 headshot "mini-session" special to all Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti students. (Regular price: $125.) Here are the deets:

• 3-4 images at both print and web resolution (I will edit the best ones from the session)
• Coaching! Small adjustments in expression and posture make all the difference in front of the camera, and I will help you look your best.
• Digital image delivery within 3 days (next-day rush available for an extra $25)
• White or gray background (your choice)
• Color or black-and-white (your choice)
• Natural-looking skin retouching included. I will not turn you into a Ken/Barbie doll.
• 1 outfit

If you need a professional headshot, please contact me at info@briansurguine.com, or call/text +1.734.272.6334. 

How To Camera, April 25, 2015

How many times have you taken a picture and thought: "Man, I really wish I knew how to use this camera?"

Just about anyone has access to a camera. (Most of us carry one in our pocket: on your phone!) It's one of the products of the digital photography age: photography is convenient, with instant feedback and the freedom to take an almost unlimited number of pictures.

I'd like to invite you to How To Camera, a free workshop where you'll learn the fundamental controls of your camera - DSLR, Smartphone, or Point and Shoot - and get tips on composition, portraiture, lighting, and more. You'll also meet other people with varying interests and levels of experience, and I will be on hand to answer questions, give advice, and share knowledge from 8 years of professional photography exposure.

So register (info below), grab a camera, a notebook, and a friend - I look forward to meeting you!

How To Camera
Cost: Free!
Saturday, April 25, 2015
9 AM - 12 PM
Huron Hills Church
3150 Glazier Way, Ann Arbor MI 48105

Please register here - this helps us send updates and keep track of how many people to expect. Thank you!

I'm Back.

New website, new blog, new plan. It's an exciting time! Since this is the first post of the new blog, I feel like a little history is needed to put things in perspective.

Teaching English in Luxian, China

In 2007, my then-new friend Tony found out that I was interested in photography. I was a freshman at the University of Michigan; over the summer, I had photographed an English camp I taught at in China, mostly because I was the only one who knew how to use a camera. There, I felt responsible for telling a story: finding and creating images that would help others recount and remember their experiences. I guess that counted as my first professional experience.

A shot from my first wedding. Still one of my favorites.

Tony put me in touch with Blaine Siesser, an amazing Detroit wedding photographer and all-around good guy. Blaine exposed me to the fast-paced world of high-end wedding photography; I learned how to shoot with DSLRs and wireless flash triggers and fast primes, and I got to watch a master at work. It was an incredible experience, and after two years, I decided to try it for myself. Some incredible clients took a chance on me, but I had no plan - I was a full-time Architecture student, mentoring high schoolers on the side, and simply did not have enough hours in a week to pull off a photography business.

Dana and Georges, rockin' the Vogue look.

Time and energy constraints reduced photography to a hobby. Instead of weddings, my cameras came with me to places like Alaska and Hong Kong. I carried them across rivers, over mountain passes, and through busy city streets. This was an experimental time, a break from shooting receptions and first dances, and a chance to wake up early to photograph a sunrise at the top of a waterfall. It was an opportunity to flex some different creative muscles and expand my understanding of photography.

Twin Lakes Falls, CA

Which brings us to today. Why am I here?

Because I still take pictures, I still want to tell stories, and I'm doing it the best way I know how: with my camera. As I am no longer a student, school no longer demands a huge chunk of my day. People still trust me to take their pictures with this funny little black box we call a "camera." Now, I have the time, resources, and experience to give this a fair shot. We'll call it my second photography career.

Jon Imparato from the SphinxCon Speaker Portrait series

So here's to another year of storytelling. My website and blog have been completely overhauled. I will try to post regular, interesting content to this blog, as well as to my Facebook page and Instagram feed. A workshop is coming very, very soon. I'm excited. Are you ready?

If you are thinking of hiring a photographer, have ideas for a project, or have any questions about the industry, please feel free to contact me by email at info@briansurguine.com, or by phone at +1.734.272.6334.