I feel like one of the regulars at Texas Media Systems. I go there for a certain specialty lens…read morewhenever I am filming a wedding, which is quite often - I've found that the W. Austin area is wildly popular for destination events. And I rely on the Canon 70-200 lens for wedding ceremonies. Aside from their superb camera equipment, I appreciate their gracious team, who remember me and treat me like a member of the tribe. Feels good to go there and swap stories with Ross and Terry. Cool dudes. Lots of smiles. Great business to work with, and I'm grateful.

Texas Media Systems Delivers!…read more This is the first purchase I made with Texas Media Systems. Overall, the process was smooth. There was a few small hiccups dealing with a lease, but the team helped smooth things out every step of the way and I was impressed with their quick response. I would definitely recommend Texas Media Systems for any camera equipment purchases, small and large.

Jordan took fresh photos of myself and my husband to help market our small business. They came out…read moregreat! We have lots of choices of photos to use for web use as well as for print. She was extremely easy to work with, reasonably priced, and professional. Highly recommend.

Jordan is one of the most personable, fun and upbeat photographers that I have met. She made sure…read moreto connect with my husband (boyfriend and fiancé at the time of the photoshoots) on a personal level prior to the shoots and made us feel extremely comfortable during. My husband HATES having his photo taken but anytime I mention doing them now, he happily agrees as long as Jordan is the one behind the camera. I love all of the experiences that I have had with Jordan and I am happy to say that she is one of my forever photographers. I hope to have her capture many more events in milestones in our lifetime. I can't recommend her sweet self enough. The sessions with her are comfortable and the final images are beautiful! I have her work hanging all over my home. Thank you Jordan for a lifetime of beautiful memories. You're amazing!!!

Great information! Easy to follow instructions about being…read morean extra in local productions.

Every now and again, I'll stumble across an ad for Austin visitors that will slip in the line "You…read morecan be an extra in a big budget Hollywood film!" between the suggestions of yakking up on 6th Street, or frolicking in the buff around Hippy Hollow. They make it sound so easy, like you just form a queue, and the next thing you know you're mouthing "apples and grapes" behind Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock for a quick $50. If only. Third Coast Extras is the Austin-based casting company used for movies and commercials. A friend of mine who is an actual actor had invited me along to two projects: A Verizon Wireless commercial (yes, I was a hard hat guy), and a Bank of America commercial. If you haven't been an extra before, I'll try and explain the process the best I can. First step: Get on their e-mail list, or better yet, add them on Facebook. They can be found under "Beth Sepko Casting & Third Coast Extras". One day, you may see this: "Seeking paid extras for The LYING GAME to work this Wed. 7/13. All ethnicities, m&f, ages 18-22. Local AUSTIN only. Please email contact info, height, weight, and current photo,.." etc. Follow their instructions to the letter. Sometimes it will say "do NOT call", and you'll be amazed how many aspiring starlets will call anyways. Professional head shots aren't needed in some cases (I happen to have some from my real estate career), but they certainly help. You will only irritate them if you contact them regarding a spot that you do not fit as described. If you are a petite Asian female in their 20's, you will not fulfill the role of a muscular African American male in his 40's, no matter how desperately you want in on the gig. Again, you'd be surprised how many people will attempt to fill a round hole with a square peg. The employees are all VERY professional and sweet, but have a very low threshold for people who can not follow instructions. You also MUST be able to work the entire day(s); there are no partial gigs or leave-and-return privileges. Clear out your schedule, and prepare to possibly stay late. So, you've got the gig. They all vary, but I'll describe the Verizon experience. Filming usually starts early...like 6 AM early. For this gig, I had to wake up at 4, meet my friend at 5:00, and drive to Bastrop to be on the set at 6:00. Third Coast reps will be there to check you in and have you fill out your pay/tax papers. Another key word for extras? Waiting. Waiting can mean sitting, eating, smoking, gossiping...but you will wait for roughly 80% of the 12-14 hour day you're slated for. That's why I went with a friend; it can be a long day. Repetition. We had to do the same thing over, and over, and over, and over--dozens of times. To this day, I can't see how it takes 14 hours to make a 30-second spot, but it does. It may seem ridiculous at first, but be prepared to do the same damn thing until you feel like screaming. You also have to reshoot if one of the principles (or a fellow extra) screws up. That's always fun. You will be fed. Craft services will always be there to provide you with as many meals or snacks as it takes to get through the shoot. For the Bank of America shoot at Auditorium Shores, we got a particularly nice boxed lunch from Central Market. Stay hydrated, especially for an outdoor shoot. Unfortunately, this means you'll have to tinkle, and I still have PTSD from all the port-a-potty use that's inescapable on the set. Your fellow extras...here's where it gets dicey. A lot of the people already know each other in what is obviously a pretty tight knit community. "Yeah, I landed the Johnson & Johnson commercial" and "I got face time in that new Disney movie" are common conversations. However, some will be loners. And some are more outgoing, and naturally through such an adventure, you'll make friends and have a fabulous time. You can also make enemies, especially among those who perceive you as a threat. Competition is FIERCE. I was rudely called a "little bastard" by a washed up old broad who took my seat; when confronted by a Third Coast rep, she denied it, claiming I lied and that she'd "always been professional on a set." Yeah. Prepare for that sh*t. Then there'll be the guy who claims to have taken Hollywood by storm, and yet you have no idea what his name is. He'll regale you with stories of being given free luxury condos, limos, and casually mention hanging out with Ryan Phillippe "who's really a pretty chill guy". Ask him what movie he's been working on that affords him such goodies, and he'll answer: "It's a working title." The only people who believe him are the girls at his feet staring in awe who are even dumber than he is. Pay is approximately $150 for a commercial shoot. If you fit a certain type that gets more camera time (the ultimate goal), it will be more. Think you got what it takes? Give it a shot! And if you make it big, I get a cut for spurring your acting career. Read it--it's in your contract.

Amanda's content has literally changed my life. I was in a holding pattern I couldn't break free…read morefrom, and she's given me the push I needed. Thank you Amanda for what you do!!

Amanda was a pleasure to work with in every aspect. She was on time the day of the shoot, as well…read moreas, with all the timelines that my publishing house had set. I had an idea of what my book trailer should convey, and she helped me take it to the next level. She made me feel comfortable in front of the camera, and the quality of her work has helped open doors for me to speak at conferences - you can see the book trailer she created for me here: http://saharpaz.com/find-your-voice-book/

Mercedes is not only an incredible photographer but also just a wonderful person to be around on…read moreyour wedding day. She handled everything with grace and ease and was willing to follow us where ever we decided to go. She was so amazing when dealing with our sweet but rambunctious little flower girl, frantic mother-in-law, and honestly a rather uncomfortable bride. Mercedes made me feel beautiful on a day when I never thought I could (I realized on the wedding day that I had put on 7 pounds after my final fitting--oops). We just got the package with the images and CD's. We honestly could not be happier. My husband and I both LOVE the photos she sent and our first home together is going to be filled with different prints. Mercedes truly captures the emotions of the day and does so in such a beautiful light. We would highly recommend Mercedes to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.

I highly recommend Mercedes and Jesse for your special event. I can't say thank you enough to…read moreMercedes and Jesse for capturing my surprise proposal. My Fiancé did all the coordination with the photographers. Mercedes was very kind and ensured my outfit, make up, and hair looked great for the pictures. Mercedes would take the time to fix my hair (which was a not the best due to rain) and have cute ideas for pictures. She was able to provide a few pictures a day after the proposal.

it's been some time ago, my now husband and I had our engagement photos taken at Bob Roberts. The…read morewedding was in another state or we would have hired them for that as well. Planning a wedding is very stressful. These folks made it much less so. For everything, politeness, professionalism, quality, options, affordability, etc., we could not have hoped for more.

Very unprofessional. He was supposed to delivery our pictures over a month ago. Claimed he didn't…read morehave payment information even though charges had cleared the bank for over 2 weeks. Then didn't send the pictures digitally like he promised and took another week to send the print he said he would overnight. Lots of better photographers in Austin.

So many photographers do these staid poses that don't show the personality…read more Not the case we Brandi. She selects cool locations - we shot at the iconic Austin Cathedral of Junk - and works to pull the subject put of their shell. Unless you're like the mini Ekat who has no shell. She curates a great video portfolio for your review and helps with the hard decisions of picking the absolute BEST shots from all the awesome shots. Not easy! And her options for printed output is amazing. I'm a fan of the large format metallic. Check out the video. The mini Ekat video is posted 5-5-16. Enjoy. And call Brandi now!! http://bnthephoto.blogspot.com/2016/05/another-beautiful-new-smile-by-dr-mai.html?m=1

I highly recommend Brandi Nellis as a photographer! She recently photographed our family of 13 for…read moremy parents' 50th wedding anniversary, and we had such an amazing afternoon with her at Laguna Gloria. Not only is she a talented photographer who puts everyone at ease and takes amazing photos, she is also so much fun to work with! This was by far the most fun we have had on a photo shoot, and we have so many wonderful memories filled with laughter of our time with Brandi. You will not be sorry if you choose Brandi Nellis to photograph your next special occasion. We give her our highest recommendation!

For great outdoor natural light portraits, this is the place. Nams is very easy to work with. She…read moreis totally professional and finishes your pictures quickly.

We had bad weather on the day of our shoot unfortunately. The pictures turned out ok considering…read morethe weather. Nams was very accommodating and met up with us for a re-shoot on another day without an additional charge. Those pictures turned out very nice and we will be using them for our holiday cards.