Hi all!. I just want to share with the group a disturbing encounter I had with a peer of ours…read more Stephanie Newkirk (or Stephanie Cochrane as she also goes by) and I connected on a Tampa photography board. I had arranged to do a very special shoot with her to celebrate my six months sobriety after 14 years of battling alcoholism. We did the shoot on a Tuesday and she assured me that photographs would be ready within 24 to 48 hours. During this time she made me sign a waiver, and she also put together an extensive list of questions that she would like me to do for HER photography business vlog about MY sobriety. She gave me homework! After five days, the images were still not ready and when she finally sent me the gallery -- the images were marked with "PROOF" ALL OVER THEM (the shoot was unpaid for both of us and a trade for talent). I have done countless TFPs at this point with many photographers and though they use stamps and things to ensure that their work is given due credit (as is only right) they do not make it a habit of destroying images from the viewer let alone the model in the creative process. This shoot was so VERY important to me and obviously was very sentimental. She knew my sobervesary was on a Thursday (and I have no problem with being patient), photoshoot was on a Tuesday and still the following Monday she is holding my images hostage. She insisted upon a phone call to which she told me that this was her process and that she would destroy the images rather than go back-and-forth with me. As a person with autism and ADHD, it's very hard for me to see past imperfections and small details. When I asked her to do this, she was completely adamant that she would not accommodate my request. I still have not been in receipt of any of the images and I refuse to beg for them anymore as it's not only demeaning, but it's very hurtful to think that art that you created -- and that you put more than decade into actually accomplishing) -- someone would just take away for no reason other than just be hurtful. Because what other motive is there for even making such a threat? I thought that I would come forward with this because as I've worked with so many great artists collaborators in the community, this seems to go against everything that we stand for. From I've observed, this is a place for creative expression and not one person I've met seems in the habit of stealing, being underhanded and trying to pass off work as not their own. Now, maybe that's just my experience but I haven't seen that. We work together and make these so that we can express, and I just feel really taken advantage of and disappointed. So I come to the group and I also want to ensure that no one ever has to work with this photographer again. Because if she will destroy my six month sobriety photo shoot what does this woman hold sacred?

Stephanie was super fun to shoot under...she was simple with everything, a jokester, and even…read moreprovided a pop-up change tent. I left the new experience she gave me with greater confidence and just wanting to continue new things.

Very professional and made us feel very relaxed. My husband HATES pictures and he was very…read morecomfortable. Thank you!

MJ is amazing. Very personable, fun, incredibly knowledgeable and professional. Her studio is…read morecomfortable and beautiful. She captured everything that I wanted my 50th Birthday images to represent. In addition, she and her team encouraged me to be photographed in a gown I would not typically wear (my husband thanks her!). Give her a call for your portraiture needs, you will not be disappointed!

Well, well, well. This marked my 3rd year of boudoir shots…read moreon 3 years. This is the best I have ever looked and so I figure I should document it while I've got it. I'm leading a bucket life, not a bucket list. Anyway, this was my best year yet! I went to two other studios prior to this year and although I was pleased with years' past results, the shots taken with Mr. Crum are phenomenal. Beyond too many too choose from (unedited! This man is a lighting genius!) I purchased a disc and have been surprising my cute boyfriend with pictures at random times. I did 5 looks, still pouring through to determine which I would like to make the edited 8x10 (yes, I used groupon to start) I would like. Definitely going back.

I went to the get a photography session from Robert Crum in Tampa, FL. The livingsocial.com deal…read moresays photography session, one 8 x 10 print, and DVD of all images. When I went to pick up the DVD, he said that I would have to upgrade to get the large images. Otherwise he said he will still give me all images as a thumbnail, which can't be used for printing anything or to post on social media. What is the point of saying that I will get all images on DVD when I can't use any of them. His upgrade charge is very expensive starting at $200 just for photo sizes, which can only be used as social media and not prints. His details are misleading and he does that "bait and switch," so that you feel that you have to give over $200 just to get your photos from the session. If I would have known that he was going to employ this tactic, then I would have driven 45-60 minutes away to a reputable photographer that I have used before and he does give you full resolution files of the session.

Buyer beware! This person has a lot of overly priced hidden costs never explained before signing…read morethe contract. Actually, I think the costs are made up as she goes along. It was explained to us that the $3,900 we paid covered the wedding photos, engagement photos and copies of our photos on disc. This is what we expected. We thought that to be a tad pricey but she does take good photos. What we thought and what she tried to charge us after the engagement photos (holding our photos hostage) was a huge difference. She wanted $8,000 for the bare minimum. I am posting this to hopefully save another person the stress we are going through caused by this vendor. We had our engagement photos finally done. We asked the turn around so we could use the photos for our wedding invitations (this is in documented email with the photographer and our wedding planner). We set a date to review the photos. We were excited to see our photos and to move on the next step. While we were there we went through all 98 photos she took. We were picking out what would be in our engagement book and what picture to use for our screen print at the wedding. We went over by 30 minutes and my fiancé and I were going to be late for our dance lessons. We told her we needed to go. This is when she showed us the price. I was taken back. I wasn't sure what to say. I felt rushed since we were late for our dance lessons. I felt shocked because I didn't realize their was an extra cost for anything. I was shocked about the extra cost. When I said this, she said we had no rights to any of our images and then said she had no intention of giving us a disc with our images unless we spent more money. This would only be in low resolution and over $4,000. Even then, we apparently had no right to print our images unless through her. She said we couldn't even use a photo for our wedding invitations. I subtracted things from what we expected to get. It was still $4,200. She said she would not be able to place the order until the next week. In shock, I gave her the card. As the night went on I felt more sick about what just happened. The prices she showed us were insane. She never told us about these prices ahead of time or we would have hired someone else for our wedding. We immediately emailed her in the morning (less than 24 hours) to tell her not to place the order. She went back and forth via email and changed her prices multiple times. We were never given an invoice for any part and her prices continued to change. When we told her we were not informed of this and had to rethink using her services she became even more rude than when we first questioned her prices. She told us how we had no voice or choice about our photos. When we were trying to come up with an agreement to break ties, her prices and demands became even higher. She said she will not give us any of our $6,400 back but that we could pay the difference of the $98,000 if we want the 98 engagement photos on a high resolution disc. When we said that we don't accept, that this is absurd, that she keeps increasing the cost, she refused to give us anything. We are now forced to take her to court for the $6,400 she will not return. We are months before the wedding. She is adding a lot of stress. I don't want to see anyone else go through this. It is awful. It is not what you hope for when planning a wedding. You expect people to be honest and supportive. This is just crazy. I really, really feel bad for anyone who has to deal with this company as a paying client as we have. We now have to find a new photographer and figure out engagement photos in a short time on top of everything else during this crunch time. She also wasted our time for the shoot and our money as I spent money for hair, makeup, and nails that day. This entire interaction is insane and I wish we had gone through someone else initially.

I truly couldn't be more pleased with my experience with The Fine Art Photography Company. Truly…read moreprofessional, incredibly talented, and, most importantly, made me comfortable having my photos taken ( I usually HATE being photographed!)...Alicia actually made the shoot FUN! They will be my go-to photographer in Tampa!!

Working with Leighton was a pleasure! He's professional, on-time and thorough. I really don't take…read moreprofessional pictures much but he coached me through the session to create the look I wanted. The shots I chose for my job announcement made a huge splash and I have Leighton to thank for that!

The professionalism as well as the attentiveness that was received from Mr DaCosta was above and…read morebeyond what I would expect to get from any photographer. His work speaks for its self not only is he capable of achieving the look you want he adds his own special touch that enhances the look you may have thought you wanted. While the shoot ran a little over the time that was specified Mr DaCosta never once allowed his work to be affect by this he was still willing to spend the time to ensure he got the finish product that him and I would be happy with. Kudos to LDPhotography for great work and excellent customer service. I look forward to doing business with this company again during another life moment.

It was an absolute pleasure doing business with Kristen Sloan. Approachable. talented, and as…read moreknowledgeable as they come. I have, and will continue to hold her in the highest regards and recommend to any and all potential clients!

Kristen Sloan Photography is amazing! Kristen and Scott did a wonderful job on my daughter's senior…read morepictures!! They really care about their work and it shows!! Very professional, but also very kind and a lot of fun! We had to wait out a storm but Kristen and Scott were so patient! They really got some beautiful shots!! They definitely know what they are doing! I would recommend them to anyone who wants beautiful pictures in Florida! Family pictures, senior pics or weddings... They really do it all! Can not praise them enough.

This studio is awesome. Very creative photography, scenes, and editing. Would recommend to…read moreany/everyone. I saw the families and kids before and after coming in and going out happy and smiling, having a good time. Best of all, I watched the other people's pictures on the screen and every set was different... And so were ours. I like knowing that everyone does not get the same "canned" session like you do at some places. The hardest part was deciding what not to buy. I've never had that problem at a portrait studio before. Unfortunately, I had to stay in budget so I can go back again. Two thumbs up!

Our family has used Terri for photography twice and had excellent results each time. Terri takes a…read morelot of time getting the right poses and smiles from little ones. Our son was 9 months and 1 year old during the photo sessions and she did a great job with him. The studio is small and a little warm but well kept and they offer some nice seasonal background options (including live bunnies in the spring). They are about the middle of the road on prices. They are by no means inexpensive but fall in the realm of "you get what you pay for" and, with that in mind, their prices are about fair. We previously had photos done at another studio chain where we struggled to find shots we liked in order to buy. At Studio One to One, the challenge is finding shots you don't like to keep from buying them all! There are only two things I encountered that made them less than five star. The first time I dealt with them was that their phone number went to another location and I left messages twice with no return call to arrange a date and time for an on location shoot (which I had purchased through Groupon). Once they finally got back to me, all went well. The other issue is that there is not a vast variety of background options. If you don't want a seasonal look, your choices aren't much more than black, white, and the yellowish colored wall. If I use them again, it will be on location once more because the backgrounds are so lacking. Other than those couple of things, I would definitely recommend this location to someone looking for nice family or children's photos.

Never got a call back. It's a shame that they couldn't even call to say they were too busy or are…read moreunavailable for that day.

Jessica McKnight is one of the most talented photographers I've ever had the pleasure of working…read morewith. In fact, if you click on my profile, you'll see the headshots she took for me! On top of headshots, I've worked with Jessica as she took photos at a handful of local events. She captures moments you didn't think anyone else saw; an unexpected smile, a tender embrace. These are candid moments that I'm always so grateful ended up in a photograph. She has a wonderful creative eye. On top of that, she's professional, punctual and super friendly. Her studio is comfortable and gorgeous. I recommend her for any and all of your photo needs!