From art director to full-time photographer — on being your own boss, weathering the slow season, and why a warehouse studio beats a fancy storefront.

Choosing a portrait photography location in Columbus shouldn't be guesswork. A straight breakdown of three go-to options — a floral garden, my downtown studio, and a rentable-space platform — and which one fits your session.

Two bad reviews against a decade of work. Here's the unfair math of online reviews — and how I actually deal with the ones that aren't five stars.

Put "AI" and "photographer" in the same sentence and the room gets quiet. Here's the honest version — what I use it for, what I'd never use it for, and why it means more of my time goes to you.

Follow these important steps to becoming a licensed drone pilot in Ohio.

I pitched CREEM on AC/DC at Ohio Stadium and got a polite no in seven minutes. Here's the pitch, why it lost, and why that's the most useful thing I could show you.

What you wear to your headshot session matters more than most people realize — but it doesn't have to be complicated. From colors that photograph well to how many outfits to bring, here's everything you need to know to show up confident, comfortable, and camera-ready at my downtown Columbus photography studio.

"What does a Columbus wedding photographer actually charge — and what do you get for it? I break down my real pricing, share what I learned photographing my own son's wedding, and show you what a full wedding day looks like through my lens."

Real estate photography isn't one category — it's several, and Columbus proves it. From residential listings in German Village to commercial developments in the Arena District, historic structure documentation, and drone videography, here's what separates these disciplines and why it matters when you're hiring.

See how professional retouching transforms a studio headshot from RAW file to finished portrait. Columbus photographer Harry Acosta walks through the full post-production process on a real client image.

An event is a moment in time. What you do with that moment — how you document it, distribute it, and extend its reach long after the last guest leaves — determines whether it lives on or disappears. After a decade behind the lens in Columbus, I've built my event coverage around one principle: the work doesn't end when the event does.

Tips for Choosing Your Location

Not sure which spot is right for you? Here's how I help my seniors decide:

• Think about your personality.

• Consider the season.

• Don't overthink it.

• Mix it up.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with all that goes into a wedding. Fortunately, the right pro will be able to provide professional services that include more than their expertise. I try to offer all the advice I can for couples leading up to the big day. Booking with me includes a 24-hour open line. Text me at 3am if you can’t sleep; run ideas past me; keep me updated on the latest moving part of your wedding day.

Professional commercial lifestyle photography is more than just pictures—it’s about telling a story. For retirement communities, that story includes active living, strong community ties, exceptional services, and comfort. That’s exactly what we set out to capture, using a strategic mix of real-life settings, paid models (talent), and authentic moments.

Event photography isn’t just about documentation. It’s a key tool for marketing & promotion, social media content, media & press coverage, internal communication, and keepsakes of the special, engaging moments.

A retelling of the scariest event I’ve ever photographed.

There are occasions where a simple phone photo will work, like when I need to capture a QR code or receipt. I find it so important to hire a professional for your event and portrait photography and here are the best reasons to do so.

What do you like most about your job? Would you be doing something else if you could? Why do we continue to do work if it doesn’t pay well or it isn’t fulfilling?

What do I do with my hands? What should I wear? What is the difference between headshots and portraits? How long does it take to get digital images back? How do I pay? Where is your studio located? All fine questions, I address in this article.

I have one client who cannot afford to have me travel the US with her, but whenever she has photos taken of me, she asks the photographer if they are agreeable to having me retouch her photos.

My latest project was a commercial photography shoot for a card game by Keymaster Games. The game is called Fuego. I was advised that it would have an ultra-lounge, fiesta feel with a touch of Uno.

How do you review the performance with only one song? They escort you out of the building to secure your camera gear in your car before coming back in to watch the show. I’m just not going to drive 25 minutes to pay $10 - $20 in parking to photograph one song, and risk having 10k in gear stolen out of my car in order to write a concert review (without pay) to support an artist who does not want me there.

I often tell clients that come in for portrait and headshot photography, it does not matter what they wear as long as it makes them feel comfortable. It will show in their facial features and create the best imagery possible. I realize, the same holds true for me. If I have it in the back of my mind that I should be doing some other photography rather than the assignment in front of me, I’m not going to get the best imagery possible either.

In order to keep the surprise, we moved forward with the proposal, but the photos did need some extra retouching. There is a lot of AI tools to choose from to retouch photos. I tend to stay in Photoshop with a modest array of AI tools that help me keep the integrity of my focal points.

From time to time, I like to display galleries, so other clients know exactly what to expect from their session. I always shoot a little dark to ensure that when editing in post-production, all pixels have information that can be edited. This is the end result of a professional photography session at the best floral park locations in the Columbus area taken earlier this month in Columbus, OH.

I interact with you and bring out the best I can for the best photography. I help calm nerves, and creates candid reactions that are worthy of a photograph.,That’s the kind of support I offer when photographing weddings … and proposals!

I showed up to the Greater Columbus Convention Center for a 90-minute event shoot with almost no briefing — and ended up photographing Joe Montana. Here's the day, and the low-light approach that made it work.

It is similar to wedding photography or event photography, but with some limitations. With wedding photography, you should be allowed to capture everyone at the ceremony and reception in the moment. With this type of photography you’re only allowed to capture the likeness of people if they agree to signing a waiver.

On April 3, 2024, I received an email from Google that said tehy had disabled my business listing for the reason that the “Business Did Not Exist”. Right, right. Nice try scammers. Fast forward 6 weeks and I’m having a conversation with my wife about how the market must just be slow and that people may not have the budget for photos right now. I’m making about half as much as I was in each of the last 3 years since the pandemic.