What is Only Once Photography? 

Who?    Who is Only Once Photography?

My name is Lisa.  I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and have lived here most of my life (briefly in Westbury, NY). I graduated with my Masters from North Carolina State University in 2010. I have an amazing (infuriating, just kidding) husband, Jake, and we have a wonderful adopted fury child, Philly. Yes, our dog is our baby.

How?       How did we get here?

Photography first entered my life in high school when I took an "easy A" photography class. To my surprise, I loved it. It felt right, great even. It made sense to me. It was fun. However, like most people, I thought "What a great dream that would be, huh? Oh well." Then went on my way to NC State to take the safe career route. I got my Bachelors degree and then Masters degree in Accounting in 2010. Then I went on my way to my safe accounting desk job. I got engaged and began the search for a wedding photographer for my wedding in September 2012.

I'll keep this part brief and just say that I was very disappointed with the experience. It was one of the poorest quality customer service experiences I had ever experienced and it was devastating to have wonderful memories tarnished by the experience. Thankfully for you, I am NOT the type to mope around; I act. Obviously, it was too late to save my wedding photos, but I decided that I would do everything in my power to stop this from happening to another person... but how?

Somehow I got from that question to now. I read books and blogs, watched seminars, training videos, youtube videos, dragged my friends to practice photo shoots, asked friends to let me photograph their children, joined photography groups, played with camera settings, played with lenses, played with Photoshop... learned, learned, learned... then learned some more.  Phew, my brain hurts just thinking about all I've done to prepare myself to enter this industry. But here I am, so excited to make my contribution by creating heirlooms that can be handed down generation to generation: photographs that will last through the years and portray who you are and what you are about.

Please contact me if you have any questions, I'd love to talk to you! 

 What?       What do you do?

Obviously, photography, but still a great question, which I'm honestly still trying to figure out the answer to. Being that I am new to the industry, I'm experimenting with basically everything involving photography. You'll see in my portfolio some experimenting with light drawing, taking pictures of children, couples, buildings and even graveyards. I'm still trying to figure out my "niche" and where I want to spend my life. Until that time I'm open to any photoshoot ideas you have! I love experimenting!