Hello, I'm Dianne
Portrait Photographer
I can't tell you how happy I am to have you here! It is truly an honor that you would take the time to learn more about me and what I do.
I am a shy girl who loves deeply, so that tends to make things difficult for me. However, I discovered that when I have a camera in my hand, the idea of capturing memories for others with their loved ones brings out this fun boldness in me I didn't know I had!
As a homeschooling family of six, married to a teacher, finances have always been tight. When I took my second son to a lifestyle photographer in hopes of getting more personalized portraits of his amazing 6 month old smile (vs big-box store photos again!), I was heartbroken to learn the "deposit" I paid only covered the photographer's time and did not include any digital images or prints. I could barely afford to get two prints, and literally cried at the thought of the rest of the images being trashed. That's when I decided to learn how to take the kind of photos I dreamed of having of my kiddos as they grew up.
I studied and learned all I could about photography, lighting, exposure, and posing, and then contacted two prominent local photographers and interned with them for a year (about 6 months each).
When I was ready to venture out on my own, I vowed to always include digital images with each session. It has been a trial and error thing to find the right price point that covers my time and expenses but remains affordable - something I could have afforded on a teacher's salary when my kids were small.
If you find you still can't afford any of my portrait packages but yearn to work something out, please contact me! I love to barter and trade!
"Sometimes i do get to places just when god's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
- Ansel Adams
Adventures in entrepreneurship:
Rebrandning
When I began my photography business, I originally called it Dulce Light Photography. This name was quite special to me because it had several meanings:
- It was bilingual, like me :)
- Dulce means "sweet" in Spanish, and the rich, golden sunlight of sunrise and sunset is every photographer's favorite! It's the "Sweet Light" of the day, you could say!
- Jesus is the Light of the World, so He is also my Sweet Light, my Savior who brought me out of my pit of depression and gave me a new lease on life.
- My initials are DLD, so it also incorporated my first two initials!
However, as our Real Estate Photography business took off (we are also realtors, so we were asked to photograph listings for many agent friends, and that became the bulk of our business), it became increasingly difficult for me to keep up with both Real Estate and People photography. Since my portrait side had diminished, I decided to close Dulce Light Photography and focus on Dunn Deal Images.
Now that Real Estate has slowed, I realized I MISS People Photography SO MUCH! It was and always will be my passion. As I repeat to my kids, find a job you love and you will never "work" a day in your life! Taking my own advice, I realized I needed to return to portrait photography. However, I did not want to manage 3 separate businesses again and decided it would be easier to just add People back into my Dunn Deal Images business plan.
Therefore, you will see a similar logo and the same URL that will take you to a home page allowing you to choose Real Estate or Portraits. My Portrait photography will be watermarked either with the portrait version of my logo or with D. Dunn Images, as that still incorporates my initials! Nevertheless, you may see some of my portrait portfolio images branded with Dulce Light Photography because after all this time, the only copies I have of those left are the watermarked ones! Just thought you should know those are still mine :)
My approach
I specialize in personalized lifestyle portraits, with natural lighting, on location of your choice, using your own props and styles so they reflect your family's uniqueness! Every session comes with digital albums you can share online and download from directly.
For an idea of how a session with me will go:
We will walk around the location you have chosen, casually talking as I ask questions to get to know you and answer your questions allowing you to get comfortable with me. When a spot inspires me because the light or the scenery is just right, I will have us stop and I will lightly suggest a pose. I don't believe in rigid poses and prefer to capture my clients in their most comfortable way. After gently posing you, we will talk about funny moments or memories and I will begin shooting. I may call out directions like "Mom, put your arm around Dad." or "Billy tell us a joke!" You will hear my camera take TONS of shots in rapid succession. I love photographing people like this because it's usually the in-between shots where people look the most comfortable and show their most natural smile to the camera.
After your session, I will cull through the photos and upload only the great in-between shots to your gallery for you to choose your favorites from. Then I will edit the ones you chose (number based on the package you selected), and upload the fully edited versions. You will then receive an email with the copyright release and download pin!
Let’s work together
