Sometimes a hobby is merely a pastime and sometimes, if you’re lucky, it becomes your livelihood. For Steve Nosanchuk, owner of Visual Productions Photography in Brentwood, the hobby did in fact become the paycheck and for the past 20 years, it’s also remained his passion.

“I’ve always had a camera in my hand, ever since high school, back in the days of film,” laughed Nosanchuk, an Oakley resident and current president of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. “When I started out, I would call my work ‘environmental portraits,’ which is a fancy way of saying I don’t have a studio. But I kept with it; it’s always been what I love.”

Today, Nosanchuk has a real studio on Oak Street, and his “environmental portraits” are now bonafide location shoots. He also specializes in studio portraits, weddings and special events – high-quality packages with reasonable price tags. In today’s tepid economy, said Nosanchuk, customers want to know they are getting the best deal for their dollar.

“It is tough today, especially in this market, but people can still stretch their photographic budget, spend locally and get a beautiful package,” he said. “I’m a lot cheaper than the national photographers the high schools use. For a couple of hundred bucks, even $25 for an 8x10 portrait, you can walk out with some beautiful pictures.”

Right now, Nosanchuk is getting a lot of senior portraits. “They graduate from high school only once, and if I get the mom to cry I know I’ve done a good job,” he said. He’s also being called for a lot of last-minute weddings. “I’m not sure why I’m getting the weddings so late, but I think part of it is that couples realize how important their wedding photos are. There’s no “take two” at a wedding, and they want to be sure they’ve got someone who knows their job.”

So what does a prospective client need to know when hiring a photographer? Plenty, according to Nosanchuk.

“Well, you need to find someone you enjoy working with and find someone who will do what you want,” he said. “If your vision is to have a formal sitting, or wear jeans and roll around on the floor, you need to know your photographer is willing to work with you. After all, it will be a piece of art hanging in your home and you’ve got to get someone who understands that.

“I think with today’s digital cameras, most photographers have similar technical skills, but you should look at some of their work and see how they light the backgrounds, how they create a photo and how it fits with your ideas.”

In the end though, the perfect photo is a matter of personal taste. “You never know for sure which picture is going to be ‘the one,’” said Nosanchuk. “Everyone has their own idea and own vision of what they want to see. For me, if the client is happy, so am I.”

Visual Productions Photography is located at 317 Oak St., Suite B in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-634-9914 or visit www.vpphoto.com.