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These are some frequently asked questions(FAQ's) that clients have asked me or that they should be ask when hiring their wedding photographer. I have listed some of the questions and answered them in the fashion I do my weddings. If there is a question that I didn't answer please feel free to ask me. If I can get more questions or remember other questions I will do another blog.
Do you offer engagement sessions?
Yes. Depending on which wedding package you purchase will determine the cost. Do you come to the rehearsal? I typically do not. If there is something out of the ordinary happening that you think I need to be there for let me know and we will discuss it. As a photographer are you laid back or aggressive? I am definitely laid back. I try to be just another person at the wedding but the one with the camera capturing all the moments. I’m not uptight and I like to connect with the bride, groom, and bridal party so that everyone will feel comfortable with me so that they are able to act natural when I'm taking their pictures. When everyone can act natural the pictures turn out that much better. I honestly like to connect with the bride the most because she has all the details in her head. She is typically the one I go to if I have questions. If she has a wedding planner I will go to the wedding planner first to see if she has the answer to my question. There are times that getting everyone to listen is difficult. The worst case is when the bridal party or people part of the wedding have been drinking. I'm fine with everyone trying to have fun or help get rid of the nerves. I try not to be rude when directing people where or how we are doing a photo. In the nicest way possible I will slightly raise my voice and tell the group what I am needing from them. An example would be if I need everyone in the bridal party in a certain spot for a group photo and they are talking with guests. I will say something like, “okay if you’re in the bridal party, I need you at x spot, we are on a schedule.” Most of the time I don’t have to say anything because either the bride, groom, a member of the bridal party, or family member will yell these things for me. Which I feel a lot better having them do it. =) How many images can I expect from my wedding? Depending on the wedding package you purchase you will either get 50, 75, or all images that I approve of. If you choose to purchase a wedding package that has a set number of pictures but you want all of the pictures you will have the option to purchase those. I will normally take between 500-1000 images. After going through all of those images I usually end up with 400-600 images. Do you work from a shot list? No. I have the traditional poses memorized along with the popular shots such as the ring shots and dress shots, etc. What if my wedding is not local? That's fine! I will be more than happy to be your photographer! If your wedding location is beyond 20 miles of my home, I charge $.65 per mile after the first 20 miles. If it is a destination wedding, which would typically be out of state, we would discuss the pricing for that. What do you wear to weddings? I usually wear a long dress, leggings or dress pants, and a nice top. I will ask you what your preference is though to be safe. How long will it take to get my images? This really all depends on how many other weddings and sessions I have to edit that are before yours. To be safe I say it can take up to 3 months. I like to take my time going through all of the images and looking at every one of them. I also like to take my time editing, color correcting, and retouching the images because I am picky and I want you to have the best images possible. I work on albums in the order they were booked. If your wedding was in June and a family session was in May, the family session will take priority over all other sessions. I do go back and forth editing so I don’t get burnt out on one session or wedding. I do always try to look through my sessions and pick out some of my favorites and edit them first so that I can put up a sneak peek. Do you allow others to take photos when you are photographing the wedding/reception? This is a touchy subject. I can not force people to not take pictures while I am photographing your wedding. I do discuss with you that it is best to either have a sign stating that you have a photographer at the wedding venue usually placed at the entrance. Another suggestion is putting a little note in the invitation or on the wedding program. There are some great examples of ways to let your guests know this that are not pushy but light and informative on my Pinterest. If guests are not notified in some way of this, problems with the pictures could occur. An example is if I am photographing the bride walking down the aisle and guests either step into the aisle to get the brides picture or hold out their cell phone to get a picture or video they will end up in the final image. I know myself and the bride do NOT want that. Another example similar to guests being in the way is if I am taking a group shot and guests want to get a picture too, that is fine but if we are on a schedule and we have to wait on 5 people to get a picture when what really matters is if I got the shot then that time adds up. When do you eat? This all really depends on the time of the wedding. I may snack at lunch because typically the girls will have lunch brought in and I will snack then. I eat dinner when the bride, groom, and bridal party does. When they get in line I get in line right behind them. I have actually gotten looks that say, “what do you think you’re doing”. Well what I’m doing is eating and getting that over with so that as soon as the bride and groom are done eating I can continue with the pictures because that is when the couple sometimes will interact with their guests. I’m not going to stand there and photograph the bride, groom, and bridal party eating. I will snap some pictures of them and the bridal party eating but I just get a few pictures. What if we hired you X amount of hours but run over and need you there longer? Again this depends on the package you purchase. You will more than likely be safe on the ceremony. Really the only time this may be a problem is if things were running behind and the reception runs over. My reception pricing structure is made to where this should not be a problem. Can I request poses or an image I want to recreate be photographed? Absolutely! This is your day! We will meet or talk via phone, email, or text before the wedding and I will go over questions and this is one of the questions. If we have already met but you forget something or something changes, all you have to do is either text, email, or message me on Facebook and I will change or add it. I also recommend you make a board on Pinterest of images you like so I can get a feel for your style. Is an album included? It is not included in any of the wedding packages I offer but you are more than welcome to purchase one through me. You will receive a discount when purchasing prints or other photography products such as an album. Do you have any recommendations for hair or makeup artists? Yes, I have several hair and makeup artists that I work with that I can give you their information. Can we keep every image you take including the out-takes? The simple answer is no and I will explain why. I want the best of my work out there. So if there is a picture where the camera didn’t focus or someone was in the way, there is no reason for you to have that picture. I select the best ones to give you. What is a copyright release and do you allow it? A copyright release is the copyright from the photographer to the client. At the moment of transfer the copyright no longer belongs to the Photographer, he/she no longer owns the photograph. In fact, in these cases the photographer can technically never use the photographs without permission of client. And no, I absolutely do NOT EVER do a copyright release. What is a copyright? A copyright means that I own the photo as soon as I press the shutter button. It gives me exclusive rights to decide how it is displayed and distributed. I am the only one that can make any alterations(edits) to the photo. So when you take an image that I photographed and put a filter on it, that is illegal. I shot the image and edited it so that is my work and I want my name associated with the image exactly how I created it and not with some filter. It is not a way for photographers to be rude or stingy, it is a way to protect the photographers work. What is a print release and do you allow it? A print release allows the client to print the images (though I cannot guarantee good results if you use a consumer photo lab such as CVS, Walgreens, etc) for personal use (such as to display in your home, scrap booking, etc) and even share online in places such as on Facebook. A print release does NOT allow you to edit the picture in anyway (this includes cropping), selling of the image, or entering the image in a contest without the permission from the photographer. It is very important to me that my work does not get altered in ANY way as it is my work, just like a painting or a song. Yes, I do allow a print release but this does not give you the right to alter the images in ANY way.
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