Frequently Asked Questions. Perhaps they are not that frequent, but I thought it would be helpful to answer some questions about my style of wedding photography.

How is payment required?

A $600 retainer is collected at the time of a signed contract with the balance due 2 weeks before the wedding. Additional services provided later (more time or prints) are due when photos are delivered. The retainer is a non-refundable fee which reserves your wedding date. The retainer can only be credited to a new date if a date change takes place more than 90 days prior to the wedding date. If the event is canceled, by the client, the retainer paid will not be returned or applied to other services. Remember, changes or cancellations cost photographers the loss of other jobs.

Do you double or triple book weddings?

No I do not. I will not schedule multiple weddings on the same day and risk problems. I will only schedule one wedding a day so you have my full attention. If your schedule slips for any reason at all, I will be there for you -- not running off for another woman in 10 minutes.

Do you have any smaller packages?

Unfortunately no, I cannot reasonably offer smaller packages. Anything smaller results in a loss for me because I only book one wedding a day...

Can other people still take pictures when you do the formal shots at the ceremony?

I have two concerns when doing formal shots of the wedding party. First, for every minute I stop to let other people take the same picture I just took, it slows down your wedding. This can be especially bad if group shots are done between the ceremony and reception with all of your other guests waiting on you... Second, and most importantly, if anyone else tries to take a picture as I am doing a large group shot, invariably at least one person in the group will look at the other camera. Call me crazy, but I do not think the bride will like seeing a groomsman smiling/winking at a cutie sitting off to my left with a camera. Especially if it is a shot she wanted for her wedding album...

 

Therefore, in the interest of providing the best photos in a reasonable time, I ask for other people not to shoot over my shoulder or from near by when I am. After I have a shot, I will turn my camera away and let others take the same picture if time allows. For formal shots done before the ceremony, this is usually not a problem. But for shots done after the ceremony, if you have 100 guests waiting for the Bride and Groom at the reception as well as a Bride who cannot wait to get a drink herself, well... There may not be time for everyone to step up and get the same shots 10 times over. Fortunately, I will be providing all of the originals so the couple can go get their drink now and share the photos I get with everybody else later (at no extra charge).

How many photos will you take?

There is no simple answer to this. Although I try to give a range of the final photos in the packages, it will depend on the size of your wedding. How big is your wedding party? How many guests? Will everyone go to the reception, sit down and eat quietly? Or will there be a throng of people, standing up talking, dancing wildly around, or theatrically telling stories of the groom when he was pushed into the fountain at college by his new bride the first day they met? The more emotion and expressions the easier to find great pictures. So it will all depend on your wedding, the mood and your guests.

 

While at your wedding I will provide unlimited coverage. Afterwards I will choose the best photos to print and present for your proofs. To give an idea of how many this may be, recently I shot 633 photos during a 5 hour wedding from which I then printed the best 356 photos. The wedding had 10 people in the wedding party and a little over 100 people for the ceremony with a reception back at the house. The bride was very expressive, there was energy in the air and the guests were part of the story so it was very easy to capture many great photos.

What if I want B&W photos?

One of the great advantages with digital photography is how easy it is to print either color, B&W, sepia tone or even mixed in the same photo such as the one to the right. You cannot tell the difference between digitally created B&W and B&W film photos anymore. This gives brides the most options for creating albums.

Why is wedding photography so expensive?

Good question! While you may only see a photographer for perhaps 8 hours the day of your wedding, you do not see the 30-40+ hours it takes to process, organize, print and package your photos; then select and build choices for an album, preview it with the bride, revise as necessary, order custom albums, process/print custom photos and then build the album. Not to mention, any good wedding photographer will be carrying around a lot of expensive equipment (and insurance) because you never know when one piece will break and you need a backup.

Do photographers need to be fed?

Unlike our cameras, when photographers run low on energy, we cannot simply change batteries... and we will need a lot of energy after constantly hustling around with a ton of gear! So, for lengthy receptions a meal and refreshments would be nice... or at least an understanding of when I can set the camera aside for 15 minutes to make it through whatever I have packed away in my camera bag! Generally once the bride and groom sit to eat, it is a good time for a photographer to do the same. Few brides want photos while they are eating and it is important to be ready to follow after they finish and start to visit each of the guest tables. Photographers are there to work, but do have to recharge too.

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