YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? I HAVE ANSWERS…
Q: HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS?
A: Besides the obvious style differences, I take pride in offering things that other photographers don't or things they charge you extra for.
Examples:
Digital Images- While I retain the copyright to all images taken, I release all edited digital images to you via your own personal gallery. I also provide a print-release, giving you full rights to take these images and print them wherever you'd like and/or make albums, canvases etc elsewhere, without forcing you to purchase directly from me. Many photographers will try to 'up-sale' you after your wedding or photo shoot to purchase items from them, or worse, charge you a premium just for you to get a hold of your pictures. I don't think its fair to you, so I don't do that. When you hire me, you get my time and talent, but you also get your pictures.
Portfolio- Something a lot of brides overlook is the portfolio. Did you know, every single photo on my website was taken by me and the vast majority are real brides at real weddings? When searching for your wedding photographer (if its not me- insert sad face here), then I'd recommend asking them how many of their pictures are from real weddings and how many are from a styled shoot featuring models. Also- be aware that some photographers even steal and portray other photographer's work as their own. Not cool.
A professional- While it might sound cheesy or cliche, the fact is, there is a vast difference between someone who has been doing this for a while like myself, vs those just getting started. Sometimes a photographer's portfolio can be very good, even if they have less than a year under their belt. But being a professional is more than just the end result. It is the communication from first contact and consultation - to your wedding or event date - to delivering and following up with you after your wedding or event. In addition to experience and communication, it is important to know that your photographer has your best interest in mind. This includes things that I've been doing since I started: making backups of all images I shoot. Not only do I record to dual SD card slots during your wedding/event, as soon as I get home, I back this up to not one, but two external hard drives as well as to the cloud, to ensure your wedding or event isn't lost due to a damaged card or hard drive failure. While this has never happened to me, it has happened to photographers, some that I know personally. I also arrive early to your wedding or event, and have a professional (yet fun and easy-going) demeanor. Last thing you'd want at your wedding is your photographer running late, no where to be found, texting on their phone instead of taking pictures, etc.
Q: WHAT IS THE TYPICAL TURN-AROUND TIME FOR MY WEDDING PHOTOS TO BE DELIVERED?
A: It can depend if your wedding falls during the busy wedding season (typically October-March) and how many weddings I'm currently editing, however, I always quote an industry standard turn-around time of 4-6 weeks, however most of the time you get your photos back in 1-3 weeks. some other photographers can take 6-8 months to deliver your gallery. I dont think its right to make you wait that long, no matter how busy i am.
Q: WILL YOU BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWING UP AT MY WEDDING OR EVENT?
A: Yes. I am the primary photographer so you'll never be surprised by someone else on your wedding day. I don't currently offer 'associate weddings', which is normally a 'fill-in' photographer to shoot your wedding at reduced rates, and typically I use the same second shooters and assistants for all the weddings I shoot. The lone exception to a substitute photographer would be if I'm deathly Ill, but I've yet to miss a wedding since I started my business and there's nothing some Emergen-C, Tylenol, or pepto can't fix. Unless its something super contagious or keeps me bedridden, fear not- like the Jackson 5, I'll be there. (wow. my dad jokes are killer, right??)
Q: how many weddings do you shoot in a year?
A: It can vary, but typically I try to limit weddings to between 20-30 weddings a year. This allows me to focus on one couple and one wedding at a time and allowing me to give you my full, undivided attention. In addition- this allows for faster editing of your wedding images, preventing a huge editing backlog and having clients wondering where their pictures are 5-7 months later. I don’t think its right to make you wait for your wedding images- which is why I pride myself in delivering them within an impressive turnaround time and typically much faster than my competition.