At Your Wedding
What is your wedding day philosophy? FUN!! We love weddings. It's your special day and we want to do everything we can to make that day as enjoyable for you as it is for us. More importantly; we will work very hard to make sure you will have great images to remember this day for generations to come.That's why we shoot a combination of formal, journalistic and high fashion images. Any photographer who says they capture one style or the other is missing half the FUN. Do you limit the number of photographs or the amount of exposures taken? NO, We completly cover your special day. Average wedding will get 700-1200 images to work with. We don't miss much. We don't limit the number of images it takes to get your event covered properly! If you hire us for additional hours it will include additional reprints. What is your product guarantee? It's real simple, if you don't like it, we re- do it! No problem, no worries! We offer a wide range of products but you will know exactly what you are getting and we stand behind it 100%. I know things can go wrong on a Wedding Day. How ready are you for the unexpected? We have backup everything. Then we have back-up to the back-up. Lights, cameras batteries and even a back-up shooter on standby. We even have an emergency wedding day kit for you. Bug spray to hair spray, super glue to sticky back tape, straight pins to sewing needles it’s all in there to meet any crisis that you might encounter. Just one more way we try to make this the most enjoyable and fun day of your life. Will you visit my location prior to my wedding? YES, we usually like to meet with you and the coordinator prior to your wedding at the location and discuss the big day plan and timetable. Sometimes we may come to your rehearsal just to meet everyone and plan for the next day. If that isn't possible we arrive early enough to do a walk through before we begin. What time will you show up for the wedding. We will arrive from 1 to 3 hours before your wedding; depending on your package and whether you will allow us to shoot the bridal party formals before the wedding rather than right after the ceremony. In some packages we count most of this time as set up time and do not count them against the hours in you package. What time of day should we plan our wedding for the best photos? I would first determine when sunset will be on your wedding date then I would plan on starting your reception about an hour or two before sunset so we can get a good mix of both daylight and nighttime photos at your reception location. I would start the reception festivities and then plan on a time to 'break-away' for some bridal party pictures just before sunset. I would plan the complete day backwards from that point to determine when the ceremony should start, allowing some buffer time in case of delay. During the winter months (of early sunsets) this plan may not be possible, but some brides will plan some sunset photos immediately after the ceremony. Remember, the sun waits for no one and not all sunsets are photo-worthy, but we will make the best of whatever your day delivers. Do you accept lists of photographs that we want? Sure, we even give you a couple of lists with hundreds of shots listed for you to check off. We will make every attempt to get every last shot on your list and many you did not think of. It’s your day and you can request any shot at any time although all you usually have to do is put your arms around the people you want in a shot and smile. You won’t have to look around to find us. Why should we do a romance or engagement session. From the moment you decide to get married until the big day, you share a special love filled with hope and anticipation. It should be remembered forever. Besides these sessions are fun and relaxed and we get to share that love with you. The are also great practice or the kind of posing we will do on your wedding day. Some of these images can be used for your signature print or reception slide show. I've heard of Photographers and Videographers who ruin the mood of the reception by continually turning up the lights. I not in charge of the lights at your event so I'm not going to touch them! We have the equipment, know-how and experience to be able to take photographs in any lighting situation. Can we view our proofs online? Yes, we have an online viewing site which allows you to view a slideshow, zoom in, compare images, save favorites, view and order the images in alternate colors (B&W or Sepia) and share them with all your family and friends. You will also receive at least 3 proofing cd’s that match the online gallery. My Aunt Gladys has a fancy new camera and took a class at the junior college. Why can’t she do just as good of a job. It’s not just the camera but the lights, reflectors, ladders, different lenses and knowing when to use or not use them. We know how weddings work so we will be standing in the right place at the right time to get the best images. And having back-up if something goes wrong. I have shot hundreds of weddings, spent over a thousand hours studying photoshop, the slide show program, and the album designing software. I constantly attend seminars and classes to improve my skills. Then I scour the trade shows and manufacturers to bring you the latest products at the very best price. Even if Gladys could take the same images I did, that is only part of the job. We make those images the very best they can be. We can also custom desgn your album, print or lazer etch your images on almost anything and have your images backed up so they will always be available to you. So you have to ask yourself it you want the images from the most improtant day of your life in the hands of someone who has shot one or two weddings or over three hundred. Why is there such a wide varying range of prices among wedding photographers? Most experienced photographers base their price on their cost of materials, equipment, education, experience, expertise and quality. No two are on the same level, so neither are their prices. Ultimately you'll get what you pay for. Since your wedding day will be un-repeatable and since your photographs will be irreplaceable and will help preserve your memories the rest of your life- you will have no regrets if you choose your photographer based on the style you like and then work with them to develop a program you can afford. You will be the most unhappy if you skimp on this process. We are not the least expensive photographers out there. We are just the best photographer at this price range. Do you belong to any professional organizations. I belong to the Atlantic Professional Photographers, the Florida Professional Photographers and the Professional Photographers of America. I am also a member of photoshop Users of America. I was chosen Photographer of the year for 2009 by APPA and many of my images have won local and state awards.Through the PPA I have insurance that insures you get what you contracted for or you get reimbursed. What types of albums do you offer? We offer a complete line of albums including top of the-line albums from companies like Graphi Studio, White Glove, Coffee-Table Style Album and Digital Template Album, all the way down to photo books; the choice is yours. When you come to our studio for your consultation we will show you samples of each and discuss your options. Our albums tell the complete story of your wedding day and are not just a posed people picture book. Can I see samples of your Album Styles and Design Yes, viewing a real wedding album in person will give you a greater appreciation of their exquisite archival quality. When viewing the design remember that every page is completely unique as they are custom designed on an individual basis. There are some examples of some album pages in our gallery. Do you have time limits on re-orders and album ordering? NO, we work with you according to your time schedule. Some photographers have stiff penalties written in the fine print of their contracts that punish you for not conforming to their schedule ...that's just not our style! How many weddings do you photograph in a day? Only one large-sized event per day, this insures we have the time energy and enthusiasm to do the best possible job for you! This also insures that if you need extra time or you need to change the time (at the last minute) we are available for you. Do you use an assistant? Most of our packages call for two or three photographers. Except for the really small weddings, I am still bringing someone so I won’t have to haul all this stuff by myself. I love your natural photos of children, how do we insure you get some great photos of the children at our wedding? Just let the kids be themselves! Too often adults disrupt some great photographic opportunities by directing the children, straightening their hair or clothes, telling them to 'smile for the camera', telling them to 'turn this way, don't do that', running over to wipe their face, etc. Natural is Natural and kids do it best. I don't understand the incredible price differences between photographers for reprints? Our reprint prices are lower than most other photographers. Some price their packages low and try to make it up on reprints. Some put much more retouching in reprints. Others give much fancier packaging. It goes on and on. Look at the photographers work and what they are offering as a total package including the service and remember; you usually get what you pay for. We don't try to pad our profit just because you want some extra prints. Someone said digital cameras aren't as good as film cameras because when you push the button the camera takes longer to respond so you can miss a photo. Yes, this is true of most 'consumer' digital cameras that can sometimes take 1 or 2 seconds to take a picture but it is NOT true with professional cameras. This is another advantage to using professional photographers with professional equipment. What is your booking/deposit/payment policy?An initial retainer of $250 holds the date. To insure your date remains locked-in, 50% of the total package amount must be paid 4 months prior to your event date and the remaining amount must be paid by the day of the event. "! Why is it important to view a complete album from one wedding? The album is the finalized, completed work of the photographers wedding photography efforts, you really need to view SEVERAL completed albums that were designed by the same person so you get a good idea of what your potential photographer is currently doing and what your completed album might look like. Remember the wedding album photos are the 'best-of-the-best' and include all finishing enhancements so it should showcase the best the photographer has to offer. If you don't get your once-in-a-lifetime event covered properly, you won't have many choices from which to choose your reprints, albums, folios, enlargements and photographic keepsakes. I talked to a photographer who said they can 'do it all' with less equipment? I talked to a 'mechanic' who said he can fix anything with only a monkey wrench and a screwdriver! I think a professional that is well prepared with ample 'tools' to work with will do a much better job as he will have the right 'tool' for the job and if an equipment problem arises at your event he will be prepared to still get the job done right. Also, consumer camera equipment (and film and developing) is cheaper than professional equipment (film & developing) for a reason, I would hate for you to have to learn the hard way. How do you take care of our original images and for how long. We immediately back up all you files upon returning to the studio on two different computer hard drives.Then we make two cd’s. One of these is then stored at another location. After your images are edited and your album pages are designed we make another copy so we don’t loose all that work. We will keep those forever. That’s why we are called Images 4 Ever. How will you and the other photographer/assistant dress at my wedding? We will discuss this with you prior to your event. From two different tuxedos down to slax and dress shirts we have wear appropriate for any event. What about rules or restrictions at my church or synagogue? We follow all rules and restrictions religiously... we have never had a problem getting our job done within the parameters of the venues requirements. Most locations don't want the photographers to interupt, be intrusive or use flash during the ceremony. We have the equipment and experience to handle any situation.(It is helpful to know the particulars or any special requests beforehand.) We usually discuss the rules with the pastor or priest at the rehearsal. Someone said to beware of photographers working out of a home studio? I think they meant 'motor-home' studio! (They are like the carnies that take your money and motor on) Some of the world's best photographer's work out of their home. I would visit their location and determine their level of commitment to their photography business. If their 'home studio' only consists of an old dusty roll-top desk in their garage, then I would worry. Can I have my original digital files? While the origional images are shot in the RAW format and can only be viewed with special software and are unedited; we do make all of your edited full resolution images available for a reasonable fee if desired. Do you let guests take pictures and can we put disposable cameras on the tables? Of course. It’s your wedding and you can do what you want. I may ask that during the ceremony and the formals right after that the guests do try to stay clear of the isle and our equipment for their safety and so I don’t end up with a picture of the back of Uncle Bob’s head. Will we see all of our images. You will receive a proofing cd with all of your edited images. Many of these will have additional editing or special effects done. What about special requested shots? Not a problem, we are happy to take whatever photos you want at your event. It's your day ...have it your way! It's your film ...we will use it for whatever you want! Can we change the packages? YES, you can add-to or take-away from any package to insure you get just what you want. Every bride is unique and deserves a unique package. I am sure we can work something out and we have our wedding menu of items that can be added or subtracted. Does a small wedding mean we should get less photography coverage? Not necessarily. Intimate weddings may take less time overall but we often take the same number of images and more extensively capture the events and each persons emotions. Often a small wedding is best shared with those that couldn't attend with the internet online proofs and with an extensive heirloom album. Let me know your requirements and we will credit the unused hours in a package toward more pages in your album or additional reprints. What is your price? Everything we do is customized for you! The exact amount depends on your exact needs, the date and our availability. We will be straight-forward and honest with our pricing and policies --no surprises. |
