1. Why do some photographers charge so much?
While most photographers work 6-9 hours on the wedding day, it's the
work afterwards that is time consuming. For every hour we shoot we
estimate an additional 3-4 hours of post production. Initial proofing and web posting,
creating albums and retouching is very time consuming. Generally
photographers fees go up as the level of equipment and software
increases. Most professional photographers bring between $10,000 &
$15,000 worth of gear to a wedding. I typically meet with clients 4 times (consultation, contract, pre-wedding consultation & rehearsal) prior to the wedding day. The engagement is additional time.
2. Why is professional gear important? Weddings usually take place in a variety of lighting situations. The type of camera, lens & flash controls the quality of your portraits. Entry level cameras with small sensors tend to create grainy pictures, this is especially true in low light situations. High quality lenses produce much sharper images and operate in near darkness. Back up equipment is a must. We use top of the line Canon cameras and L or prime lenses. Off camera flash is a key to professional photography. We have battery operated strobes for the most versatile shooting.
3. Why order prints from the photographer when we get a CD of images? Not all printing is equal. We use professional print labs for consistent results. Drug stores are very inconsistent with their color. when printing small photos this is adequate for for wall portraits you will want the best possible image. We also have our wall prints mounted onto a substrate for protection. Print credit is included with all full service packages.
4. How many pictures will you take? We do not make guarantees for quantity. While we usually shoot well over 1,000 we have found that brides find it over whelming to go thru that many photos. additionally we do not expect our clients to edit the photos for us. We select the best images and present them to you. Depending on the number of hours shooting we usually present you with 200-300 album & portrait quality photos and another 200-300 of more candid type photos. If you really want to see all of them that can be arranged.
5. Who selects the photos for our album? We have found that couples actually prefer what we call a "selected album design". What that means is the first time I go thru the images I am looking for the best story telling photos I find. As I edit I am designing the album in my mind. With this approach I can select the images for proofing and have the album lay out done in a very short time. Often when leaving the selection choices to the bride and groom months can go by. After the album is initially designed you are free to swap photos that you may prefer. This process takes about 6-8 weeks to receive your final album.
6. How important is photo retouching? Every picture has to be retouched to some degree to provide a quality portrait. Every photo on your image CD is retouched for color, exposure and tone. Images included in your album are retouched even more. Distractions are removed, this includes to a degree of acne removal and shinny spots on the skin. Portrait retouching is the most complete retouching we offer. The turns an average photo into a work of art. We are happy to show you samples of retouching.
7. Can the photographer
show you a complete wedding from start to finish? Anyone can show a few
shots or even an album. We would be happy to give you passwords to view
some of our weddings.
8. What kind of training and/or experience do you have? We continue our education by taking classes at Fresno City College and attending workshops and training seminars. A few of our favorites are Sandy Puc, Doug Box and David Ziser. We are also a member of Professional Photographers of America.
9. Does the photographer have insurance? Absolutely! We want you to feel confident and protected on your wedding day.
