Frequently Asked Questions
Why should we pick you for our wedding photographer?
I am so glad You asked!
Short answer: I am talented, affordable, and I am a nice, pleasant guy, who will go out of his way to make you happy and take some fantastic photos for you.
More details: If You like my work, my style, that is a great start! But, it is also really important that you like ME. After all, we will be spending a lot of time together on your wedding day. I recommend that we meet in person, or at least talk on the phone, so we can get to know each other.You can see some more samples of my work(in print), check some coffee table books or albums, and we can figure out exactly what you need to make your wedding day a photographic wonder.
Why do you offer an engagement session with all your packages?
Engagement sessions are blast,and they are a great chance for us to get to know each other.We will pick a fun place and spend about two hours photographing.The goal is to capture the love and the romance between two of You,and to bring some of your unique personality.If there is something that You really like to do together,we will try to include it in the photo session or we can just go to a nice outdoor location and take some great dreamy romantic pictures.
Is a deposit required to hold my wedding date?
Yes. A deposit of one third is required to hold your wedding date. The deposit amount applies toward your final contracted fee. The deposit amount is non-refundable. I can accept payment in cash or check.
When is my final payment due?
Your final payment is due on or before your wedding day. Many people choose to make multiple smaller payments in the months leading up to their wedding day. I can accept payment in cash or check.
Are your wedding packages flexible?
Yes. My goal is to help you find a wedding package that fits your needs and budget. Please call me if you have questions about my wedding photography packages/services or don't see what you're looking for.
Do you usually bring an assistant with you?
For my higher priced packages-Yes. An assistants are highly trained photographers and sometimes they are covering their own events. An assistant is a great help and can tremendously increase the speed and the quality of my work. For the formal portraits, my assistant will help me with light and fine adjusting in posing, during the ceremony, my assistant usually will cover the event from the back and will use a different angle lens. Many times bridal and groom's party are overlapping and my assistant will cover part of one of it. Having an assistant will give you an at least 100 extra photographs to choose from, made with different artistic eye.
Do you or your assistant will eat during the event?
We have been hired to do a job, so having your most important moments captured is our number one priority. At the same time, running for hours with two heavy cameras can really make you tired and hungry.Unfortunately,most of the time I have my first glass of water 4-5 hours from the beginning of the event.(Usually I start photographing details from tables set up, flowers, invitations- two to three hours before official hour for the ceremony. Usually we don't have a time to sit down, so a very simple sandwich with or just cold lemonade or water, will be gladly appreciated.
How soon I can have my images in my possession?
I work quickly. Few days after the event,you will start seeing some photographs appear in your online photo gallery. Two weeks after the event you will have all your photos edited and posted in your web gallery. From that moment is up to you to choose photographs you want me to print. I will send your request to professional photo lab in Santa Cruz and they will return processed photos in five days. I will inspect them carefully and if I don't like appearance on some colors I will readjust them in my soft wear ant resend them back to the lab. So if everything goes smooth, you will have photographs from your package ten to fifteen days after your request. You and your guests can order photos online, directly from your gallery, for a cost negotiated between me and the lab.
So, how much does wedding photography cost?
Prices for wedding photography in California range from $500 to $20,000, and even more! Photography is a Time Machine. In general wedding day, and the day you have become a parent are probably the most exciting days of human life. Photographs (maybe video) will be the only things,which will record emotions in your special day. After years You probably won't remember all your guests, what brand wine or what kind food you had, but opening your covered with dust wedding album, will bring all those great emotional moments back. You want good photographer, who can be at the right moment at the right place, and capture all these moments with an artistic eye, so be prepared to spend a minimum of $1,500-2,000. Expect better photographers to charge the higher rates. In other words,it is reasonable for an unexperienced photographer to charge you as little as $500 for a whole day wedding. And, it is reasonable for an excellent photographer to charge you $10 000 for the same amount of time. That is because you are getting better service and a better product from the experienced professional. If you are looking for a bargain and cheap photographer via internet, you are following a recipe for poor to mediocre end product. Statistic shows that wedding photography runs between 15 to 25% of the total wedding budget. Be very suspicious to low prices offers, and for (shoot and burn) photographers. Usually a good photographers will spend at least three to four days editing your photos in some photo-editing software,vs. shoot and burn photographer, who will burn his JPEG images straight from the camera to a CD and will handle it to you at the next day. I believe, uncle John with his $600 plastic camera and kit lens will do not so bad job too.(For more technical information,goggle JPEG vs. RAW.)
We want to spend no more than $1000, but all the good photographers start at $1500 and up. Why is it so expensive?
Because photography is not a commodity. Because photography is an art. Because some people can see the difference between poor photography and good photography, and they are willing to pay for it. Because to make a living only from photography, photographer must gross an average of $2,000 to $4,000 per wedding. Because a professional photographer really loves and enjoy his job and really cares for his clients and will spend days, editing images after a day of shooting. Because professional photographer knows his/her expenses and overhead, even with digital photography. For example,a professional digital camera cost from $2,000 to $10,000. I care at least two(one is for back up and usually is set up with wide or telephoto lens).Professional photo lenses start from $1,500 and can go up to $3,000 each. For covering wedding event you need at least one fast
24-70mm and one fast 70-200mm lens. Another ultra wide angle 16mm and super fast 50mm cost another $600-1,200. Photoshop CS5 cost around $600, another $1500 for medium class computer, we past $10,000. I am always bringing my studio lights we me, they are giving me much more flexibility and many times they have saved the ceremony, if in some reason wedding planner have decided to be at 1.00pm under blue Julys' sky in California. Insurance. Because cameras and equipment cost so much, photographers are smart to insure them. Just in case your drunk (who your mom insisted on inviting) cousin Jimmy decides he wants to spray champagne all over the guests for a joke.
But with everything we have to do for the wedding, we have to cut back somewhere!
Many, many couples and their families do not realize this, so I say it this way – after the wedding, Our job is just starting! All your other vendors that you have hired – they are literally, packed up and gone; on to the next wedding. Ever stay at a wedding until the end – they are clearing tables, tossing things away – from YOUR wedding, and getting ready for the next affair. We are just beginning - We have to prepare, color correct, edit, proof, design an album, perform finishing touches on your images, order your final product, keep tabs on the order with our suppliers, the list goes on and on. Absolutely NO WEDDING PROFESSIONAL puts in as much time with a Bride and Groom than we do (except your chef!) – approximately 60 to 80 hours worth of actual work per wedding!
I want to make copies of my photos. Does my photographer really own the copyright of his/her pictures? Do I still have to pay the photographer if I make the copies myself at a copy shop?
Yes, if photographer don't give you a copy right release. According to federal law, images produced by a professional photographer are copyrighted the moment they are created. Federal law prohibits copying or reproducing copyrighted material without permission from the owner of the copyright, i.e., the photographer. If you copy or scan your photos, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you or your videographer transfer the proofs to videotape, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you don't feel comfortable paying for these copies, find a photographer whose work is so good that you are glad to pay. When I really appreciate something I purchase, like a fabulous meal, an antique, a good pair of shoes, or even medical care, I do not mind paying a premium for getting the highest quality. Look for the photographer who will provide you the satisfaction of paying for job well done.
What if I need more copies in a few years?
Order a package (I include a high resolution photos to at all my packages) or include a high resolution DVD, if you have chosen hourly rate.Be aware that no electronic medium will last your lifetime, you will need to update the media on which you store your images. You will need a professional color lab to produce great color prints. Costco,Wallmart, CRV, Wallgreen, K-Mart....are not professional photo-labs. Lab workers there are paid minimum wage and their machines run at Auto Correction. So, owning the files does not guarantee that you are going to get the best wedding images at the best price. However, if you own the images you can use them on a website, email them, and make acceptable prints.
Do you offer wedding albums?
No.The reason is: They are very expensive. I can give you some advises which companies I would prefer, but I don't want to be responsible for $600-$700 albums if in some reason, you don't like colors on prints in the albums. As the good albums have imbedded photographs, it is very complicating dealing with companies in order to exchange albums. Usually, photographs offering wedding albums charge at lest $1000 to $1,500 in top of their services. I am offering a coffee table books, which are a great alternative to wedding albums. I can design them for you and, I can work with producers in case you don't like some details. Personally I would choose a coffee table book and few small ones as a presents to parents, instead of one super pricey wedding album. So; if you want an album, my advice would be: order a coffee table book first and see how you will like it.Wait an year or two and, if you still need something luxury look for a wedding album. Usually companies offering luxury wedding albums will offer a design service too. I highly recommend to check customer's reviews too. Printing is very fine job and usually what you see on your computer screen, will look different after printing.The reason is, that your monitor can be adjusted to a completely different color temperature.
What camera gears do you use?
Camera is just a tool. A camera catches your imagination. No imagination, there is no photo - just crap. The word "image" comes from the word "imagination." It doesn't come from "lens sharpness" or "noise levels". Buying a great camera doesn't mean you can create compelling photographs. Good pianists can play on anything, and a good photographer can make great images with a disposable camera. Saying this, I can add, that using a good equipment can really add to photographer's imaginations, and can add a lot to the quality of the final product. For example, in very low light in order to get sharper images, you have to use tripod and you will need a steady object. As main objects in wedding photography are usually moving people in order to capture a good quality photo, photographer need a fast lens, in order to gather more light and a camera with low noise sensor(usually large format). Also, wedding photography is a very dynamic and responsible job, and wedding photographer needs a good quality camera which can stand the pressure and wear.You can not just simple say: Sorry, my camera broke, we need to continue some another day. So I am not camera geek,but I use a good equipment, and I can say:" I really know how to use it". Fourteen years ago, when my old faithful Canon A1 broke, I went to camera store and asked the sells guy to place few professional cameras on the table. I closed my eyes and grabbed each of them, and try to feel them. Camera which fit the best in my hand was Nikon F-100, so since that day I use Nikon cameras ,and I just love them. Canon is made by engineers, Nikon is made by photographers and I am totally agree with that. For wedding my camera bag has two Nikon D700 bodies, Nikon 24-70 F2,8 and 70-200 F 2,8 lens. For more creative shots, I can put some wide angle lens like Nikon 18-35 or even lensbaby. In general I love to use a dramatic light and if the sun doesn't offer this, I would use off camera strobes, as Nikon SB800 or some of my Alien Bees studio strobe light. Sometimes I climb trees or lay on the ground in order to get unique angle, or even can hang out from a balcony. I really know my equipment and I feel my professional Nikon equipment as an extension of my imagination.