FAQ

We hope these answers help you! If you don't find the answer you're looking for, please contact us!

Thank you for your interest and congratulations on your engagement!

Q. What is included in the price?

A. With you Wedding, I include a Master Image DVD containing high-resolution images from the wedding, a Brides Album (includes 36-60, varies upon album, images printed and inserted into the Leather Wedding Album), and online viewing of your Slideshow. You also receive a set of CDs with the images so that you may print them at a lab. They will be customized for certain labs and a list will be given to you of these labs for the best prints. Additionally you will receive a Slideshow DVD that will play in your DVD player and be viewable on your television.

Q. Do you shoot in color and black and white?

A. All images are captured digitally and in color. Therefore all images can be converted to any style that you desire.

Q. Are the files on the DVD high resolution?

A. Yes. They are the full sized images that you may print at selected labs. The DVD may be copied as there is no copyright limitations.

Q. Can I play the DVD of images in my DVD player?

A. No, however your Slideshow DVD will play on your DVD player and be viewable on your television.

Q. Will you be shooting the wedding?

A. I personally shoot every wedding. I do not hire any photographers in my place to shoot any weddings unless an illness or accident occurs. I would then have to call in a backup photographer to replace me in my absence.    

Q. Do you provide online viewing of my images?

A. Yes. I will display a percentage of your images (within the first six weeks) on my website for at least 180 days so that friends and family may view them. These images are displayed in a slideshow presentation and set to music. After your final Slideshow is complete, your previous Slideshow will be replaced with this final version and it will remain on the website for approximately 90-120 days for your family and friends to view.

Q. When will I receive my digital images? 

A. After the wedding, I will go through all the images taken. I will remove all the non-desirable ones (ones that I feel that don’t meet the mark.), edit the photos for any blemishes, convert some to black and white and add artistic glows to others. During this time I will upload some of these images to the web so that you can view them online on the slideshow. With your input I can make any changes, do alternate artistic editing or complete the image burn to a Master Image DVD. Your images are usually ready in about 6-8 weeks after the wedding.

Q. Explain the Engagement Package.

A. You can have the option of an Engagement Package at your Church, a Park, outdoors or with a backdrop. The session will take about 45mins to an hour and a half. I encourage couples to wear casual clothing because I may have them sit on the ground or lean against a tree or wooden fence.

Q. What is the schedule for photographing throughout the day?

A. I start the day by photographing the bride getting ready. It is an emotional day for the bride and this is something that she will remember for the rest of her life so these pictures of her getting ready are usually with her mother and family and close friends. The next step is of the Bridesmaids getting ready, which are usually one step behind the Bride in getting ready. This all may take place at a hair salon, in a hotel room or at  home where it truly is an emotional event. If time allows, after the bride and all the bridesmaids are ready, I will take some group pictures of all the women and the bride by herself. I try to set aside time for this to happen so that the formals don’t take too long after the Wedding.  I follow the bride and bridesmaids to the ceremony and if time allows I will quickly photograph the guys as they usually get dressed at the church. I will also take group pictures of the groom with his groomsmen when there is time available. After the ceremony, group pictures are taken with the bride and groom if they weren’t already taken. This usually takes place during the cocktail hour of the reception. I will shoot the remaining formals after the ceremony and usually that takes about 20-30 minutes. During the reception, I will work with the Disc Jockey or Band and capture the images of the garter toss, the bouquet toss, the cake cutting and the first dance as well as all the other firsts. My goal is to capture your memories.

Q. Should we have pictures taken of the bride getting ready?

A. In my opinion, the images of the bride getting ready are just as important as all other images. It captures the emotion of the bride as she is preparing for marriage. In most weddings, the mother is there assisting the bride and therefore this is when most of the emotion starts to flow. I capture this raw emotion from the beginning.

Q. Do you shoot with an assistant?

A. I will occasionally have an assistant working with me. This assistant may capture images or participate as a "second shooter" or may assist with posing. There are times in which I will require a second shooter for your event and I will provide one. If you feel the need for additional coverage with an additional photographer, this will be added in as an additional cost. I provide internships for high school students that are show interest within the photography area so that they may learn that art is a wonderful field to work in. This will in no way add any additional cost to your event.

 

Q. Do you have backup equipment?

A. As a photographer, I expect mishaps and failures to occur. I shoot with at least two cameras and have multiple lenses and flashes. I shoot with a Canon 30D as a backup and a Canon 5D as a primary.  

Q. What is your style of shooting?

A. By browsing my wedding slideshows and portfolios you will get a general idea of my style of shooting. I tend to be unobtrusive and capture the day as emotion flows. This is your Wedding Day, and I’m there to capture it. I’m there to take your special moments and put them into Memories for Life. However, with that said if I see a perfect opportunity I may ask you to pose quickly so I can capture a memory. My style is a combination of classic photography and photojournalism. By shooting journalistically it allows me to capture the day candidly. A lot of photographs are taken and focus is set on capturing moods and emotions of the day rather than posing the bride and groom. I perform the formal portraits, but I also focus on the artistic photographs to document your day and all the details that go along with it.

Q. Should we supply you with a meal?

A. Yes, I ask that you provide myself the same meal the guests are having. I will be “on the clock” during dinner, so it’s always a good idea to seat me in the same room as everyone else so I don’t miss any precious moments. 

Q. Do you charge for travel?

A. I will travel up to an hour to your wedding at no additional charge. If travel is more than one hour, a travel charge will be determined on a mileage basis. Travel time is defined as the time it takes to travel from Elkview, WV to the wedding location according to MapQuest.com. We use hybrid technology so to keep the costs down as much as possible.

Q. What do you wear?

A. I usually wear black slacks and a white or black shirt with a black jacket. I try to blend into the background as to not stand out. Slacks make it easier for me to move around when I have to get on the ground for a difficult shot while still looking professional.

Q. How much time do you need for formals?

A. If there were no group pictures were taken before the ceremony, I ask for an hour (this does not include travel time to the shooting location). In that time, I will photograph your bridal party, family, extended family and of course the bride and groom. Photos of the bride and groom are the most important, so I like to have at least 20-30 minutes to photograph them. Keep in mind that if you would like many different group pictures with many different people, that will cut into the time needed to photograph the bride and groom. The total time for formal photographs is generally around 45 minutes to an hour. We try to split the formals and take some before the ceremony and some after and therefore take half after and cut the time down quite a bit.

Q. How many images are on the DVD?

A. A typical 6-8 hour wedding will yield about 600-1000 images on the DVD. Some of the images are duplicates because they are color and black and white. The count on actual original images is usually 600-800 and in most cases more than that.

Q. How do I retain your services? 

A. Simply fill out and have both the bride or groom sign the contract and mail it along with a $400 retainer to the address located on the contract. The remaining balance will be due four weeks prior to the wedding.
 

Q. My Wedding is small and I don't need someone there the entire time. Do you have an alternate package?

A. We offer the Simplicity Package that provides a photographer for 4 hours. This will give you approximately 50 images captured per hour. If you feel that you need the photographer for a longer period, additional time can be added on at a minimal cost.
 

Q. How soon before my images are posted on the website for me to view?

A. Your images are typically online within the first six weeks. There are only 25% of your images online for viewing at that time. As editing takes some time to do and I want the images to be the best for your wedding day memories.

Q. When will I receive my Master CD's and DVD images in the mail?

A. You will usually receive the masters within 12-16 weeks. Editing takes time and there are a lot of images to edit. We intend to make your wedding memories as perfect as they can be. If you have any questions during this process please feel free to contact me and with your concerns. I will be more than happy to answer all of your questions.

Q. Do you offer a Wedding Album?

A. We no longer offer the Wedding Albums as we have experienced some issues with the delays in producing the album and have decided to offer you a built album that you may send to a book binder yourself.
 

Q. What type of Payment do you accept and do you have a Payment Plan?

A. We take Paypal and  Personal Check. We require the listed deposit of the Wedding Photography Package with the remaining balance due 30 days prior to the Wedding. Yes, we do offer a payment plan that is paid in full prior to the Wedding.
 

Memories for Life.