Wedding Photography FAQ
What are the advantages of hiring a professional? A professional photographer will be timely - arriving at your wedding promptly, and getting the results to you timely. They have the proper equipment for photographing your wedding. They will use a color laboratory that meets the high professional standards of print quality. When you think about the cost of photography, remember that the photographer's fee is only part of your investment.
So, how much does wedding photography cost? Research indicates that photography runs between ten and twenty percent of the total wedding budget. When couples value photography highly and are on a limited budget, they will spend up to 30% of their wedding budget on photography.
What are proofs? Years ago, photographers presented clients with proof pictures printed on special paper that would last for a few weeks before fading. Then proofs were made with the same paper and chemistry as the finished prints, but without retouching, cropping or color correction. Now proofs are usually in digital form - on a website, CD, DVD. Because some customers can scan photographs, printed proofs are rarely offered. Typically, now, you initially view the images on a computer monitor or website. You then order from the screen and have photographic prints in your hand a few weeks later. Our proof books have the images as part of the page. The images will have an reference number to use in ordering your prints.
I don't want any posed pictures at my wedding - okay? Posed (stiff and uncomfortable) images are a staple of standard wedding photography. We also make some more casual posed images as well. Most families want at least some posed images in their collection. We strongly recommend getting at least a few formal images. These images will be of more value to you and your family as loved ones pass away and future generations view them.
I want to make copies of my photos. Does the photographer really own the copyright of his/her pictures? 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. If you copy or scan your photos, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. Most copy centers or photo centers will not copy or reprint copyrighted material Our high resolution files are available in some of our packages. They are available for purchase with all other packages. A release is included with our hi-res files.
I would like to use my images on my website and MySpace pages. I would also like to email some images as well as add them to my blog. Can I do that? Web sized images are available at $10.00 each or you can get a disk of all of your proofs for $150.00. You may also resize the high-res images as you wish. What kind of equipment do you use? We use professional Canon digital cameras, lenses, flashes, and accessories. We always have at least one complete second camera system with us on every wedding.
How much time will the photographer spend at my wedding? Typical coverage starts two hours before the ceremony and ends after the bouquet, garter and cake. We do not put a time limit on your wedding day. You will have enough to occupy your time without having to worry about your photographer's time limit.
Do you photograph in color or black and white? We photograph in color. This is so you have every option possible for your photographs. By shooting in full color the images can be digitally converted to black and white or sepia tone at no extra charge. Black and white images are especially good at displaying emotion. There will be a mix of black and white images included in your proofs.
Who prints your photographs? We use a professional imaging lab using the highest quality standards and equipped with the latest equipment and technology. They cater only to professional photographers.
How many proofs will I receive? Between 100 and 500 or more depending on the coverage you select. This certainly may vary as we do not “target” this number. It all depends on exactly what you would like photographed and the type of wedding you have.
How many weddings do you photograph? We photograph no more than one wedding per day.
What is the difference between a photo book and an album? Basically photo books are printed on paper that is more like extra heavy magazine pages. They are archival and will last for generations. Album pages are much thicker and are printed on actual photo paper. They will last just like photographs. The processing and material expense is much greater with an album, but the difference is readily apparent. We will gladly upgrade your photo book to an album upon request.
What is a traditional album? Traditional albums have been around for generations and continue to be very popular. They consist of photographs mounted on heavy matted pages. A page consists of two matted sides. The number of pages and type of matte determines the number of photographs it will contain.
What is a digital flush mount album? Digital flush albums have become very popular and are rapidly redefining weddng album design. Digital design allows multiple images to be incorporated into each album page. This permits album "spreads" to be designed that can cover both pages. This panoramic effect can be truly breathtaking. The spreads are mounted on very heavy pages and assembled with a variety of cover combinations. We do not use design templates for our albums. We design each spread from scratch to capture the emotion, essence and beauty of your wedding day. Digital album examples.
Are you available to travel to photograph my wedding? Yes, there is a travel fee associated with sites over 30 miles from our studio and any expenses such as hotel rooms and meals. Destination weddings are also available. Call us for a quote.
Do you have a website? Yes, of course we have a website. In this day and age it is essential to have one. We can be found at www.amazingimagesphoto.com. Have a look around. There is lots of information about your wedding day and photography.
What do you wear to the wedding? We are always clean cut and dressed as a guest. We like to be comfortable yet professional and enjoy blending in with the quests to make you feel comfortable. If you are having a very formal wedding we can certainly wear a tuxedo or adjust our attire to your liking (additional charges may apply).
How do we reserve our wedding date? Contact us at (304) 825-6191 or by email to set up a meeting in person or on the phone. A retainer and a signed contract are required to reserve your wedding date. Dates are reserved on a first come first served basis.
Can I get back to you on reserving our date? We cannot guarantee your date will be available. To be fair to everyone, we reserve dates by the first signed contract and retainer received. If the date is reserved, our services are no longer available. Prime dates are usually reserved far in advance.
May we pay with credit card? Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We also accept cash and local personal checks as well as a payment plan. A layaway plan is also offered for reprints, photo books and albums.
What is included in your wedding photography service?
Can we request photographs?
When will the proofs be ready?
What other photography products do you offer?
What do the online proofs look like?
Do you allow other people to take photographs while you are working? There is no problem with others taking photographs while we are doing our work. All that we ask is that friends or relatives respect the fact that we have been hired to do a job as quickly and efficiently as possible. It's quite all right if someone wants to take a photograph after we have completed a pose, but understand this time can lead to delays in the formal session and result in delays getting to the reception.
Yes, we are happy to photograph any small family groups the bride and groom wish. These images will be located with the other proofs of your wedding. This will be done at the discretion of the bride and groom.
What are photo books? We include a photo book(s) with many of our wedding packages. The books range from paperback to linen to leather. The pages are the same quality as is found in today's magazines. The paper is acid free and archival to ensure the pages won't yellow or become brittle. Sizes range from the 6x8 paperback (perfect for parents, relatives and friends) to the 8.5x11 hardback book. There are several different cover choices and formats. Photo books are priced depending on size, format and number of pages. There is complete information on our website. Photo books are an excellent choice to get many images of your wedding compared to ordering prints or if an album is beyond your budget.
What if I want more copies in two years? We suggest you get the high-resolution digital files - which are either included or are available for an extra fee. Since currently no electronic medium will last your lifetime, you will need to update the media on which you store your images.
What happens to the original negatives and digital files after our wedding? We archive all files for one year. We will keep them longer as space permits.
Our wedding photographer gave us a DVD of our wedding but no prints or album. We did get a release for our images from the photographer. Can you help us? We sure can! You can get a new album that is traditional or state of the art flush mount. Our wedding album design will turn your images into stunning abums. Unfortunately there are "shoot and burn" photographers who leave all of the work to the wedding couple. It may seem like a good deal until you discover how much time and effort are involved to get your images and albums printed. Many quality laboratories offer their services only to professional photographers. We can take care of all of these problems for you. While we are limited with the previous photographer's selection of images to work with, you will be amazed with the product produced. We offer layaway and payment plans to help you to have the wedding album of your dreams.
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