Frequently asked questions...
If I have the DVDs what prevents me from printing my own photos?
Nothing. You are welcome to do so. Your DVDs are the full resolution files with no watermarks or restrictions. I do recommend ordering through my online proofing for important photos for your album or framing. When you order though my online proofing you receive the highest quality professional toning, color correction and processing from a professional lab. With consumer photofinishing and home printing you may not get professional results. Most home printers are not archival and the photos may not last more than a few years.
Do you want a check list of photos?
Those dreaded lists published in bridal magazines are for cookie-cutter traditional photographers. Photojournalism is all about creative spontaneity. Of course, I will photograph all the key moments in the wedding, I don't need a list. The best photos I take are the ones that everything came together in seconds totally unexpectedly. The only list I use is for the 30-minute posed photo session after the wedding.
Do you work with a second photographer?
Yes, with some packages I use a second associate photographer for the getting ready photos and ceremony. This way I can capture the guys and girls getting ready at the same time as well as allowing two camera angles the ceremony. With smaller weddings in one location there is less need for a second photographer. I can talk more with you in person about whether your wedding would benifit from having a second photographer.
Do you shoot any black and white?
I give you a mix of black and white and color photos of all your wedding photos. Black and white is a beautiful medium often overlooked by brides. I spent time as a photo editor at newspapers and I have a very good eye for what will look better in black and white. I will choose some of your wedding photos to convert to black and white so you have a nice creative mix of color and black and white.
Do you apply Photoshop filters to my wedding photos?
(for those of you who don't know what a photoshop filter is, you have probably seen it on other web sites. It is changing the colors of your photographs to unnatural colors)
No I don't use photoshop filters, for several reasons. Today's latest fad quickly becomes tomorrow's cheesy cliché. Think about the 80's hair styles! Take a look at wedding photos from the 80's and you will see a lot of cokin star filters and soft focus filters used. (you don't see cokin filters used much in today's photography, do you?) You don't want your children to look at your album and say, "I can't believe how dorky my parents look". My photography style is true classic, moment-driven photojournalism, which never goes out of style. A photograph of a wonderful moment will still be a wonderful moment 200 years from now! And besides that, your skin is not blue or greenish, why wouldn't you want your skin to be skin colored?
How long will it take to get my pictures?
I take pride in filling print and album orders as fast as I can and post your wedding online in a timely fashion. I have a busy wedding schedule that takes me out of town often, But I try my best to meet the below deadlines. On rare occasions I might be a bit slower than others, but I'm often faster depending on the workload at the time...
- Your wedding will be posted online within 1 to 2 weeks.
- You will have your DVDs and proofs within 2 or 3 weeks.
- Print orders are filled within 2 to 3 weeks.
- Flush mount albums and coffee table books are completed in about 4 months.
Do you have a studio or office?
No I don't have a studio. Weddings are the main focus of my business and I don't do senior or family portraits, so I work out of a home office. Having a studio wouldn't increase the quality of my photography one bit, it would just add to the cost of my packages. So by meeting in a coffee shop and receiving your proofs via FedEx saves you money.
What do you wear?
As a photojournalist I always try to wear clothing that will allow me to blend in with whatever I am photographing and not stand out. At a wedding I dress as though I am a wedding guest with a suit coat and tie (in extreme hot weather only a shirt and tie to protect against heat injuries). I think dressing in a tuxedo would draw attention to myself not allowing me to blend in as well.
Would you feel comfortable photographing my wedding if it is a Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist; Muslim or same-sex wedding?
Absolutely! I enjoy different cultures and ways of life and love photographing them. I have photographed all kinds of Christian faiths, Jewish, Hindu, a Native American and even a Wiccan wedding. I am a true photojournalist and I thrive on experiencing the world through other people's eyes. So I love to photograph weddings of different faiths, ways of life and cultures. I'm an open minded person and I embrace different faiths, ethnic backgrounds, races or sexual preferences.
How long have I been doing photojournalism weddings?
I have been a photojournalist for 10 years at newspapers prior to becoming a freelancer doing weddings. I have been photographing weddings full time since July of 2003. Being my approach to weddings is purely photojournalism, I haven't changed much of anything in my transition to weddings. I still use the same photojournalistic eye. See Cameron's bio for more information on my background.
Have you photographed a wedding in my venue before?
I have photographed weddings from California and Alaska to the Caribbean and everywhere in between so I'm often in a new venue. It never really presents a problem. As a newspaper photographer I have photographed in riots, hurricanes, scuba diving 100 feet underwater, hanging out of helicopters, wading knee deep in the Everglades and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to name a few of the difficult situations I've photographed. I doubt there is anything about your venue that I won't be able to deal with.
What kind of camera equipment do you use?...
(this is for you camera junkies... usually the groom) I have what I feel are clearly the top of the line photojournalism digital cameras available today. I use two Canon EOS 1D Mark IIs, and I have two Canon 30Ds for the second photographer and a Canon 20D as a backup and a remotely operated camera. There are certainly much cheaper cameras on the market being used by professionals, but for moment driven photojournalism I feel speed is paramount. These cameras are 8 megapixels with excellent resolution and color, more resolution than most cheaper, much slower cameras. The Mark II has a motor drive rate of 8 frames per second and it's autofocus has superb speed and accuracy, this allows me to capture moments like you see here on my web site. I also use the super fast Canon 24mm 1.4 lens and the Canon 85mm 1.8 lens for low light shooting. During the ceremony both photographers use a 70-200mm 2.8 image stabilizer zoom lens to be able to shoot without a flash in very low light. Again there are slower lenses at a fraction of the price of these lenses, but for photographing in low light, I spare no expense. I also have a wide selection of Canon lenses from a 15mm fisheye to a 300 mm 2.8 image stabalizer. A total of over 10 Canon professional lenes that give a wide range of perspectives and to serve as redundant backup in case of equipment failure. With 5 cameras and over 10 lenses, equipment failure will never prevent me from getting great shots of your wedding.
