Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to reading this page, be sure to vist my Brides Information page for more hints and advice to make your wedding photography go more smoothly.

Q : What can we do to help you get the best photographs for us?

A : Probably the single most important thing you can do to make your wedding day go smoothly is to allow plenty of time for the unexpected. Weddings are almost by definition chaotic events, and having extra time to catch your breath will be appreciated by all and will greatly reduce your stress level! Get a realistic idea of how long it will take to do your hair and makeup. My experience has been that brides tend to underestimate how long this will take, sometimes by a large margin. Not surprisingly, this tends to be even more true when a friend is helping with hair/makeup rather than a professional makeup person. Allow extra time!

Q : How would you describe your photographic "style"?

A : I specialize in what I'd describe as a natural, story-telling style of wedding photography, combining traditional posed photos with pictures taken in a photojournalistic style. Every wedding is different, with a personality of its own, and it's my responsibility to document that. I have fun capturing events as they happen rather than contriving photographs, allowing you more time to spend with your guests. You'll receive a mixture of spontaneous action photos as well as more traditional group photos of family and wedding attendants. I try to personalize every wedding, so the more input you can give me about the type of photos you want, the better.

Q : The location of our wedding isn't very photogenic. Can we have any of our photos taken at another location?

A : You bet! I will frequently take the bride and groom (and sometimes the entire wedding party) to another location for some of the formal photographs. This means some extra planning to make sure there is enough time to take all the photos you want at all the locations you want, but it is well worth the trouble.

Q : What type of equipment do you use?

A : This depends on whether you choose film photography or digital photography. For film photography I use medium format cameras (Bronica ETRSi) for the formal photography, and 35mm (Canon EOS) for candids. For digital photography I use a Canon EOS 5D, a pro-grade 12.8 megapixel camera. I also have a full set of portable studio lights that I use for formal photos taken indoors. This lighting is essential for quality indoor photos, yet many photographers have not made the (admittedly pricey) investment in this equipment. I also have a large assortment of other equipment (strobes, lenses, filters, etc.) that I use for both film and digital photography, as well as multiple back-up cameras in case there are any problems.

Q : Do you take photos using a digital camera or with film?

A : I can take any photos using either a film camera or a digital camera - the choice is up to you. There are advantages to both formats so if you're uncertain of the best choice for your needs please contact me and we can discuss the options. Please visit the page Film vs. Digital on my site for more details on the options.

If you choose digital photography you will receive all of your photos on one or more high-resolution CDs, which gives you the equivalent of "digital negatives". You can use the CD to make prints or enlargements anytime you like.

If I take your photos with a film camera, I can also have all of the negatives scanned to a CD so you get the best of both worlds! You can use the digital images to email to friends, to build your own wedding web-site, or even to make prints of your photos on your home printer. And you will still have the high-quality, durable negatives for making professional quality prints when you want the best possible photos.

Q : With your digital packages do you shoot RAW or JPEG format?

A : I always shoot RAW unless specifically asked to do otherwise. Taking wedding photos in JPEG mode leaves the photographer at a serious disadvantage. The JPEGs produced by a camera allow very little latitude for making corrections after the fact. If you don't get the exposure, color balance, etc. exactly right you are probably out of luck! Shooting in RAW format gives the photographer a huge advantage when doing post-processing corrections of the files; it is as close as you can get to having true "digital negatives". Because RAW images require time-intensive post-processing work on the computer there are many photographers who will try to get away with shooting JPEGs. I don't know of ANY serious professionals who don't shoot in RAW. If you talk to a photographer who tries to tell you there is no difference between the two formats you should seriously question his competence!

After I download the files to my computer, I spend a number of hours looking at all of the images and making corrections for exposure, color balance, etc. Usually I will take a few images and make copies that I convert to B&W, sepia tone, or add some other effect so you can see some of the possibilities available with your photos. Once I have everything looking like I think it should I make high-resolution JPEG files of all of the images and burn them to a CD, which you get to keep. The reason that I give you JPEG files on your CD is because few people who are not professional photographers have the specialized software needed to work with RAW images, or the knowledge of how to work with these files. If you would like your images given to you in RAW format that is a possibility; please talk to me if you have questions about this.

Q : Should we do our formal photographs before or after the ceremony?

A : That's up to you, but after 26 years of taking wedding photos I have to strongly recommend that you take as many photos as possible before the ceremony. There are many reasons to do this...You'll get more photographs of the two of you together, and be able to spend extra time during the reception with your guests! You'll have fun taking the photos in a relaxed manner with your closest friends and family without that big crowd of people waiting for you to finish your photos and join the party. Many brides have commented that any nervousness they had completely disappeared as soon as they were with their grooms. And if you're having an evening reception, you will probably be able to have some photos taken of the two of you together outdoors during the daylight, possibly even at another location (nearby park, for example).

If you decide to take all of the photographs of the the two of you together after the ceremony that's alright too, though this means you probably won't get as many photos as when pictures are taken before the ceremony. Unless you have a minimum of 60 minutes between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception I strongly recommend against this. To photograph you both with your family groups and wedding party (bridesmaids and groomsmen) takes about thirty minutes, and another ten to fifteen minutes for the two of you alone. That's time enough to get those key photos as long as everyone is ready. If you choose this option, please discuss it with me well ahead of time, so I can give you some tips to help things go smoothly.

While roughly 90% of couples choose to take their photos before the ceremony, there are still some who want to be "traditional" and not let the groom see the bride until she is walking down the aisle. To these couples I want to give some straight talk, even though this may mean you won't like what I have to say. Taking your pictures after the ceremony will increase your stress level significantly, and that is not something you need on such an important day. It usually means that your guests will be waiting for you at the reception while you rush to take your photos. I have seen situations where the photos took longer than planned, and by the time the bride and groom made it to the reception a good number of guests had already left. Not a good thing! Though many brides will tell me "That's OK, my wedding will be different", please believe me when I tell you that after photographing over 1200 weddings I know that your wedding will almost certainly NOT be different!

Here is an alternative - the "First Look" session. The groom is brought to either the altar or perhaps a private outdoors location, where he waits for his bride with his back to her entrance. When the bride gets close to the groom, he is allowed to turn and get a true first look at the woman he will shortly be marrying. I like to keep these sessions for just the bride and groom; no bridesmaids or mothers hovering and crying! I take a few photos of the initial response when the couple first see each other, and then I leave to give them some time together to talk; something that isn't possible when the groom first sees the bride when she comes down the aisle! Couples who have chosen this approach to the "first look" have been almost universal in their satisfaction and approval, and I frequently hear that this was one of their favorite parts of the day.

Q : Can you help us decide what photos you should take?

A : I have a basic list of photos printed on my site on this page. Use this list as a starting point to design your own list. But please remember that your list will serve mainly as a guide - I can't guarantee that every photo you request will be taken. The more detailed you make your list the harder it is for me to get every picture you request. Having a member of the wedding party or family help organize various groups can make things go much more smoothly.

Q : Is it alright for my mother (brother, uncle, best friend, etc.) to take pictures during the ceremony and reception? She really likes to take pictures and I know she'll bring her camera.

A : I have no problem with family members or friends taking pictures during the ceremony and reception, as long as you make sure they understand that I am the professional that you have hired to record your wedding, and they need to stay out of my way when I am trying to take a photo. However, extra photographers during the posed "formal" photos can be a problem. Recently I have had far more problems with well-meaning relatives getting in my way while trying to take photos using their own cameras. With multiple photographers/cameras in action, the subjects can become confused about where they should be looking. A group picture with everyone looking in different directions just doesn't cut it! If other people wish to try to take photos of the poses I arrange they will have to wait until after I finish my own shots, and I would prefer it if they simply turned their cameras off and let me do my job without interference. The best thing you can do is to tell these amateur photographers that you can make copies of the photos for them if they want one. After all, you will own the negatives or digital files and can easily make copies for anyone who wants one. And I can guarantee that the quality of my photos will be better than anything the "wannabes" can produce with their equipment!

Q : How long will it take before we get to see our pictures?

A : For all of the Digital packages I try to have all of your photos posted online where you and your friends and family can view them within a couple of days. It takes a little longer to get your photos printed; with digital packages I should have your 4x6 prints within 2 weeks, and with film packages I usually will have your 5x7 photos and album ready within three weeks. Depending on the package you select, you will also receive a quantity of enlargements. You order these photos after you've had a chance to look over your initial prints. Some couples order their enlargements within a few days, while others might not order for several months - it's up to you.

Q : What is a typical time line for photography before the ceremony?

A : I always like to finish the formal photos at least 30 minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to begin. Depending on the size of your wedding party and family groups, the group photography takes roughly 30-45 minutes. To do photos of the bride and groom both separately and together takes another 15-30 minutes. To be safe, figure you should start your formal photos no less than 90 minutes before your ceremony, usually two hours before if you have a large family and/or wedding party, or if you want to have more time to spend creating a variety of photos. If you choose to do some of your photography at another location, you need to plan for both the photography time as well as travel time to the ceremony site. I'll help you plan your time line to make your photography go as smoothly as possible.

If you choose not to see each other before the ceremony, this might be a typical scenario. First photograph the bride alone, then with bridesmaids and bride's immediate family including parents, siblings and grandparents. Then play "hide the bride" while the groom, groomsmen and the groom's immediate family have their photos taken. These various photos take roughly an hour, so we would need to start at least 90 minutes before the ceremony. Then after the ceremony you will need another 40-45 minutes to get all the combinations with the bride and groom together, plus wedding party and family.

Q : Can we have black and white photos too?

A : Yes. With film packages I always carry several extra cameras, and can load one of them with black and white film. With digital packages any of your photos can be produced in color, B&W, Sepia or a variety of other tones. Talk with me to go over the details.

Q : We really like your work, but we have appointments with two other photographers after we see you. Will you call us if someone else wants our date before we make our decision? Or can you "pencil us in" for our date while we decide?

A : I can't hold a date open for you while you make your decision, but I will try to phone you if someone else contacts me about the date. However, I frequently am contacted by couples who are familiar with my work who want to book my services immediately. It isn't fair to these couples to make them wait while I contact someone who hasn't been able to make a decision. No wedding date will be held unless a deposit has been paid.

Q : Any other suggestions?

A : All weddings develop a momentum. You have done your homework and hired people in whom you have a lot of confidence. If a glitch comes up, let them handle it and don't worry about it. Nothing should get in the way of you enjoying your day!

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Page updated 4/27/08

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