FREQUENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:-
Q: Please expand in general on the seemingly high fee’s charged for Wedding photography?
A: The average person may think that wedding photography is a quick and easy way for anyone who owns a camera, to make money and to get a meal out of it as well. One needs to sit and think what wedding photography really entails. Think of the time involved, it is not only the few hours of the wedding that the photographer works, it is the time for every meeting with the couple, visits to the venue, before and on the actual day of the wedding, and the time to process, edit and print the pictures (this is by far the biggest time consuming component). Add in here the direct overhead costs for transport and printing. On top of this one needs to take indirect costs such as insurance, depreciation and replacement of the photographic equipment, also into account. I did not even touch on the responsibility of the photographer to perform i.e. capture the event and ensuring client satisfaction.
Will it be okay if I multiply my rates with say 4 times………...smile
Q: Do you use Digital Cameras?
A: Yes, I only work with Digital Cameras.
Q: Do you do colour, B&W and Sepia?
A: Yes. With digital, all my images start out in colour, and any can be used to create B&W and Sepia images.
Q: Is B&W more expensive than colour?
A: I do not charge extra for black and white images in comparison to colour images. However, a good B&W image usually involves subjective interpretation and requires carefully tweaked contrast and luminosity to give it the edge, so there is often more work involved in B&W images. Digitally captured images can be converted from their native colour format into black & white or sepia.
Q: What is "Sepia"?
A: Simply put, it is a brownish (single colour) photograph. It is quite in fashion at the moment, as it looks warmer than plain black & white, and sometimes conjures up nostalgic feelings of timelessness. (Like grandma’s pictures).
Q: Do you do pictures in B&W or Sepia with certain items in colour (such as a sepia picture with the flowers in full colour)?
A: Yes, see the gallery for some examples.
Q: Do you do video?
A: No, I work exclusively in still photography.
Q: Do you visit the venues with us before hand?
A: Yes, wherever practical. For Gauteng based weddings, this is my standard practice. For weddings in other parts of South Africa, or in other countries, pre-planning and site visits are just as important and arrangements are subject to costs being covered by my clients.
Q: What equipment do you use?
A: For each shoot, I bring a minimum of two Nikon professional digital SLR cameras and a range of professional series lenses, on-camera flash units and power packs, and a sturdy tripod. Portable studio equipment, such as backdrops, studio lights, stands and reflectors, is an optional extra.
Q: Do you print your work yourself?
A: No, I make use of a professional printing Lab to print to the highest wedding and portrait printing standards. I manually edit every image before printing. Due to the personal interpretation involved, I do not allow the printing Lab to do any manipulation on my work. To ensure the highest possible quality, I shoot every image in RAW format. I then personally work on each image (adjustments for colour, contrast, saturation, localised brightness and sharpness).
Q: Can we print the images on the CD that you provide?
A: Absolutely, you may take the CD to any printing lab to print as many copies as you wish.
Q: Do you provide an album for us?
A: No, but I can if you do request me to do so. I can offer my clients a range of albums in various sizes, formats and cover types.
Q: Do we have to take an album?
No. If you choose to do your own album, remember that good presentation of your images is a worthwhile investment, especially if you have gone to the trouble to ensure you get really good photographs in the first place. It really pays to get a good quality album, then plan it carefully and set aside the time to do it well.
Q: Can you compile an album for us?
A: Yes, but I prefer not to for the simple reason that experience proofed to me that the couple have a different idea as to the lay-out of the album.
Q: Do you produce coffee table hard cover printed albums?
A: Yes, again it can be done. I can offer my clients a range of printed books in various sizes, formats and cover types. My clients can select the pictures to be used in the book or leave it up to me to do the selection and the lay-out. This is a huge time consuming exercise and the printing there off thus one will understand the cost involved.
Q: Do you produce a collage?
A: Yes, I can offer my clients a collage, produced from selected images, printed on canvas in any size up to A0. Again this is a huge time consuming exercise and the printing there off thus one will understand the cost involved.
Q: Do you produce thank you cards?
A: Yes. You can choose one of your digital prints to use, and have a text message stylishly placed on the picture, to use as a thank you card. These can be done in any preferred size
Q: Do we get the digital files?
A: For every wedding, I provide a data DVD or CD of high resolution edited JPEG copies of those images as per the selected package. I always retain the copyright on my own work, and never release my RAW files.
Q: If we book you, do you subcontract?
A: No, if you book me, you get me as the your photographer. My wife may take extra photographs but that is merely to have a wider selection at the end of the day and there is no extra charge involved.
Q: Do you make use of a stylist?
A: My wife works with me at every wedding. She assist with the styling such as the Bride and Groom’s formal Garden photo shoot, the arrangement of the guests for group photographs and as mentioned before, there is no extra charge for this.
Q: Do you allow guests to take pictures with you?
A: Yes, only if this is fine with you, as long as there is a clear understanding that I am hired to do this for you and therefore will not allow interference. I do make provision for others to take pictures. I do not work on or edit pictures taken by any one other than someone that I may specifically have asked to take a picture. It should be noted that extra “photographers” normally delays the whole picture taking process during a wedding and it is not my style to chase people or to ask people to get out of the way.
However, I prefer to be the sole photographer when taking Formal / Garden pictures of the Bride and Groom after the ceremony before the reception (I will discuss this in detail with you during our meeting before the wedding).
