Will you be shooting my wedding?
 Absolutely yes. I shoot every wedding I book. I have several 2nd photographers that work with me. I will select the 2nd photographer that best matches your needs and is available on your wedding date.

Will we get every image you shoot?
 No, we shoot a massive amount of images and it would be very overwhelming for you to review all of them. The images that are eliminated are primarily duplicate images, test shots, out of focus, changes in exposure, blinks, bad expressions, and other images that you honestly don’t want to review. I prefer to provide you with the best images while still including all aspects of your special day.

Do you do destination weddings?
Duh! I love to travel! I shoot destination everything.

Have you shot at my venue before?
Probably…but maybe not. I’ve shot at a lot of venues in CA. In the case that I have not been to your specific venue, I will visit the site beforehand if it is within a reasonable travel distance. For destination weddings, I will thoroughly review the wedding location using online sources and/or contact the site coordinator for details and images.

Do you provide partial day coverage?
For Friday – Sunday wedding I offer coverage for a minimum of 6 hours. For weekday weddings I can be more flexible. If I have your wedding date available and it is less than 1 month away, I can make an exception on my minimum hour’s policy on a case-by-case basis.

Do you shoot in JPEG, Small Raw, or Large Raw?
I shoot in the largest RAW format. I provide my clients with final editing high resolution JPEGs. All files can be printed up to 24X36 inch. If you need a larger size, I can provide you will a larger file on a case by case basis.

What is your photography style?
I think it is very difficult to put a label on something as visual as photography. If I had to describe my style I would say I’m a photojournalistic artist with traditional portrait values. So I’m a liberal shooter and a conservative poser. Generally, I try to capture moments as they happen with minimal “setting up” of shots. I’m always on the lookout for the uncommon point of view, the perfect depth of field, and that amazing golden light. However, I believe everyone needs a few smiling and looking at the camera shots. My photography really comes to life in the editing processing. I prefer contract, bright colors, and dark shadows versus washed out tones or overexposed whites.

Can you handle a really dark venue?
I just love my camera. It really is amazing in low-light situations. I’ve never had a problem getting well exposed images during an indoor ceremony without flash. Dancing shots are also so fun because I can use only minimal flash to capture the actually ambiance of the DJ’s lighting.

What type of camera do you use?
Nikon D700

Do you offer any discounts?
I have specifically designed my pricing to be one of the most flexible options in the wedding photography industry. I also offer flexible payment options. For weekday and off-season weddings, I can offer flexibility on my minimum hours requirement but the hourly rate will be the same. On occasion, I do offer discounts for referrals from past clients and friends but that decision is made on a case-by-case basis.

Do you touch up all the images on our image DVD?
This is where things get a little sticky. I review every image that we shoot on the wedding day. I remove the rejected images from the collection but save them just in case. Once I have the collection paired down to the final images, I adjust the exposure, colors, and contrast on every image individually. I export those images to JPEGs then make a black & white copy of all the images. I upload the images to this site for you to review. So now to answer the original question…I consider myself to be a bit of a purest when it comes to retouching. I do not retouch every image because honestly it would take so long that nobody would ever get their final images. Ideally, I try to do the necessary prep work on the wedding day to make sure I don’t need to retouch anything. I will rearrange the furniture in your hotel room if necessary to avoid retouching. It’s simple, 5 minutes cleaning up clutter or 3 seconds fixing flyaway hairs can save me hours in Photoshop. Some things can’t be avoiding, like wedding day break outs and bachelor parties gone terribly awry (yes it has happened). I am sensitive to you wanting your wedding photos to look perfect. So I will retouch a limited collection of 50 images that you choose at no extra cost. I can say that most of my couples do not ask for any retouching.

How many hours do you suggest we set aside for wedding day photos?
I suggest you have us arrive at least 1 hour before the ceremony to capture the pre-ceremony images. The 1 hour minimum is if you and your fiancé are getting ready at the same location as your ceremony. Otherwise, you will need to plan for travel time between locations. After the ceremony the family portraits usually take about 30 minutes as long as nobody wonders off. I like to have at least 30 minutes with the wedding party and bride and groom. The wedding party takes 15 minutes if everyone is paying attention, which leaves us 15 minutes to do couples portraits. Again, these are absolute minimums. I have had up to 3 hours of time between the ceremony and reception to shoot portraits…and you can definitely see the difference! Keeping the family portrait list to a minimum will give you more time to do your portraits. Also having us arrive early and doing a first look will allow us to get all the portraits done before the ceremony. Then you can go straight to your reception. It really all depends on your priorities for the day.

I have a lot of downtime in between events on my wedding day. Will I be charged for that downtime?
Yes. I can’t leave or go to another event during the downtime. The only exception to this would be if you event is spread over multiple days. However, you are charge for each continuous hour we are at your event, including travel time between locations.

What happens if we go over the contracted amount of time?
If it’s say 15 minutes…no sweat. Otherwise additional time is billing at the same hourly rate as your event.

Why do we need to charge for additional coverage?
Because I have to pay my employees for additional time and spend extra time editing the additional images we shoot during this time.

When can we expect to see our photos?
For final wedding images the editing turn time is 6-8 weeks. For portraits and engagements the editing turn time is 2-4 weeks. Once the images are edited, they will be uploaded to this site for review before the final images are shipped.

When should we do our engagement session?
I suggest you schedule the engagement session at least 6 months before the wedding but ultimately we can do it anytime that works with the schedule. I have a lot more weekend availability for portraits during the months of November - March.

Do we really need an engagement session?
Yes. Even if you don't plan to use the images for anything. The engagement session is your practice session. It preps you for being in front of the camera on your wedding day. During the engagement session we will have time to stop and review images as we are shooting. This gives you the immediate opportunity to correct your posture or change your smile. On the wedding day, couples that participated in an engagement session have better results and can take less time doing portraits. All of my wedding clients get a free engagement session. There is no additional charge for the session. There is also no discount if you decide to skip it...actually I think skipping the engagement session make my job a little harder.

Where should we do our engagement session?
This is always a bit like pulling teeth. Yes, we can just go to the beach...not that I have a problem with beaches. I just try to encourage my couple to think deeply about their relationship and try to find a location that is special and representative of their interests as a couple. Sometimes we go to the location of their first date. Sometimes its the park where they like to walk the dogs. Try to think of a location that you will be comfortable and will have many options for settings. I can definitely offer suggestion but staying involved in the creative process will help you get better final results.

How many images do you typically deliver from and engagement session and wedding?
There is really no hard and fast answer to this question. On average I deliver between 200 and 300 images for an engagement. There are a lot more factors for a wedding. The average is about 100 images per hour, not including the black & white copies. Weddings with a larger guest list and/or multiple locations would likely have more final images. There is no limit to the number of images I provide. I just provide the best images from the day and make sure all the details of your event are represented.

What rights do I have to the digital images?
Yes and no...you have the rights to the images for personal use. That means you can print the images as much as you want for yourself and as gifts for friends and family. You can also upload the images to personal websites, Facebook, etc as long as you provide photo credit. You CANNOT sell the images for print or publication without my express written permission.

What if I lose my image drive? 
Two things, you ask me for a new one and you also access the images through this website. Just let me know and I will provide you with access to the full resolution copies until you get your new zip drive.

Do you backup our images? 
Yes. I save the RAW and JPEG images onto a external hard drive and then back them up on a second hard drive which is stored at a different location. I also upload all of the final JPEGs to this website in full resolution so that they can get accessed online.

We’re really busy and won’t be able to meet. What are our other options?
We can meet by phone or video chat. An in person meeting is not necessary. I have booked and arranged details for wedding completely through email.

Do you travel to meet clients?
If I can coordinate it with another date when I will be in the area.

How do I set up an appointment to meet you in person and see some of your work?
Shoot me an email and we can work out a time that fits both of our schedules.

How do I reserve you for my date?
Verify that your date is still available, print and sign the contract provided by email, and send it along with your $500 deposit.

Is there an additional fee if we pay via credit card? 
No. You can pay by Paypal prior to the wedding date or by Square credit card reader on my phone at the wedding. Both options are totally secure.

If we cancel the wedding will we receive our deposit back?
Probably not. My policy is to not refund deposits unless I can find another client for the wedding date. If you cancel less than 3 months from the date it is unlikely that I will find someone else for that day. 

If we change our wedding to a different date will we be able to use our deposit towards a future date?
Yes if I am still available for the new date.

Are there travel fees associated with the Engagement Session and/or Wedding Day shoot(s)?
I do not charge for travel in the state of California.