What follows is a short list of some the most frequently asked questions clients have presented to me over the last ten years. I've made a point to keep my answers as honest and as candid as I could.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR US TO SEE OUR IMAGES?
- It will take less than 45 business days. If it takes longer than that you'll get 10% of the total cost of the package back each week that you don't have your proofs or a prorated amount if it's not a full week. This is in the contract to protect you.
HOW MANY PICTURES DO YOU TAKE AT A WEDDING?
- On average I'm presenting between 700 and 1200 images to the Bride and Groom.
THAT'S A LOT. ARE THEY RETOUCHED?
- The proofs are not retouched in anyway. If I had to retouch them all, I'd be there for months. The only images that get retouched are the ones that the Bride and Groom choose for their wedding album or enlargements.
HOW MANY IMAGES FIT INTO OUR WEDDING ALBUM?
- On average a design will hold approx. 65-80 images, depending on the style of the album. The good thing is that they are custom albums and thus built from scratch. So, if we needed to, we could always add more pages to the album. Being that as it may, custom wedding albums are a labor of love and, once ordered, they take upwards of 6 months to design, print, bind and deliver. They are gauranteed for life.
WHO MAKES OUR WEDDING ALBUM?
- I use Picto Books, Capri Albums, Jorgensen, Renaissance and Graphi Studio a lot. They make a superior product that I feel comfortable putting my name on. We design the album, they'll put it together for us.
WHAT SIZES DO WEDDING ALBUMS COME IN?
- Albums come in a variety of sizes ranging from as small as 3 x 3 to as large as 16x20 and 18x18.
WHAT COVER MATERIALS CAN WE CHOOSE FOR OUR ALBUM?
- The most expensive album that I know of is made of solid GOLD and costs over $30,000 while the cheapest has no cover at all and costs less than $100. Sufficient to say there's something available for everyone. Notwithstanding the two extremes, cover materials are available in: silk, leathers, glass, metals, woods, cloth, carbon fiber, gold, suade, dust jackets and fake leather.
DO YOU CARRY INSURANCE?
- Yes
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR CAMERA BREAKS?
- I always travel with back up cameras, lenses, flashes, cables, etc. So, if my camera breaks I simply grab another one from my bag and we'll pick up right where we left off.
DO YOU PROVIDE REFERRENCES?
- I'm recommended by: The Rhinecliff Hotel, The Belvedere Mansion, Mohonk Mountain House, The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, Apple Barn Farm, Full Moon Resort, The Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls, The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, Silo Ridge, The Linx at Union Vale, Branton Woods and The West Park Winery just to name a few, hundreds of satisfied clients and other area photographers as well. Look around, I've been in business for ten years. You'll find I'm very reputable.
HOW MANY EVENTS DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH IN ONE DAY?
- Just one, yours.
DO YOU COME ALONE OR ARE THEIR TWO OF YOU?
- There are two photographers. Myself and someone else.
WHAT WILL YOU BE WEARING THE DAY OF THE EVENT?
- A black suit or other appropriate attire.
DO YOU TRAVEL? WILL YOU DO A DESTINATION WEDDING?
- Yes, I've been traveling up and down the East Coast for the last ten years to photograph weddings. One of my favorite detination hot spots in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I absolutely love an Outer Banks Weddings.
IS THERE A FEE FOR TRAVEL?
- Not always. It depends on the circumstances. If you have a concern, please ask me.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU'RE SICK THE DAY OF THE WEDDING?
- If I'm sick I'm still going to be there. If I'm really sick, I'll still be there, but I may bring in a extra hand to help get us through the day.
WHAT TIME DOES YOU BEGIN PHOTOGRAPHY?
- Photography coverage begins whenever and wherever the client wishes.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU BOOK UP?
- I book weddings somewhere between 8 to 12 months in advance. I have already began booking for 2013 and have begun getting calls for 2014.
HOW MUCH OF A RETAINER DO YOU REQUIRE?
- To book and hold a wedding date there is $500 retainer required. The date is then held indefinetly for the Bride and Groom.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
- My work as a portrait and event photographer, whether it be a wedding, a concert, a bat mitzvah, a bar mitzvah or a sweet sixteen party is always discrete and confidential. My aim is to always be as unobtrusive as possible and so I characterize my photography as being "documentary" and "candid" in it's approach. There is minimal posing involved.
WHAT'S YOU PHILOSOPHY?
- I have a couple of rules that I try to abid by: one, do anything for the shot. Never let my photography suffer the consequence of not going the distance for the shot or the client; two, try something new everytime I pick up the camera, a new camera angle, a different lens, new perspective, different lighting, anything to keep it fresh; three, learn, learn, learn. The tech side of this business changes so fast that it can be hard to keep up, so I stay envolved with my professional organizations, I read tons of trade publications and attend seminars.
CAN WE HAVE OUR PICTURES AFTER THE WEDDING?
- Yes. They are included in all of the packages and they're yours to keep.
DO YOU ACCEPT PHOTO REQUESTS OR SHOT LISTS?
- Absolutely. I always think it's a good idea for the client to share their thoughts with me whether it be a photo list, a idea for a photo they've seen somewhere else or a location for formals. The more input I get from them before hand, the more likely they are to be happy with the finished product.
WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?
Depending on what your individual needs are, complete wedding packages begin at $3750 and go up from there. If this doesn't seem unreasonable to you, please go to our contact page to request a complet package price guide and to inquire about your dates availability.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Blue Sky Photography has been in business for over ten years.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?
Because I see what others miss.