Wedding & Portrait Photography FAQ
Generally, if I am onsite an hour before the ceremony, that is the perfect amount of time for me to get bride getting ready shots. For both bride and groom getting ready shots, without a 2nd shooter, I need about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half.
The best light is always the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. If kids are involved in your portrait session, I would suggest we meet in the early morning when they are feeling sparky and we adults are not. If your session cannot occur in these hours, don’t worry, we will work together to do the best we can. There are always solutions, like assistants holding giant umbrellas and utilizing shade under trees, of which there are plenty in the Tahoe area.
I’ve found that alcohol helps with this greatly. If this is the case with your _______, I highly recommend we meet at a bar before your engagement session for a pint or two.
Absolutely! I have a genuine interest in exploring different religious practices. I’ve had the privilege of photographing ceremonies from various faiths including Christian, Catholic, Jewish, LDS, and non-denominational backgrounds. I’m eager to learn about your family’s faith and traditions too. While I was raised in a Catholic school environment, I no longer adhere to any religious beliefs personally. However, I deeply respect everyone’s right to practice their religion, as long as those beliefs are inclusive and do not encroach upon the rights of others.
Y’all means ALL! Everyone should get married! I am a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights and believe that everyone should have the right to marry. I would be thrilled and honored to be your LGBTQ+ and same-sex wedding photographer. I have extensive LGBTQ weddings, planning tips, and general resources here.
Most clients book their photographer as soon as they have a date and venue chosen. May books up very quickly and far in advance. You can lock in your date with my date retainer and choose your package at a later date.
After nearly a decade of photographing approximately 40 weddings annually, I’ve made the decision to scale back my workload and be more selective with clients. Beginning in 2024, I will be limiting my wedding bookings to just 10 per year. This decision stems from a newfound appreciation for weekends spent with my own loved ones, which I’ve come to cherish in the post-pandemic era and a welcome increase in commercial and corporate event work.
Yes. Not so shockingly, your guests do not enjoy being photographed with food in their mouths. While they are eating is a perfect time for me to eat. Also, I’m always hungry and I eat fast so I guarantee I’ll be done before them. I’ll bring my own snacks during the day to keep me from getting hangry hungry. I’m one of those people.
Me. I’m a one woman party. Second photographers are available with any package for $125/hr. Regardless of whether you have just myself or a 2nd shooter, all the images will be cohesively presented, color corrected and edited. In the event of an emergency, my second will step in and become the lead photographer which is why I always hire competent established wedding photographers that can take over in a pinch and provide you with the level of service you expect from me.
All of my packages, no matter how small, include digital files with a personal print release. You receive them via digital download and may also choose to receive them via USB. All packages include a simple, clean and gorgeous online gallery that you can share to any social media site, send to friends and family, and order prints from. I offer prints, canvases and albums as a la carte options. Your photos are my gift to you and when I hand them over, they are yours to post on facebook, share with loved ones and enjoy for the rest of your life. This includes a personal print right for life, which allows you to print and share the photos, but you may not re-sell them or publish them without my permission.
Yes. Often, a wedding is the only place where your entire family is together. It’s important to capture these moments and after all, Grandma expects it. Ideally, we spend no more than half an hour doing formal groupings so that everyone can get back to the celebration! I will ask you of a list of formal family photo pairings before the day of the ceremony so that we can be quick and organized.
No. This is why: the photos you see in my portfolio are moments of creativity that I saw while being 100% present in the moment of the day. I am a people watcher, observer and anticipator of reactions and moments. If I am running around trying to check things off a list of photos that someone else created in another time, I’m failing you and I’m failing myself. Instead of concentrating on the awesome, amazing, unique moments that are happening in your wedding, I’m concerned with a list of things that happened at another wedding. This is YOUR wedding and YOUR day and you are hiring a photographer to tell YOUR story. Not someone else’s story, that took place somewhere else, on another day with another photographer in completely different lighting conditions. I don’t read wedding blogs and I don’t follow other wedding photographers for one simple reason: the only person I’m in competition with is myself. I am going to do my best to be my best for you on your day, and that means not trying to recreate moments that aren’t yours.
Debit and credit cards or direct deposit through my studio software company which is called HONEYBOOK.
Yes. Many venues will refuse to allow me (or any wedding photographer) in the door without liability insurance.
Although my contract specifies that I may take up to fourteen weeks to return photos from weddings, I do my best to provide them to clients in a much shorter time frame. My average is about 8-10 weeks. If your wedding is an elopement or not in the summer, my turn-around time is generally quick and usually within 3-4 weeks. I reserve the right to take that long for the offhand chance that something in my life goes awry: bones may break, family members may die, and sometimes I need a vacation and as such, I will not change the contract to guarantee a faster turn-around time.
You will receive your images via digital download from a gorgeous password-protected gallery that you may share with friends and family.
Enthusiastically: YES! I love to travel so it’s built into my packages: there are no travel fees for the lower 48 states. Arrangements can be made on a case by case basis for AK, HI, and any foreign country!