Question. “Do you photograph the groom getting ready?(And if so, is it extra..?)”

Answer: – Yep… (and its not usually extra… it just all comes down to time.)

As with most things, it all comes down to time...

I really enjoy spending some time with the boys as they get ready before the ceremony, its an integral part of any wedding. And If your wedding day has the flexibility to allow me to travel to photograph both the Bride and the Groom getting ready, then I am more than happy to do so and I wont charge you extra.

Most of the couples who book me do have this flexibility and they also make sure they have enough hours of coverage as well.

Now if you want both the Bride and the Grooms preparations covered and there isn’t this flexibility in your wedding day due to location or time, I am more than happy to arrange another Photographer to cover the Groom getting ready. And of course an additional photographer will incur an additional expense, but for most couples another photographer isn’t necessary.

A quick "Boxed" ring shot before the groom leaves for the ceremony

There are so many moments that will be forgotten, if they are not captured…

A quiet moment

Waiting in the Hot Rod.

So there you have it.

I want to shoot the groom and the rest of the boys getting ready, so lets make sure it happens.

Question. “Do you Travel? (And if so, do you charge a travel fee..?)”

Answer: – Yes, I do travel, and for the most part, I do not charge for traveling.

I love to travel, and don't see distance as being a barrier at all, even if we do get home a little late some times.

I do need to break this post into 2 parts though, because there are different rules for Weddings and for Location/lifestyle Portraits.

1. Of course if your wedding is not really local, that is to say its more than a few hours away, then travel will be something that needs to be considered. Having said that, Outback Queensland, or Tasmania are hardly what I would call local, neither is New Zealand, but that certainly hasn’t stopped me in the past.
So within the bounds of reason, I don’t consider distance or travel to be an obstacle… and feel that travel expenses complicate things unnecessarily. I don’t see the Dandenong Ranges, Point Nepean or The Great Ocean Road to be that far away. To be honest, I am more concerned with who you are as a couple and what the plans are for your wedding day, than how many kilometres there are between here and there. It’s important to me that I photograph the kinds of weddings and the kinds of couples that interest me and that I photograph people I have a connection with.

2. When it comes to Location and Lifestyle  Portraits, I do look at it a little differently. If you live on the other side of town, or wish to have your shoot at some far out location, then time and travel needs to be considered. And its the TIME, not the $$$. Long time readers of this blog will know that at certain times of the year, time is in SHORT supply, making it very difficult to find an additional 2 hours in a day that would be needed to travel to a distant location (as an example). If I can do it, I will, but its not always possible!!

So, there you have it, I have traveled, I do travel, and I will travel !!

And I love it !!

I have received quite a few blog comments and an email or 2 regarding my recent purchase of a Canon 5DmkII. The discussion got a little heated between 2 readers, and I had to close the comments. Either way, I thought it a good idea to bring the topic up again!!

Question. “Why did you choose to get a 5D mkII…?” etc…  (Including “why do you need a 5DmkII?” and “what do you like about the 5DmkII?”.)

Answer: – For my Clients, they deserve the best.

And isn’t that the most important reason a photographer purchases anything?  -  YES !!

I have arranged a "sit down" between two of my more outspoken readers... Should I sell tickets?

And while some might like me to feebly attempt to state in a clear and concise manor all the reasons why the 5Dmk II is better for my clients… I wont. Because nobody really wants to read my raving on about something as simple as a camera body, now do they? Nope.

But many of my regular readers will remember my strongly worded post regarding Back-up Equipment and may recall me stating that Camera’s Fail, and nothing lasts forever. Yes?

Well, before the 5DmkII came along, I still had perfectly good equipment, with my trusty original 5D as my main camera, and a 30D as a back-up. But due to their age, I made the decision to retire my 30D and use the older 5D as my backup and purchase a 5DmkII as my main camera.

But thats not the only reason I have just spent nearly $4000 on a new camera.  

The higher resolution sensor allows me to easily print much larger images, which is great for Family Portrait sittings as well as Weddings, and it gives me more flexibility in cropping an image for use in a wedding album (especially the larger 15″ – 17″ Albums when you are running an image as a full page) and it handles higher ISO much better, allowing me to shoot indoors without flash if I want to.

Like I said, I could go on and on and on, but thats what Camera Review sites are for, so if you feel you need more, check out the best 5DmkII review on the web.

And in case you are wondering, the image above was captured with my 5DmkII & 17-40mm lens @ 21mm. ISO 3200 – 1/30sec @ f/11

Please feel free to comment nicely!

Question. “Do you have Back-up Equipment?”

Answer: – YES I DO !!!

And its one of THE most important questions you can ask your photographer. And the Answer should always be YES !!

And , as always, there is more to this question than just a simple yes or no  answer, and its not just about having 2 cameras either. Your photographer needs to have good quality back-ups of all their essential equipment, including camera’s, lenses, flashes, batteries and memory cards. Gear does fail, thats a fact, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is just lying to cover themselves.

On that note, I am going to be bold enough to state that “You should never hire a wedding photographer than only has one camera”.

I always carry 2 camera's during a wedding, my second is lying on the ground behind me while I shoot a close-up during Alex and Laura's Wedding - Barwon Heads

That might sound harsh, but it’s reality and your wedding is too important. Would you hire a limo to get you to your wedding knowing that they didn’t have a spare tyre?

Exactly.

As many people know, I like to talk about myself, so we will move this post back to me again.  :)

I currently have my awesome assistant Ryan working with me, and at every wedding we are carrying at least 4 camera’s, 5 flashes and 8 lenses, 60Gb of memory cards and spare batteries for all our cameras and flashes and battery packs among other things, so we are covered if anything goes wrong. 

And things have gone wrong, I have had cameras fail, flashes stop working correctly, lenses get knocked so hard they wont focus and all manor of other things, but I just switch to a backup and continue like nothing has happened, because to me, its no big deal, nothing lasts forever, and I am ready for it.

And if you act like this on a regular basis (see image below), then you are bound to have an “Oops” moment now and then.

As a Wedding Photographer, I occasionally put myself in interesting situations. Asking for trouble...?

And yes, that is a Bridal Bouquet in my hand, and don’t I look pretty.

Remember, always ask questions, and promise you wont hire a “one camera” photographer…!!

Usually when I mention “Proof Options”, the typical response is “You mean I get an option??”, which is followed by…

Question. “What proof options do you have?”

Answer: – I have previously mentioned the Web Gallery, Hi-Res Image Disk, Proof Prints and Proof Books in AYP(5) and have decided to break this second proof question/post into 4 parts (this being part 3). In this post I will discuss Proof Prints in more detail.

Wedding Proof Prints - the traditional way to view your wedding photography

With a Proof Prints option, you get a Professional Lab printed 6×4″ print of every image that was included in your web gallery. Printed with a white border on Matte paper so they wont show up finger prints as easily and presented in a stylish fitted box, these wedding day memories will last more than 100 years.

If you feel the need to be a little more extravigant, I have a Deluxe proof option, where every image is printed @ 6×9″ size.

Even I have to admit that the above writing sounded like something from the home shopping network, and for that I will apologise and leave you with a few more images.

The boxes are much nicer than just a pile of loose prints

250 Loose prints and 250 boxed prints.

Another view of the prints and the box

A closeup of the boxes

“I get emails all the time from different people asking similar Photography, Wedding and Portrait related questions, and Ask Your Photographer is an attempt to answer them.”

Q6. “Will you allow our guests to take pictures at any time during the wedding?”

Answer: – YES, guests are free to snap away as they please, as its your wedding after all. But there are a few points to consider.

Although this guest is holding a video camera, I included it becasue its such a cool shot !! - Captured for Pixxil Photography by my awesome assistant Ryan Lawson.

1. If there are a half dozen cameras pointed at someone, they often don’t know where to look. So during formal or posed shots, especially with groups, I will ask that guests refrain from shooting a setup until after I have finished, that way I know I have the groups full attention and wont have to repeat shots due to wandering eyes !

2. As a wedding is an exciting time for both you and your guests, some people have been known to get a little too enthusiastic with their camera and accidently get in the way. It occurs at a few weddings and some guests have needed to be told off. My favourite quote from a bride dealing with this situation is ”Uncle Bob, please go and sit down, you acting like a peanut !!”    And yes, of course he went and sat down !

The only restriction I have is clearly stated in my contract, that I am the “exclusive provider of photographic services”. This just means that you cannot hire another photographer to shoot guest table shots at the reception as an example, without having it fully detailed and written into the contract. 

Thats about it really, not too difficult.

“I get emails all the time from different people asking similar Photography, Wedding and Portrait related questions, and Ask Your Photographer is an attempt to answer them.”

Usually when I mention “Proof Options”, the typical response is “You mean I get an option??”, which is followed by…

Q6. “What proof options do you have?”

Answer: – I have previously mentioned the Web Gallery, Hi-Res Image Disk, Proof Prints and Proof Books in AYP(5) and have decided to break this second proof question/post into 4 parts (this being part 2). In this post I will discuss Proof Books in more detail.

Wedding Photography Proof Book

At 11×13 inches in size, with a printed hard cover that is designed by me, these are my favourite proof option!! And at this point I will point out that the print quality is not up to the same standard you find in my Photobook Albums, they ares till just so damn cool !!

Title Page

 They have a cute little title page (just incase you forget what you are looking at) and images are printed 4 per page with the file numbers underneath for quick reference.

4 images per page

The only downside is that they are printed overseas, so the time frame for production is a little longer than I would like and the price is dependent on the Aussie Dollar. But apart from that, they are Awesome !!

And there you have it, Proof books explained !!

Usually when I mention “Proof Options”, the typical response is “You mean I get an option??”, which is followed by…

Question. “What proof options do you have?”

Answer: – I have previously mentioned the Web Gallery, Hi-Res Image Disk, Proof Prints and Proof Books in AYP(5) and have decided to break this second proof question/post into 4 parts (this being part 1). In this post I will discuss the Web Gallery in more detail.

The web gallery is a standard proof option and print ordering system that is included with all of my Photography. It doesn’t matter if I shoot a Wedding, Christening or other event, or a Family or Senior portrait session, I always provide a web gallery. Its a great way to share your images with friends and family (especially those who are interstate or overseas) and is the quickest way for me to get viewable proofs to my clients. And of course prints can be ordered quickly and easily online via the gallery at our standard print prices.

 There are 3 different Gallery Options available, Open Access, Password Access and Private Access.

 Open Access galleries are “open” and allow access by anyone who wants to look. Its not a popular option for weddings and portraits but a few of my own personal project galleries are open access.

Password Access galleries are visible on the main gallery page (such as those in the screen shot) but are password protected. You access the gallery by clicking on the thumbnail and entering the access code I have provided for your event.

Private Access galleries are not visible on the mail gallery page and can only be accessed by clicking the “Access Gallery” link in the top right of the page and then entering your provided access code. Private access is mainly used for private events, people who like to keep to themselves and sometimes for Family portraits where prints will be given as gifts and the gallery might spoil the surprise.

As I have detailed above, gallery access is easy and the galleries can be shared with family and friends using our provided email form or by handing out the password.

So there you have it, The Web Gallery proof option explained.

Question. “How many photo’s do we get…?”

Answer: – I don’t place a limit on the number of images I capture at a wedding, and for me, the average wedding produces between 350-500 edited images. Of course there are a lot of variables to consider, the amount of time available to shoot, the style and pace of the day, if there is a second or third photographer shooting as well, the list goes on and on.

Overall it works like this:

Understandably, there is a great deal to shoot during a wedding, candid moments, details, multiples of any posed or group shots to cover for the blinking or stray eyes etc and I don’t delete any images as I shoot either. Even when a client has not ordered an album package, I still shoot with an album in mind as it gives a sense of unity to the images, like they all belong together. So there is plenty of overlap.

After the wedding, the images go through a tough selection process where I then cull 25-50% of them. This is to remove the shots that just didnt work, a flash didnt fire, multiples of the same scene/pose, and those candid shots where a stray arm or leg wanders into the corner of the frame (or something similar, you get the idea right?).

I have been doing this long enough to know that the harder I am at this point, the better the final result, its in line with that good old saying “Less is More”.  In a future post I will detail my editing “workflow” for all those who are interested.

If you look through a good wedding album you will see that it takes less than 200 images to tell the full story of a wedding day, and it should be obvious that there is a practical limit to how many quality images can be captured in a specific timeframe. “OK, but if it takes less than 200 shots, then why do you give 400?” I hear you ask. Well, its simple. There are a lot of things that happen on a wedding day, and some are just not “album worthy”, but they are the kinds of things the Bride and Groom will want to remember, and so thats why they are are included.

In having said all that… I have seen and heard of Photographers who supply their clients with over 1000 images from a wedding day and I have to admit it makes me laugh out loud. Either way, consider the following (writing this with a headache that wont go away has prompted me to NOT include some Math). This is the way I see it. If a photographer supplies 1000 photo’s and its almost every image they have shot, that shows at the very least a lack of confience  in their own work and a poor relationship with their client. If they did edit out a lot of images and still supply 1000 photo’s, it still shows a lack of confience in knowing their client and also shows they dont have the experience to know better.

I realise its not always as simple as that, but I still find it more than a little ridiculous, and I hope by now you know why.

Question. “How long will it take to get my Proofs back?”

Answer: – Typically it takes me about 2 weeks to proof a wedding and get it uploaded to a web gallery to be viewed. But of course at different times of the year, this may take a little longer (or shorter) due to variations in my workload. As an example, November is VERY busy, we are fully booked with Weddings and of course we have a rush of Family Portraits in the lead up to Christmas.

You may not be aware of the amount of editing work that a photographer puts into a typical wedding, but it can be days and even weeks of work. As every photographer is different, and handles this aspect of their business according to their own business model, it is a little difficult to explain in general terms. You will be able to see a future  AYP post for more info, once I have written it…

With Printed Proof options it depends on which one you choose, with an additional week turn around for Prints and about 3 weeks for a Proof Book. If Hi-Res Image Disks are included in your package, they are generally given with the printed proof options(or else in a similar time-frame). Refer to future posts in Ask Your Photographer for more details (once I have written them…).

You might wonder why this important..? Well it is nice to know when you will get to see your wedding images and I feel its a question every couple should ask their Photographer. Its OK if your photographer takes a few months or so, as everyone operates differently, but be wary of anyone taking too long, as you don’t want to end up empty handed…

Question. “Will you be the photographer who actually photographs my wedding?”

Me in Action - Alex and Laura's Wedding - Dec 20 - 2008 - shot by Ryan Lawson for Pixxil Photography

Answer: – YES, most definitely.

Its a simple, straightforward answer, but doesn’t make for a very interesting Blog post now does it? So I will elaborate.

I run a small family owned business, I am the photographer, photo editor, business manager, album designer and print ordering guy etc… While my lovely wife Narelle handles the book work and looks after our 6 awesome kids. I also have an awesome Assistant working with me who is attending most weddings(more about him in another post). So as you can see, with Pixxil Photography, what you see is what you get, and most of it is me and I WILL be the photographer who shoots your wedding.

On the flip side, there are a number of Wedding Photography Businesses out there that have more than one photographer working for them (some of them are quite large), nothing wrong with that, but you don’t always get what you pay for. Sometimes you will actually meet with a marketing manager, who is a salesperson first and foremost. It’s their job to get you to book, so be aware of that and make sure that the person you meet with is the person who will shoot your wedding, or at least ask to see some of your “assigned” photographer’s work. Then you wont be surprised when a complete stranger turns up to photograph your wedding.

:)

Question. “Do you shoot film or Digital?”

I received this question via email from Julie and Thomas, who have since booked me for their wedding in August 2009. I don’t get this question as often now as I have in previous years, but it still comes up every now and then… Obviously !

Answer: – I shoot Digital.

I don’t feel the need to go into a Film v’s Digital debate as that has long been settled and even though I still have the original pair of Film SLR camera’s that I started out with in the late 90′s, I only occasionally shoot a roll of film at a wedding, just for something different. But that’s about as far as it goes with me and using film.

Does it matter if your photographer shoots Film or Digital? Not really, the only important things are the Quality/consistency of the work and the desired end result, anything else is just a means to an end. There are very few Pro’s that shoot purely film (or any film at all for that matter), so I suppose the only ”Photographer” to be aware of is the one who uses consumer 35mm film and cheap lenses and gets, well… cheap results… but this isn’t as common anymore either (As most “budget” photographers have switched to digital too… more on that in an up coming post.)

I do use film for personal projects every so often as I enjoy the constraints it brings. And yes, I would consider shooting an all film wedding if it was requested.

And for those who might like to know the details of the above image, it was shot on film in some random alleyway in Melbourne in July 2007… Why include it in a post about Wedding Photography? …  Why not?

Canon EOS 50E & Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye,
Exposure unrecorded.
Film was Fuji Sensia 100 (rated @ 50iso) & cross-processed.

This is just how the Lab processed it, normally Sensia has a strong yellow cast.

Question. “What do we need to do to book you?”

Answer: – There are 3 things that need to happen before I consider a booking is complete.

1. I Like to meet with all my clients before they book, so they can view sample slide shows, proof books and albums etc. I get an understanding of their photographic requirements and we can design the perfect package to suit. We will also discuss details of their wedding and generally get to know one another a little.

2. We read through my Wedding Contract and Info Sheet and I explain all the different sections and I answer any questions along the way. I do not consider a wedding booked without a completed and signed Wedding Contract and Info Sheet.

3. Usually the final step is the Deposit. I accept a variety of payment methods, but have found direct deposit via e-banking to be the simplest way for most people. I have recently lowered my standard deposit amount to $400 to make things easier on my clients.

And there you have it, 3 steps and a wedding is booked.

Sometimes things dont happen in that order, for instance, just this year alone I have photographed 4 weddings where I have never even met the bride and groom before the wedding day. These were all weddings where the couple were travelling to melbourne from interstate to get married. 2 couples were from Sydney, 1 from Perth and 1 from north of Brisbane. And I have a wedding on the beach in Geelong next week where the couple are from England/Spain, so it’s somethimes not easy to arrange a meeting !

The most popular question I receive is…

Question.  ”Are you free on the XXth of XXXX next year”

Or something similar to it and yes, if the enquiry is early enough, then I will probably be free. But I take bookings anywhere up to 18months in advance, and certain times of year book up fast! I consider the wedding date such a vital piece of information, that its the first thing I will ask if someone makes a general enquiry without a specific date. And remember, I am not booked out every weekend of the year, so even if you are in one of the “popular” months, contact me anyway, you never know !

As a side note : – I have concidered posting my calendar on www.pixxil.com so people can see when and if I am booked, and on the surface it sounds like a good idea doesn’t it. But if I do that, I can’t refer the missed bookings to other great photographers I know and that is very important to me. So, even if I am not free for your special day, there is no reason why I can’t point you in the direction of some of my talented colleague’s and hopefully you will still find the perfect photographer for your wedding day.