Are you a full time wedding photographer? I have a full time life, and I make my living, in part by wedding photography. What I can commit 100% percent, full time attention to, is you. When I take on the responsibility and honor of accepting a wedding, I am there 110% percent, before during and after the event. Including all of the hours of post production for you. To me that is full time commitment. I hope my images, work ethic and talent inspire you to consider me…and not to get hung up on what the wedding industry may point you towards buying into..’full time’. I believe commitment and integrity before during and after, are far more important. I hope you do too.
How many photographs to do you take at a wedding? The amount varies depending on the amount of wedding coverage. The best rule of thumb is to expect 25-50 optimized photos for every hour of photographic coverage. Expect 100-200 photos for 4 hours of coverage and approximately 300-600 for 12 hours of coverage. Thinking back to the days of film, the typical wedding photographer showed 20-50 photos to their clients.
How much coverage do I need? Practically every wedding I have photographed has lasted a minimum of 8 hours with most lasing upwards to 14 hours. My recommendation is to plan for a minimum 8 hours of coverage. This allows for me to arrive 1.5 to 2 hours prior to capture the bride, her mother & friends putting on their finishing touches as well as the guys getting ready. The more time the better as it allows me to be creative in capturing the details which you’ve spent months planning. This leaves us with about 6 hours to cover your formals, ceremony, first dance, cake cutting, and any other events you might have planned. Should we run out of time, I will stay for an additional 30 minutes at no cost. Thereafter my standard hourly rate of will apply.
How do you approach the formal shots? I prefer to do fewer formal shots, focusing primarily on immediate family, grandparents and any special guests. This can easily be done in 30 minutes, assuming you appoint someone to help organize and bring everyone together. I highly suggest planning ahead and providing me with a shot list for formal shots.
The engagement session. The engagement session is a perfect opportunity for all of us to get to know one another. On your wedding day, we will have already been acquainted and you will feel much more comfortable in front of the camera.
Do you include a DVD of images? Yes, all of my wedding packages include a DVD of high-resolution images in both color and black and white. While the copyright to the images remains with me, you will receive a print release, authorizing you to reproduce the images for personal, non-commercial use.
Do you edit all of my photos? Every photo you get from me will be optimized for exposure, color and contrast using Adobe Lightroom 3. Premium edits (using Adobe Photoshop CS5), such as blemish removal, teeth whitening, skin softening and other will be quoted at my standard editing rate. Check out this blog post to see my optimized, premium and black & white edits. All prints, canvas’ and albums ordered through me include premium edits.
What is the benefit of ordering prints through you? The difference between ordering prints from me vs. taking them to your local Target is my lab specializes solely in photographic prints, therefore has invested in much higher quality printing equipment. I highly recommend ordering all enlargements 11×14 and larger through me. Not only will you get a premium edit, these are prints you’re likely to display in your home, so investing in a higher quality print which is mounted and sprayed with a special UV coating will ensure your images stay looking their best for years to come.
I’m ready to book, what’s next? Email me and let me know your date and what type of coverage you’re looking for! I’ll send you a pdf with additional information to review along with a copy of my wedding contract. In order to save the date, I require a non-refundable deposit of 1/3 of the total amount at the time the contract is returned. From there we will schedule your engagement session.
Do you accept credit cards? Yes, I accept all major credit cards through PayPal. I offer a 3% discount if paying by cash or personal check.
Do you travel? Yes! Since I’m still serving, I’m not settled in any one particular market and available for travel within the U.S. Travel fees will apply for any events which require overnight accommodations or further than 125 miles outside of Kansas City. If you’re planning a destination wedding, the cost of airfare, lodging, meals, rental car / fuel (if required) are in addition to my package prices. Inquire for more information.
What’s the one wedding you really want to photograph? I can’t wait to photograph the smaller, outdoor wedding set far from the city lights where there are lots of little details and good times to be shared by the closest of friends and relatives. If this is something you’re planning, you need to contact me.
What if you deploy, and all of a sudden not available? Good question, and because of this I cannot accept weddings booked further than 4-6 months in advance. Should this happen, I offer a 100% refund.
Questions?
Please use the Contact link at the top of this page or email me at info@geoffpoitras.com
by geoff
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