1. Are there any guarantees on their products or their work? All of our wedding albums have a lifetime guarantee.
2. Will you be able to meet your photographer prior to the wedding? I often meet with wedding couples to discuss photographic plans and styles. At the studio we even encourage a free engagement sitting to you can get to know us and our photographic quality. We do not charge for this sitting. If you book your wedding with us you will get some free photos for the newspaper and you will be presented with an opportunity to purchase additional prints. If you choose not to hire us as your wedding photographer the engagement sitting costs you nothing. Why not check us out?
3. Do you like and feel comfortable with the photographer? The photographer will be directing much of what happens before and after the wedding. If you don't feel comfortable with him or her there will be tension all day. This is one of the reasons we offer the fee engagement "test drive" session.
4. Do you like the quality of work, and style of the photographer? Come in and check out our albums and prints. We are proud of the quality of our work and will be happy to show it to you.
5. Ask to see a complete wedding album. Would you be happy with an album of equal quality?
6. Does the studio offer any special or unique items? Photos on CD ROM, Watercolor Portraits, Poster Portraits, Signature Portraits, black and white, hand tinted b/w, to name just a few.
7. Does the studio do negative and print retouching to smooth skin? Is it extra? How much? All of our photos have basic digital retouching done before prints are made.
8. Are the portraits finished with a lacquer spray, or laminated? Is it extra? This spray helps to protect the photographs from water and sunlight.
9. Does the studio offer a selection of frames and/or presentation folios?
10. Are there any booking bonuses or extra value added to the packages?
11. Does the studio offer engagement portraits? Is it extra?
12. Is there an extra charge for outdoor portraits? You should expect to pay for the photographers time and film but there should not be an extra charge for the setting.
13. Does the studio offer help in designing your album?
14. Are their packages flexible? I think packages stifle creativity, limit the amount of time spent at your wedding, limit the number of photographs taken and suppose that all couples want or need one of a few different packages. NO TWO COUPLES ARE ALIKE. We will be happy to customize our photography to YOUR wedding. It is your day, we won't forget that.
15. Is there a maximum # of poses taken? The extra time and film become part of the cost of the wedding but it is YOUR wedding, you should be able to take whatever kinds of photos you desire. For me the number of poses is limited more by the time you are willing to devote to having photos taken.
16. Will the photographer travel out of town? How much extra is it? We travel up to 200 miles for no additional charge.
17. Is there a toll free phone # for out of town customers to use? This gives you the option of calling from somewhere other than home without the worry of how to pay the long distance charges. Call us toll free at 1-800-355-3511 or visit us on the web at http://www.nelson-photography.com
18. Will this will be the only wedding that photographer will photograph on that day?. This will give you the flexibility to change your schedule or request additional coverage time. More than one wedding means the photographer might not be able to stay and do more photos than were originally planned. The photographer should arrives 30 to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled time of photography.
19. What kind of rules does the photographer have? Some photographers have the ridiculous rule that prevents anyone from taking any photographs except them. This is a protectionism tactic which is self serving for the photographer; and this policy creates bad feelings. No one should prevent grandma, auntie or cousin from taking a few photographs. The last thing any couple wants on their wedding day is hard feelings. Give the photographer a little consideration. Consideration of your time so he or she will have opportunity to get everything you want photographed; consideration of the professional photographer so others do not take a flash photograph immediately before the professional photo, as this will cause a reflexive eye blink and ruin your professional photographs.
20. What kinds of back up plans and equipment will the photographer bring? I bring 3 or 4 backup cameras and at least 3 backup flashes to each wedding, plus many other often overlooked accessories. This is part of what you pay for when you hire a photographer. The equipment costs money and you want the photographer to have backups in case something doesn't work. I've had a couple of weddings where one camera broke, even one wedding where two cameras broke within minutes of each other. Without the backups there wouldn't have been pictures. With the backups the couple didn't even know something had gone wrong.
21. When will the proofs or previews be ready? Our proofs will be ready for viewing online within 3 working days, usually the next day. If YOU want we will give you cards to hand out to friends and relatives so they will be able to see all your photos on the internet.
22. What will be the expected photography costs? Wedding photography pricing depends upon four things: (1) number of hours you hire the photographer, (2) number of photographs you buy, (3) size of the photographs you buy, and (4) if you purchased any additional services such as an album, retouching, print finishing or print protection.
A Final Note
Remember that in the many years to follow, there are only two things that will remain as reminders of your special day: your memories; and your photographs. Memories last forever, make sure your portraits do too! It may be better to spend a little more than you planned (and avoid disappointment), instead of less than you should. Much of this page came from Darlene Stambaugh and Steve Larson - Thanks! Back Home