YTRQA:  *Your* Totally Random Questions and Answers.

Over the years, I’ve been getting a lot of similar questions and I finally decided to make a small FAQ page with some answers. I’ll be updating this page as I go.

Are you going to be the one photographing our wedding?
Absolutely! I don’t subcontract other photographers or students and you always know who will be photographing your wedding. It also means that all the photographs you see here are products of just 1 photographer and not 5-10 photographers/assistants

What is your style of photography?
I find it really hard to characterize my shooting style. I try to create art with the images and while doing so I use many different styles. Journalistic and editorial/fashion/traditional styles are just a few to name. Sometimes you may have no idea why a photographer is asking you to do certain things or may even avoid it, but at the end of the day, you will appreciate the final results when you’ll see the images.  This is why you are hiring a professional wedding photographer- I do this every day! Ultimate goal is to create images worth putting on a cover of any magazine.

Do you use film or digital?
Hi-end digital equipment is used for all weddings. It’s much more beneficial to use digital and the end result is always better(some avid film shooters may still disagree). It also allows me to concentrate on your day and not on the number of film that I have left. There’s no limit on the amount of images you get and is always more than enough.

How many weddings do you shoot a year?
I limit myself to a maximum of 30 weddings a year. This allows me to invest more time in each client and every wedding that I do.  Typically I shoot about 2-4 weddings per month. Last thing I want to do is to have a wedding on Friday until 1 am,have 5 hours of sleep, do another 12-hour wedding on Saturday and finish it off with a 3rd wedding on Sunday. This is very common with most photographers, but I just can’t be creative at that output.

What’s is an engagement session. Should I do it?
You should absolutely do it!! These sessions are fun and creative. You’ll learn to be in front of the camera, see how I photograph and we all will get to know each other. Not to mention 100-200 very cool and creative photographs of two of you together in a casual environment.

The samples on your website look great. Are these just lucky shots from 100s of weddings?
These are my favourite images from latest weddings. I always push myself to provide consistent results and believe all my wedding images look like that. During our meeting I would be happy to show album samples from full weddings. Should you still want to see a few more examples, I would be happy to show a selection of online wedding galleries.

The backgrounds and the skies are gorgeous. Do you Photoshop them in?
I’ve never done it. If your wedding day is blessed with gorgeous blue skies and dreamy clouds, you’ll see them in your pictures.

How far in advance do I need to reserve my date?
My best advice is to reserve your date as soon as you know that you want me to be your photographer for your event. Because I only do a maximum of 3-4 weddings per month, dates are getting booked up very fast. Unless there’s a cancellation, chances of booking your wedding date 4-6 months in advance  for May-October are very slim. Certain popular dates are usually getting booked up 12-20 months in advance.

Why should I do an engagement photoshoot?
Not only it’s fun, you will also learn to be in front of a camera. This always helps to produce better images on the wedding day. It’s a great way to spend an evening/morning and get extra 100-150 images that will put a smile on your face for many years.

What about the cost of bringing you with us to a destination wedding?
There are additional costs involved in doing a destination wedding. You will have to pay for the flight/accommodation,etc. However, you will also be saving some money on the other wedding expenses, making your wedding much cheaper than if you did it locally.   Many of my clients believe that photography is the most important investment for their wedding, allocating a considerable amount towards it.  As you know, images are the only things that will stay with you 30+ years from now, when it’s all just a distant memory.

Can we also hire you to do our engagement or lifestyle session somewhere far?
Yes, I travel extensively and really enjoy new and exciting places. It doesn’t always have to be an engagement session or have any reason! Some of my clients just want a few great images far before or after the marriage.   Please contact me with the details for further info.

I really want to do a Trash The Dress session,but don’t want to ruin my expensive dress!
I can recommend a few online retailers that sell cheap dresses under $200. You can consider getting one of those instead. It is possible to take amazing pictures without ruining your dress. It all depends on your vision and the types of pictures you want to receive.

How many images do you provide and how many images are edited?
Although I can’t guarantee the number of images, you should expect to receive approximately 60-80 images per each hour of coverage.  All the images are color corrected AND creatively edited just like the samples on the website.

I see that most of your packages include a DVD with Hi-Res images. Can I print them?
Yes, All the images are ready to be printed up to any size. No watermarks or logos!

How long does it take to receive my DVD and the albums?
The wedding DVD is usually ready within 3 weeks after your wedding date.  After your album order is received from you, on average it takes 4-8 weeks to get your album on our hands.  This is one of the fastest turnaround times in the industry!

Some companies also offer videography, do you?
As you’ve probably noticed, I am not like the other companies. There are companies that(believe it or not) offer video+photo+chair covers+web design+flowers+limo and dj service. Do you really think they can offer you a really good and personable service?! It just doesn’t work in this industry.  Video and Photo are so advanced these days, a separate full-time company is needed, in order to provide a truly hi-end level of service. It’s like going to a heart surgeon who also offers tv repair and hair cuts
I’d be always happy to recommend a few videographers for you after your booking.

We love your work and would like to book you. How do we proceed?
If you are local, It would be great if we can meet and get to know each other and talk more about your day. You can also mail the check and the signed contract and we can discuss all details over the email/phone.  20% deposit is required to book the date.

Your pictures on the main website are very slow to load.
It is very easy to hide imperfections in small resolution images.  This is why I’ve decided to keep them at high resolution on my website. I want my clients to see how great they all look.

That BIO picture, is it really you with a live tiger?
Yes, it is