Frequently Asked Questions

I frequently get the same questions over & over again, as does Elaine. We felt that it would be best to answer some of them here as an easy reference point. Have a question you need an answer to? Feel free to contact us!

Is it important that I like you if you are going to photograph my wedding?

It was really hard to choose which question I wanted to put first here on the list, and this actually isn’t a question I get often - it is something I normally say at the end of every initial client meeting. I feel that it is very important that you like your photographer. It comes across in your photographs if you are at ease with me. I know I am not the perfect photographer for everyone out there - I’m not trying to be. I am actually selective of which weddings we take on, as I want us to be a great fit. I do hope that if you have read this far, I am the right photographer for YOU, and if so, I would love to be a part of your big day. I look forward to hearing from you.

If I hire you, will you photograph my wedding?

That question may sound redundant, but trust me - it is something you should ask. I’ve actually heard that there are photographers out there that have a salesperson that handles the meetings for them, or that will have you meet with one photographer, but someone else shows up to shoot your wedding. Now that I think about it, I had this happen to me when I hired my wedding DJ - the one I interviewed was not the one that was there, and while I was warned of that in advance, the owner didn’t give the DJ he had hired any of our information or requests. There are also big companies out there that you hire, and they show you samples of a variety of their photographers’ work, and they tell you big names, but that may not be the photographer that you get on your wedding day.

I don’t like that approach, and we don’t do that. My name is on the figurative door because I am at every single wedding that I book. I feel it is very, very important to have a special relationship with your photographer so that they can effectively capture your wedding day. Elaine is my permanent second photographer and comes to all of them too, unless she isn’t available due to work (she still has a 9-5 day job, while I am a full time photographer) or other personal commitments, which we would inform a client about well in advance if they ever came up. We’re a two woman team when it comes to the wedding day, and our clients truly benefit from that.

Do you work with a variety of second or assistant photographers?

Not normally. I like how Elaine & I work together as a team, and as an added bonus we have been friends since 2002. I think that adds a special level to our work. On top of that, our styles are so similar they make the perfect blend of the narrative of the day. When I wrap up editing the photos I can’t tell who took which shot sometimes; I have to go back to the original data to see which one of us took it. Yet the two of us can be together photographing the exact same thing and get completely different photographs. It is wonderful.

I think the fact that we work as such a cohesive team makes our work very special. The only reason that my name is on the business alone is because for tax purposes she is an independent contractor, and for business purposes I am ultimately accountable to every client from the beginning to the end of the wedding photography process. She comes to some of the meetings when possible, and the engagement session if she can make it, where I am there for everything. She currently holds a job in the corporate world, so her main responsibility is the day of the wedding only. It works well for us.

I have shot weddings without Elaine, mainly small weddings where two photographers would be overwhelming. Even then, I would prefer to shoot with her because we can then cover two angles at once. This is handy all the way from the getting ready photos as one of us stays with the girls, while the other one is with the guys; through the ceremony, with two angles all the time; and at the reception, where she focuses on the guests while I keep all of my attention on the bride & groom.

From time to time, we might invite a third photographer to shoot with us, or I may have to have a second photographer take her place if she can not make the wedding. The bride & groom will always be informed of this in advance if that is the case.

How many weddings do you photograph a year?

We are available for commission for approximately two weddings per month, 24-26 total for 2008. We feel that this is the best fit for us, as it allows us to give all of our clients the best service possible. We normally book only one event per weekend.

I’m interested in hiring you - can I view an entire wedding’s gallery or two?

Absolutely! I think that this is critical when selecting your wedding photographer. Anyone can pick and choose 20-30 great photos for a portfolio; viewing an entire wedding from beginning to end gives you a sense of what we present to our couples. If you are interested in hiring us, please feel free to contact us for the access code information to view our most recent weddings.

What if something happens and you can’t be at my wedding for some reason?

November, 2007 had two weird twists of fate in a two week timespan. On November 10, 2007, we photographed two weddings in one day because the original photographer no-showed for the second wedding. (We actually refer to them as Wedding #1 and Wedding #2 to our family and friends.) Then, on the 13th, I was admitted to the hospital with severe anemia that required three blood transfusions to prepare me for major surgery which I had on November 16th. We had a wedding scheduled for November 23rd. The doctor informed me that there was simply no way I could wait on the surgery, and no way I would be ready to shoot a wedding a week later.

Fortunately, I have a great network of photographer friends here in Houston. I got on the phone right away (while in the hospital) and contacted one of them and he took over for me and worked with Elaine to shoot the wedding. I then cleared it with the bride & groom to make sure that they were ok with it. My contract states that there is the option to refuse the new photographer and be granted a 100% refund of all monies paid at that time, which ended up not being necessary.

After the Emergency Wedding incidents, I now have a whole plan in place. Elaine & I often travel to weddings in separate cars just in case something happens to one of us on the way - this is Houston, after all. My husband is now left with a sheet of contact information, including cell phone numbers for the bride, groom, and a third contact, along with a list of “back-up” photographers. It seems extreme, but if I was in an accident and was in a coma or something like that, I would want him to be able to make the appropriate calls. I take it that seriously.

What sort of equipment do you bring to a wedding?

Another one of those things I take really seriously is backups. We actually have backups for our backups when it comes to gear. Here is a sample of what all we normally bring:

Speaking of backups, how are my photos stored? Do you back those up too?

As soon as we complete a wedding assignment, before I do any editing to the photos, I copy them all to an external hard drive. I create a back up on DVD of two copies of those photos, and store one at Elaine’s house so that they are off site. I then edit them from the external drive. Once the editing process is complete and the photos are online, I make two more copies of the final proofed images in high-resolution JPG format, one that I keep and one that is given to you if it is included in your wedding package.

If my package includes the DVD of high-resolution images, why should I buy prints from you?

Years ago, photographers used to feel it was critical that they control your photographs. Times have changed. When I booked my own wedding photographer, the first thing I wanted was a DVD of the final photographs. I’m glad I got it too, because I have no idea where he is now - his website isn’t online and I don’t have his phone number anymore. So I get why you would want a DVD of your images. I want you to have them. With all DVDs, I include a print release in PDF format on the disk that states that you - the bride or groom - have permission to print the photos. (I put it in PDF format on the disk so that you don’t have to worry about losing it.)

Our prints are heirloom quality. Much like the old photographers used to do it, we take your proofs and do additional digital work to them to make them perfect before they go off to print. We tweak the colors, retouch any skin imperfections, fix things like under-eye circles, and just make them pretty before we send them off.

When it comes to getting prints from us, our lab is a professional lab, that only prints for professional photographers. We work closely with them, printing a high volume each year. We have worked to make sure that photographs look the same way on our screen* as they do when our lab prints them. We know them, and we trust them. They print on the best quality Kodak Endura paper with archive quality inks. Our canvas print company is also the leader in the industry and their canvases are beautiful works, neatly stretched on mounts, and finished on the back to hang nicely. * They may not be a perfect match to your screen, but they are to mine.

That is great that I can print them, but what about (insert name here)?

If you would like an additional print release and another DVD for another family member, they are available for a fee.

How many photographs do you take at a wedding?

We present our clients, on average, with approximately 100 proofed photos per hour that we are shooting. We are a little shutter happy. On a side note, we have found that on average, for every hour that we shoot, there is 2-3 hours of editing involved in the post-processing end of things.

Why does every wedding package include an engagement session?

I often refer to these as the “Getting to Know You” session. It is a great chance for us to spend time together and take beautiful photographs. I get to learn how you are in front of the camera. I get to figure out what makes you laugh, so I can use it on the day of your wedding to put you at ease if I need to. I also get to learn if you have a “good side” when it comes to pictures. For example, when Elaine took photographs of me when I needed a headshot, we discovered that due to my astigmatism, I have this tendency to do a weird squinting thing with my left eye. You would never see that in person, but it comes out in photos. The ones that we ended up liking the most had me slightly turned, so that my right eye was closer to the camera. I would have never known that before those photos though. Things like this are things I want to know in advance, not something I want to learn while editing your wedding photos.

The last reason for the session is one of trust. The majority of our wedding photography is photojournalist in style, with us not asking anyone to pose for a shot. (No need to say “cheese!”) However, sometimes we see a photo that can be improved, and we might ask you to move a certain way which feels odd to you. I’ve found that after clients see their photos, it becomes clear why I made the suggestions I make. It helps you relax and trust the process even more.

When is the best time to take our engagement photos?

I recommend taking them 2-3 months before your wedding day, and even earlier if you would like to use them for Save the Date cards to send out. (We do offer Save the Date cards for sale, if you would like us to assist you with the design!) If you would prefer to do them closer to the wedding date, that is also an option if you prefer to wait for the seasons to change or if you have a special time of year or event that has meaning for the two of you. If you would like to create an engagement album to use as a guest book, having a 2-3 month lead time works well to get the book made.

The best time of day to take photographs (something to keep in mind when planning your wedding if you want outdoor shots) is within 1-2 hours of sunset. The sky takes on this amazing warm color and it makes the photographs come to life. The worst time of day is late morning to mid-afternoon, as the high sun tends to cast harsh shadows. We use flash and other techniques to overcome this as much as possible, but the light overall just isn’t the same.

Where will you photograph our engagement session?

This is completely up to you! What parts of town do you like to visit? Are you a nature person or an urban person? Which style of photography do you prefer - lots of trees and natural elements, or lots of buildings and that sort of thing? Is there a part of the city where you go frequently on dates, where you went for your first date, where the proposal took place? All of these can be fun locations for a shoot. The choice is up to you!

I am an on-location photographer when it comes to engagement sessions, although I do have a studio area now. I use that primarily for newborn and other special sessions. I don’t do formal posed engagement photos with a backdrop behind you. My engagement sessions are fun and dynamic, and normally outdoors. I prefer a “photo hunt” style engagement session. Once we select the location, we will meet up on the day of the session and talk briefly, and then go out shooting - while strolling and talking. As I see spots that I visualize would make a great background, we’ll stop and shoot, and then we will go off again looking for the next location.

Some of my favorite spots? The Heights, Eleanor Tinsley Park with the Houston Skyline, Downtown, Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo, the Museum District, the Strand in Galveston, the Texas A&M Campus, Rice Village, Downtown Austin. You would be amazed though - almost any location is a great one if it is special to you!

On a side note, since I mentioned A&M’s Campus - the Rice University campus has restrictions on what and where professional photographers can shoot on their campus. We are waiting to get the 2008 paperwork back and then will be able to shoot there, but we must adhere to their guidelines. Other locations may also have guidelines, and I will follow them.

How much time should we allow for our session?

Most of my sessions involve between 1-2 hours of shooting, so be sure to allow plenty of time. If you are available for it, I normally like to go out to lunch or dinner before or afterwards if our schedules will allow. The perk of spending so much time together? By the time I arrive at your wedding it will feel like we are old friends, putting you at ease right away. Trust me, it shows in the photos when you are more comfortable and relaxed.

What time of day is best for our session?

Have you ever noticed the lovely warm glow that the sky gets about an hour before sunset? I prefer to start shooting about one and a half or two hours before the sunset set to take advantage of that. Late afternoon in the winter, or early evening in the summer, work best. High noon, when the sign is harsh and too bright is not a good time for your session. I have a variety of lighting tricks, but it is hard to work when people have to squint because the sun is so bright. Depending on the style of photography that we are going for, evening shots may also be a good option.

What should we wear for our engagement session?

I suggest that you wear complimentary colors, although they do not need to match exactly. You don’t dress like twins the rest of the time, so don’t feel like you have to dress like them for these photos. I do recommend that your colors harmonize well together, and are similar in “tone” - both light, both dark, but not one wearing dark rich red and the other wearing a pastel green. Patterns should be kept to a mimimum, and only one of you should wear them. If the guy is wearing a patterned shirt, the woman should not be wearing one too. Look at photographs that you like of couples in magazines and online and notice what they are wearing and how it makes you feel.

Last but not least, look at your seasons. Make sure they match. A light summer dress and a heavy winter sweater in the same photograph makes the viewer focus on the clothes and not the people. If you are both wearing clothes from the same season, people will notice you and not what you are wearing.

When you photograph a wedding, how long do you need for the formal photographs?

Lets be honest here - no one likes taking the formal photographs. You know, the group shots with the bride and groom and all the family members? But I feel they are a valuable historical reference, and they should be taken. So we do them - fast. Looking back at the weddings from this year, our average was 20 minutes. The amount of time we spend depends on what the bride & groom want, and also if we are allowing family members to take photos at the same time. Again, up to the bride & groom if I do that - I will be happy to stop them if you want us to be super fast, or I will take it slow if you want to let them get shots too after I take my shot.

If you have a cocktail hour planned and are in no rush to get to the reception and want to get more creative, I am happy to take a larger variety of photographs. Really though, by the time the ceremony is over, most people just want to get to the party to celebrate. I want to do my part to get you there quickly.

When do you take artistic photos of the couple alone?

Like I mentioned, everyone just wants to get to the party. All of these people have come to celebrate your marriage, and my goal is to document it all! However, as the reception goes on and the festivities are under way, there is normally a point where we can slide away for a short amount of time and take some cool, special photographs. When I think the moment is right - or if I notice that the light outside is just perfect for it - I will come to you and let you know, and ask if we can go get the shots. Normally, it will only take 10-15 minutes, sometimes even less. My goal is to get you back to the party as soon as possible.

Our wedding is over; what happens next?

This question is going to take a little bit of work to answer properly - think of this as the initial placeholder as I develop this page (written on 1/17/08), and it may even develop into a page of its own. Here is the core information though.



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