Frequently asked questions.
- Where are you located?
- Will you travel outside of New England to shoot a wedding?
- You say you do photojournalistic photography but will you also do the formal posed photos?
- How much of a deposit do you require to hold a wedding date?
- Do you shoot the weddings yourself?
- How long have you been a professional photographer?
- Do you provide coordination services?
- Do you work with an assistant?
- Do you limit the amount of images that you take?
- What kind of equipment do you use?
- How long will it take for us to see the photos from our wedding?
- Why do you shoot digital instead of film?
- How are the hard copy proofs photos printed from the digital files?
- I have looked at your portfolio but, can I see an entire wedding that you have shot?
- Who manufactures the proof books?
- Will photos printed digitally fade faster than film?
- Do you include a finished album in your base packages?
- What does a custom designed finished album cost?
The following are things to be aware of when choosing a photographer.
- Always make sure to ask your photographer if it is going to be him/ her who is going to actually show up the day of your wedding. Believe it or not, some photographers book weddings knowing that they are going to subcontract the work to another photographer. Studios that follow this practice many times do not care about the quality of their subcontractors work nor do they pay them very well. Always read every word of the contract and make sure that you understand it before you sign.
- If the photographer who you choose does not include the negatives or digital files as yours to keep, know how much they charge for reprints. Photographers who may seem cheap at first sometimes are counting on making money on the back end. While I feel this is a fine way of doing business as a photographer, make sure their reprint prices are reasonable and not out of this world expensive.
- When you meet with a photographer who claims to work in the photojournalistic style, ask yourself if you think their work is the real deal or if it looks like "posed wedding photojournalism." Posed wedding photojournalism is fake candid photography that is made to look real. This technique is a cookie cutter style of photography in the sense that the photographer probably has all of the couples do the same poses at every wedding that he ever shoots.
- Ask your potential photographer if they put a stamp of any kind on the proof photos. Some studios put something like the word "Proof" on the face of the images so that you will have to buy reprints from them. I do not stamp my photos.
Frequently asked questions
- Where are you located?
I live with my wife Rochelle and our pug Mack in the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
- Will you travel outside of New England to shoot a wedding?
Yes. I am willing to travel to any wedding destination.
- You say you do photojournalistic photography but will you also do the formal posed photos?
Yes. I will shoot as many or as few formal photos as you want. I always encourage my clients to shoot at least a handful of formals. They are nice to have and help balance out a finished album.
- How much of a deposit do you require to hold a wedding date?
My clients pay for their wedding in three installments. The deposit is $500.00 and the next two payments would then be half of the remaining total. All payments are non-refundable. If the wedding is canceled I will refund the payments only if I book another wedding on the date that you reserved.
- Do you shoot the weddings yourself?
Yes. I personally do all of the work related to the photography of your wedding including the consultation, the shooting, the overseeing of the digital file and print processing, the production of your album and everything in between. My one and only goal is to make you as happy as possible.
- How long have you been a professional photographer?
I have been making a full-time living from my photography since 1997. I started out at the Connecticut Post Newspaper as a staff photographer, shooting weddings here and there. I soon realized that photojournalistic wedding photography was something that I enjoyed and began shooting weddings as the main focus of my business in 2001.
- Do you provide coordination services?
Yes. We offer "Day Of" wedding management services designed to eliminate stress for the couple. Please visit R&R Bridal Services for more information.
- Do you work with an assistant?
No. My style of photography does not require an assistant since I never like to give up control of any of my equipment. I have also found that working without an assistant allows me to be less obtrusive.
- Do you limit the amount of images that you take?
No. I shoot as many photos that it takes to properly photograph your wedding. The requirements of your particular wedding will dictate how many images will be shot. I shoot between 700 and 1200 photos during most eight hour weddings.
- What kind of equipment do you use?
I use the top of the line Canon lenses and digital cameras. I have two cameras on me at all times, one with a wide angle lens and one with a telephoto lens so that I have to do very little lens changing.
- Why do you shoot digital instead of film?
There are many reasons to shoot digital. Here are a few.
a. My main reason is because digital provides me a medium format like quality print with the flexibility of 35mm cameras and lenses. My main camera is a 17 mega-pixel SLR that produces nearly a one hundred megabyte digital file. The prints that these digital files make are nothing less that amazing.
b. No more having to choose when to shoot color film or when to shoot black and white film. With film it has to be one or the other. You can have a black and white print made from color negative film but contrast and tonalities are not translated properly. Now you do not need to choose. Digital allows me to shoot color and black and white at the same time, all of the time
c. The instant feedback that a photographer can get when using digital is invaluable. Now I know when something is good, and therefore time to move on, or if something is not working and it is time to try something different.
- How long will it take for us to see the photos from our wedding?
You will be able to see your photos online within two to three weeks from your wedding date. Then, in four to six weeks from the date you will receive your proof albums. FedEx shipping within the continental US is included in my packages.
- How are hard copy photos printed from the digital files?
Believe it or not digital photos are printed in almost the same manor that film is printed. Most photo labs have a mini lab photo printing machine that accepts negatives and digital files then prints them on the same kind of paper regardless of format. Negatives are actually scanned into the machine and turned into high resolution digital files and printed just like an originally shot digital file. The paper, called silver gelatin, is the same kind of paper that you have been getting back from your one hour photo lab all of your life. Your hard copy proofs are made in the same way.
- I have looked at your portfolio but, can I see an entire wedding that you have shot?
Sure you can. Just ask me and I will forward you links to some recent weddings that I shot. This will also give you a chance to see an example of the online ordering service that I use.
- Who manufactures the proof books?
I use high quality acid-free, archival Webway proof albums.
- Will photos printed digitally fade faster than film?
No. Since the paper is the same as a print made with a negative, it will last just as long. A color print whether it is made with a negative or a digital file will last without fading from 30 to 200 years depending on processing, paper manufacturer and storage. A color negative will last for about the same amount of time. A digital file however will never degrade. As long as you keep up with the different storage formats you will have your files forever. Currently the storage format of choice is cd-roms and dvds. Hard drives are also a great way to go. I will always have your wedding photos archived.
- Do you include a finished album in your base packages?
No. I like to keep the shooting of your wedding and the creation of your custom wedding album separate since they both involve a very different set of decisions. I would be happy to give you a custom quote if you know what album manufacturer and album style that you like.
- What does a custom designed finished album cost?
The cost of finished albums varies greatly depending on manufacturer, style and size. Average cost for a custom designed finished album is generally between $600-$1200. If you know specifically what you want I can give you a more exact quote. As an example of an average album costs, you can get a Graphi Studio 9x13in., 40 side (20 page) custom designed coffee table style bridal album for $900.00.
I hope that my FAQ page has helped to answer some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to answer any other questions that you might have or set up a time that we could meet personally to discuss your wedding. Good luck with all of your wedding plans.
See a wedding by Bryce Vickmark as featured in the Real Weddings section of
Modern Bride Connecticut.
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