How many proofs will I receive?
At least 200 initial prints per 4 hours of photography time if you choose to purchase all prints from all edited files taken. On average I shoot 60 or more pictures per hour. After editing this is reduced by about 10%.
If after discussing your wedding photography with you I feel that I won’t be able to give you at least 200 prints, I’ll recommend you purchase selected prints separately as this would be more economical.

Do my proofs come with a stamp or watermark on them?
No. I use the term ‘proofs’ loosely here. They are actually professionally printed, archival quality  4 x 6 inch prints, and they’re yours to keep. All files are edited before being sent to the lab for printing.

What kind of albums do you offer and how much are they?
I offer two types of albums. Both are beautiful, high quality leather bound books custom made to your specifications.
The first is the traditional style album where each print is mounted onto a thin board with or without a  matte around it. This style is available in 3 sizes. The largest book measures 13 x 12 inches,  the medium 11 x 10 inches and the smallest 6 x 7 inches.  The large and medium books  can allow a larger matted  print per page, multiple smaller prints per page in varying sizes or a print that is the full size of the page without a matte. You can choose one or any combination of page configurations. The smaller book can allow only one print per page with or without a matte.
The second is the contemporary album or ‘coffee table’ book. This differs from the traditional book in that one or more images of any size are printed directly onto each page instead of mounted and matted so it’s not as bulky as the traditional style book. This style also offers more design flexibility than the traditional book and comes in many more sizes from 4x 6 inches through 10 x 15 inches.
Since either style book is custom made, actual cost for your book will not be known until it is ordered.
Prices vary depending on the type of book, size and amount of pages and images.
If you have a set budget for a book, in most cases I can design a book for you to meet it.
On average larger books range from $500.00 through $1,000.00. Parent books start at $250.00.
My advice here is to look over your proofs, then design your album[s].
Album consultation, design and any reprinting are included in the cost of the book.

Do you post pictures on-line?
Yes. Any package you choose no matter how basic will include all edited photos of your wedding posted on-line.
You, your family and your guest will have access to a password protected gallery where your photos  can be viewed. Purchasing prints on-line by you or your guests is optional.

Can I buy the originals from you and make my own prints and albums?
Yes you can. All edited full resolution camera originals can be purchased, allowing you to make your own prints and albums. I’ll set up all the files [edit them] for you so they’re ready to print. [see next ? below]
Please note that Opal Photography still owns the copyright to all of the images and is only assigning the rights to you to reproduce them for your personal use only.

What do mean by edited file?
An edited file is one that is optimized for printing. Editing the file may include one, some or all of the following:  color correction, exposure adjustment, sharpening, cropping and minor retouching and discarding any lemons. I inspect each image that is shot and make the necessary adjustments to give you the best image possible. This is time consuming work, an 8 hour wedding could take from 8 – 12 hours of editing. So please take this into consideration when comparing rates.  You will receive at least 90% of all the images that are taken.

Do you do retouching?
Yes. I’ll do some minor retouching if needed while editing. Should you require additional retouching after viewing you prints or digital proofs, please let me know. There may or may not be additional charges for this. That will depend on the amount of retouching required, type of package ordered or any prior agreement. In most cases the amount of retouching I will do while editing your files will be sufficient.

Please check out my other posts for more information.

Thanks for reading.

Frank

frank@opalphoto.com

718 777 1691

The only package I’ll sell to you is the one you create for yourself.

So in the spirit of accommodating everyone individually I begin with
a simple and affordable photography or ‘starter’ package costing $500 which includes:

-  4 hours of unlimited photography
-  one CD of ‘digital proofs’ [low resolution files of all edited images]
-  on-line posting of all edited images

along with this or afterwards you can add one or more of the following to create a package that suits your situation, sensibility and budget:

- additional hours of photography @ $125 each
- selected professionally printed 4 x 6 prints
$125 per first 100, additional prints @ $1.25 each
- proof book[s] with professionally printed 4 x 6 prints of all edited files:
Add $50 per hour
- CD’s or DVD of all edited full resolution files [camera originals]
if you wish to make your own prints and albums:
Add $50 per hour
- additional prints and enlargements
- custom made albums [ see my Album & Prints FAQ post for more info]

What do you mean by unlimited  photography?
There is no limit to amount of photos I take and I’ll photograph anyone and anything you wish.

How many pictures do you take?
That really depends on a lot of factors such as how many hours of photo coverage you request, amount of guests attending, number of locations and your wedding program; is it filled with many events or is it a simple and low key affair?
A good conservative average is around 60 pictures per hour, though I exceed this on most occasions. You can double this amount if you require a second photographer.

Do you charge extra for shooting in more than one location?
I charge by the hour, so I’ll shoot wherever you wish within the time frame we agree upon. Please keep in mind though that shooting in more than one location may decrease the amount of pictures being taken as compared to just shooting in one location due to time spent traveling from place to place.

How much time before my wedding will you arrive?
I will arrive at least 45 minutes before you ceremony is scheduled just to check out and familiarize my self with the location. This also allows me time to take photos of family and guests arriving and get set up for your grand entrance.

Can you take pictures at my house of me getting ready?
Yes I can. In most cases this will require at least 2 extra hours of photography time before your ceremony begins. I’ll need to get to the church or venue at least a half an hour before you do.

I only need a photographer for the ceremony and the posed pictures afterwards. Can you do that for me?
Yes. This usual requires 2 – 3 hours of coverage at a slightly higher per hour rate.

I’m pretty sure I’ll need you for 4 hours, but can you stay longer just in case?
Absolutely. We can agree to 4 hours with the option for you to purchase additional hours if needed.

Do you charge for travel?
Yes. For events that require an hour or more travel from New York City there is an additional $50 per hour charge to cover my time, gas and any tolls. Please keep in mind that if you weeding is an hour away from NYC, I give my self at least a half an hour or so extra for traffic etc.. at no charge to you.

Is a contract required?
Yes. A contract spells out each parties obligation to each other. You should always ask
for a contract that specifies everything you will receive and for how much as well as how much additional or optional services cost should you decide to purchase them later.

What kind of deposit is needed and when is the rest due?
I require one third of the agreed upon photography fee to secure your date. The balance plus any additional hours  are due on the day of the wedding after I finish shooting. I never require full payment before the actual wedding date. If your package includes albums and/or additional prints or if you decide to purchase them later, those fees are due before they are ordered and produced.

Are you insured?
Yes. I have enough liability coverage to satisfy any venue in the Tri- State area. Most venues will not allow an uninsured vendor on their premises. Some will even require that the venue itself be named on the vendors certificate of insurance for the duration of your event [another reason why I require a contract].  And one more thing, good comprehensive liability insurance can be pricey, so an insured photographer is most likely a professional full time photographer who does enough weddings during the year to justify the cost of his or her insurance. You should check with your venue to see what insurance requirements they have for any vendors you wish to use.

Please check out my other posts for more information.

Thanks for reading.

Frank

frank@opalphoto.com

718 777 1691

For one, this is a timeless photography style that will still have a universal meaning and appeal well after the current photography trends fade out. Also think about your parents, your more traditional minded relatives and how about later on your children? Maybe they would like to see some posed pictures.

I’ve gotten this compliment a number of times and it goes something like this:

“I’m glad we took your advice and had some posed shots taken. They turned out beautiful”

Keep in mind that this maybe the only time on your wedding day where all of your family and important guests can be gathered together for pictures. Who knows when they’ll all be together again. Just as important, it’s a good time to get some great pictures of you and your husband together as husband and wife for the first time.

If you’re concern is that they’ll be too ‘stiff’ looking, don’t worry, I try not to make these pictures too formal looking, and time allowing, like to try various posing techniques with the groups. I also like to mix in informal portraits as well as candids while I’m shooting portraits.

If you wish to have posed pictures taken, please allow about an hour before or after your ceremony for them when planning your wedding day. Also factor in the additional time to get to your picture taking location from the church or wherever you had your ceremony, and then from there to your reception venue. If the ceremony and reception are at one place and the venue has grounds on site for photos, then an hour or so should be plenty of time to have all the portraits done. To move things along, I suggest that  you designate a point person beforehand to help me assemble the different groups.

Another thing, don’t make the mistake of not allowing enough time for portraits and think that they can just be taken anytime after the reception starts. I know from experience that in most cases that’s not happening. Once your reception starts it’s going to be very difficult to get you, your husband and all the groups together and do any meaningful picture taking. Take a minute here and think about all the things you’ll be doing during your reception.  Also, most banquet halls have a tight schedule they like to follow so things run smoothly and on time, and don’t like to wait around for you while you’re out having your picture taken.

If you don’t wish to have posed pictures taken or your schedule or budget just won’t allow you to have the time for them, don’t worry. I’ll try to get as many informal ‘posed’ pictures of you, your family and your guest as I can as well as candids of everyone at your wedding.

And one final thing, while I’m directing the portrait session you, your family and your guest  will always be treated patiently and courteously.

Thanks for reading.

Frank

frank@opalphoto.com

718 777 1691