FAQ
FAQ. Q: How long have you been photographing weddings? A: I have been professionally photographing weddings since 2002. I have photographed well over a hundred weddings in that time (I limit myself to one wedding per weekend). Q: Do you travel? A: Yes! We love to travel for weddings. We have been to some great locations in the US, Caribbean and Europe. Just let us know where the wedding will take place and we can be there. Q: Where can I see some of your recent work? A: Check out my blog (blog.thompsonweddings.com) I always post images from my latest weddings on there. Q: How many photos do you take at a wedding? A: On average, I deliver about 800-1000 images from each wedding. I will take close to 4000 images on your wedding day, but I edit them down to the best images so you don’t go crazy looking at 4000 photos. And yes, you do get to keep your digital negatives! They're yours forever! Q: We've perused your website and we love your photos! What's the next step in acquiring your services to photograph our wedding? A: The best thing you can do at this point is to call me on the phone. Wedding photography is very relationship based, and starting off on the right path with a candid conversation will make things much easier than back and forth emailing. On the phone we can discuss things such as packages, prices, aesthetics, color vs. B+W, travel, among other things. We can also set up a time to meet to look at some of the albums I have completed. Q: How far in advance should I book? A: As soon as possible. I have booked dates 18 months in advance and I have booked dates 3 weeks in advance. Since I only shoot one wedding a weekend they can book up quickly. Q: Will my wedding photos be featured online so that all of my guests can see them too? A: Yes. All wedding packages come with a complimentary website that features all of your wedding images. Your photos will be placed into categories like "Getting Ready", "Ceremony", "Portraits", "Cocktail Hour", and "Reception" for easier navigation. Friends and family have the freedom to view and/or order enlargements directly online from any country, anywhere, anytime! Q: Do you take your pictures in Color, B+W, or both? A: Both. Everything is shot in color and is then available in Color, B+W and Sepia. I will convert some images to B+W when I feel it suits the image, but those images will also be offered in color. Q: How do you decide when to use Color and when to use B+W? A: As an artist, deciding whether color or B+W is best for a given situation, is a skill that I've developed with experience. Though I am used to making these creative decisions, requests for preferences for color or B+W are always honored. Q: Are Hi-Res (High Resolution) digital images available? A: Yes. The Bride & Groom will receive a DVD of ALL of their Hi-Res files for personal use (printing, Facebook, etc...) For Guests, Hi-Res digital files are available via download and are the most popular option for those who like to have complete access to unlimited and more cost-effective reproductions of their images. Every image is a full-frame, hi-resolution JPEG downloaded from Pictage.com for viewing on your computer, publishing on Facebook, making prints from, or emailing. Commercial and resale use is not permitted. You can even produce your own do-it-yourself coffee table book online. (see www.mypublisher.com or www.shutterfly.com ). Digital files are easily shared, stored, and duplicated. Hi-Res digital files are by far the easiest and most convenient type of media to handle, while still receiving professional results from nearly any internet-based digital printer. Q: If the photos come on a DVD, does that mean they can be played as a movie? A: DVDs are simply the storage media for holding large amounts of data. DVD does not mean a movie or a slideshow. A DVD is just like a CD, but it holds about 6 times as much information as a CD can. The DVDs contain the actual Hi-Resolution .jpg files of ALL of the photos from the wedding. Q: What's better: Film or Digital? A: Digital. Hands down. I still enjoy shooting film on occasion, but for wedding photography, digital gives me the control I need to make great photographs and will give the Bride and Groom the greatest number of options after the pictures are taken. Digital is finally better than film. The 21 Megapixel camera I shoot with is way better than shooting 35mm film. Q: What kind of cameras do you use? A: Currently I photograph using three Canon DSLRs, primarily the 5D MkII. I use several lenses but I am most fond of my 16-35 f/2.8 and my 70-200 f/2.8. I also throw a fish-eye lens and a 100 macro into my bag just for fun. You can check out my favorite gear by
Q: How do we proof our images? A: We offer free online proofing. Hardcover proof books are also available at an additional cost. Q: What types of Wedding Albums do you have available? A: Wedding Albums come in many varieties, and all come with Complimentary Personalized Cover Imprinting. Currently I offer the following types of Albums: 1. Digitally Designed Magazine Style Albums. These albums are digitally designed and feature flush mounted composites of images of your special day. The gutter in the middle of the album is a mere 1/8", which makes this album ideal for presenting panoramic images and composites that span two sides. You can put as many images on one page as you desire and layout and design is unlimited due to the flexible digital layouts available. Before completing your Wedding Album, an online version of your album is available for viewing, reviewing, and editing to create the perfectly designed masterpiece of your Wedding day. Please visit www.willowbook.com to see examples of these books. 2. Parent Albums: 8x8 Magazine Style Albums. Each Parent Album comes with your choice of either 30 or 40 photos mounted in a leather, flush mounted album. This album features one photo/side. Q: How much do Wedding Albums Cost? A: An album credit for the Bride and Groom is included with all of my wedding packages. Parent Albums begin at $800. Exact replicas of the Bride + Groom's Digitally Designed Magazine Style Album, begin at $675. Q: Do your albums come with a warranty? A: Albums are guaranteed for LIFE. If there is ever an issue with the album, it will be replaced free of charge. Q: I understand that you bring an assistant along to each wedding. Does your assistant also take pictures? A: While my assistants can take pictures, their primary responsibilities on your wedding day are handing off different cameras and lenses to me, downloading memory cards, organizing requested photographs, and assisting with the lighting. This way, I can concentrate my creative energy into capturing all of the spontaneous and once-in-a-lifetime moments. Sometimes, I will offer one of my assistants the opportunity to take some photos along side me and on occasion their photos do turn out quite beautifully. In these cases it’s a win-win for everyone! However, if you are interested in having an additional PROFESSIONAL photographer present at your wedding, we can easily add that to your package. Prices start at $800 depending on a handful of variables like hours of photographing, experience of photographer, travel time, overnight stays, etc... Q: One of the things I really like about your work is your candid and photo journalistic style, but family portraits are also important for us (and especially for our parents). Do you also take the more "traditional" formal style portraits? A: Yes. At most weddings, 30-60 minutes are set aside to take these photographs. Before your wedding day, we'll have the opportunity to discuss which pictures are most important for you, as well as the locations and times you prefer to have these pictures taken. Q: Do you take table pictures? A: Table pictures are available upon request. For larger weddings (150+ guests), it can sometimes be challenging to photograph every table, so it's best to select about 10 tables that have the most priority for you and your family. Due to the nature of weddings, people often leave their tables and sometimes do not return for long periods of time. Every effort will be made to achieve perfection with these requested photographs. If table pictures are very important for you, it would be most advantageous to add an additional photographer to your package. In an effort to lessen the inconvenience that table pictures may cause your guests, these photos are usually taken during the salad course, or just when dinner is beginning. Q: Are you insured? A: Yes. I am fully insured, as is my equipment. If your planner or caterer requires documentation or proof of insurance, those documents can be easily emailed or faxed to them upon request. Q: I have a question you didn’t answer in this FAQ. A: Feel free to contact me on the telephone at (312) 590-6068, and all of your questions will be answered. Since I run my own business, I can be reached anytime, morning, afternoon, or night. Even up until 10pm! Really! If I don't answer your call, simply leave a voice message with your name, phone number, wedding date, and the best time at which to call you back, and I will return your call within 24 hours.