Frequently Asked Questions:
Here you will find our answers to many of the questions we are asked most often. If you have a question that wasn’t answered here be sure to contact us and we will get back to you quickly.
Click on a question below to be taken to the description and our responses:
1. What is your photography style?
2. What are your skills and experience?
3. Can we view a complete wedding’s worth of images that were delivered to client?
4. What input do we have on the photos taken?
5. Will there be a second photographer?
6. Do you use professional photography equipment?
7. What is your back-up plan?
8. Do you carry liability Insurance?
9. Do you use a contract? Will I receive a copy for my records?
10. What if my event runs long? Will you charge me more or leave?
11. Will you be my actual photographer?
12. Are our personalities compatible with our photographer’s?
13. People skills: can you easily and kindly direct people you don’t know?
14. Can my guests take photos too?
15. Have you photographed a wedding like ours?
16. Will you go to the venue before my wedding?
17. Editing images- do you charge extra for edits? Do you color correct every image?
18. What is your turn-around time for images and albums?
19. Will I receive a DVD with our photos and a print release?
20. Does our photographer exhibit professionalism and have good organizational skills?
1. What is your photography style?
We would define our style as a flexible-photojournalistic style. This means that we try to tell the story of your day: from the getting ready, through the stages of the ceremony, to the reception and the dancing. We also love to take some extra photos of the bride and groom together outside the church. Outside photos are my favorite, and we always try to get some if our couples are willing! Even in 20 degree weather! We do both intimate portraits and also environmental portraits (the two of you with emphasis on the location). But never fear: we always include posed family portraits at the altar that the parents always want! This style is especially suited for albums.
We also strive to capture and edit our photos with a timeless quality to them. We do our best to give you elegant photos with soft, natural looking light that will be keepsakes for generations. We don’t over process them or take crazy sideways photos. We do deliver some black and white and selective color versions of your photos, but you will always receive a color version as well so you can choose your favorite.
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2. What are your skills and experience?
I started shooting as a second photographer in weddings in 2010, We have shot many weddings since then, both as the lead photographer and as a second. My goal has been to be one of the best photographers in Wichita so I have dedicated a lot of time and energy to research and practicing so that we feel very confident that we can deliver great photos on your wedding day.
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3. Can we view a complete wedding’s worth of images that were delivered to client?
Anyone can get a few great images picked and chosen from weddings they have shot. You need to see an entire wedding to know the quality that you will receive. We always show our clients a full wedding slideshow so you can browse through them and seem what you can expect.
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4. What input do we have on the photos taken?
Some photographers are very rigid on the way they will photograph your wedding. They will direct people to be where they want them, and not allow other input. We take a different approach. We always discuss what is most important to you before your wedding then we do our best to capture your event the way you desire. We also allow input at the wedding, some of our favorite shots have come as an idea a bridesmaid came up with or found on Pinterest. We want you to have fun being photographed, so if you have an idea for a photo- we’ll take it!
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5. Will there be a second photographer?
We do offer a second photographer in some of our packages, and it’s always and option you can add on. You can definitely get great photos from one photographer, but they can only capture so much at a time. Weddings have so many things happening simultaneously. A second photographer is the best way to capture things like the groomsmen getting ready, both of your expressions during the vows, or the tear in your mother’s eye during your first kiss. And our second photographers aren’t beginners, they are seasoned professionals who shoot weddings full-time themselves. We highly recommend picking our package that includes a second photographer, or adding it to one of our other packages if you want to have more angles covered.
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6. Do you use professional photography equipment?
While it’s true that a great photographer with an old camera would be better than an incompetent photographer with a fantastic camera, asking about equipment is one of the simplest ways to find the serious wedding photographers in the crowd. Weddings often include countless different lighting scenarios, and that’s where the best tools will make higher quality images possible. (In the right hands of course)
We are serious about wedding photography and will be shooting with the finest gear available.
Cameras:
Canon 5D mark III, 60D, and others
Lenses:
All f2.8 or faster lenses. We currently use the 70-200mm f2.8 IS, the 24-70mm f2.8, and numerous prime lenses like the 100mm Macro, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm.
Lighting:
3-4x Speedlights (Flashes): all 580EX, triggered with radio triggers (RadioPoppers)
Photos taken with off-camera lighting can be much more dramatic than the flat look from direct on-camera flash or ambient light alone. Our philosophy is to look for great natural light first, if it’s not there or could be improved with clean, soft-light from a flash- then we use it!
7. What is your back-up plan?
We always have backup equipment, and in a lot of cases we have backups for our backups!
Memory card errors and corruptions occur rarely but they do happen. We shoot with professional cameras that have dual memory card slots so your photos are instantly backed up in case one fails. As soon as we get home from a wedding, we back up your photos twice to separate hard drives, then place the 3rd copy in a waterproof/fireproof safe so that they cannot be lost in fire or flood.
What happens if your photographer gets really sick and can’t make it to your wedding? We have a network of other photographers who we can call on to photograph your wedding if we cannot. We will do everything we can to make sure that a professional is there who will do a great job in the very unlikely event of severe illness.
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8. Do you carry liability Insurance?
Yes. If your photographer doesn’t have liability insurance, they are putting risk on you, your guests, the venue, and their entire business every time they shoot. This is a non-negotiable in our opinion. But sadly many photographers cut corners and go uninsured.
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9. Do you use a contract? Will I receive a copy for my records?
If your photographer doesn’t want to have a contract- run away quickly. Contracts protect both you and the photographer and outline what will happen if things go wrong. Contracts don’t have to be gibberish; we work hard to make sure ours are in plain English so you don’t need a lawyer to translate what is being said.
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10. What if my event runs long? Will you charge me more or leave?
Weddings often run long; we plan for it and always go over the details in our contracts. We never leave without asking you first if you would like us to stay longer, and the reasonable rates for extended coverage are already agreed upon before the wedding so you know what it would cost should you want us to stick around longer than planned.
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11. Will you be my actual photographer?
We always shoot our own weddings, so you are always talking to both the owner and the photographer. (Or my wife Stacy of course) There are many studios that contract out their wedding photography. You want to make sure that who you meet with is the one who will actually be there on your wedding day. Go back to the top
12. Are our personalities compatible with our photographer’s?
This one is important. Only you can decide if it’s a good fit. This is why we encourage our couples to do an engagement session where you will get to see first hand how we work together. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible with us. If our personalities don’t mesh well, the stress of a wedding day can really cause those to become frustrations. Go back to the top
13. People skills: can you easily and kindly direct people you don’t know?
I have no fear directing a crowd 
Many clients have been very impressed with how fast we can do the many group photos after the ceremony. It’s all about organization and being outgoing enough to interact with the family & friends.
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14. Can my guests take photos too?
Many photographers will make you sign in your contract that your guests will not be taking photos as they can interfere with the main photographer. We have no problem with friends and family taking photos, as long as they are not in the way. (If they are we kindly let them know) If we have time during the posed shots, we usually take our photo and then let others step in to get their snapshot as well. This way everyone knows to look at the professional photographer first, and then others will get their turn. We don’t know why some photographers make a scene when other people try to take a photo… Are they worried that theirs will not turn out better?
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15. Have you photographed a wedding like ours?
This is especially important if you have a special religious or cultural ceremony where a photographer who has experienced one before will be better able to capture the significance of the event. For instance, we do a lot of Catholic weddings because we have lots of experience with them, and are familiar with many of the churches in the area as well as the customs of the Catholic Church. Ask us if we are familiar with your ceremony!
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16. Will you go to the venue before my wedding?
The best photographers will go to check out a location before they shoot, especially if it is a new location for them. We consider it a critical part of making sure we are ready for your big day. Often times we will come to the rehearsal so that we can get to know the flow of the ceremony and the plans for the reception. It is also a great time for us to introduce ourselves to the wedding party so we are already familiar on the wedding day.
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17. Editing images- do you charge extra for edits? Do you color correct every image?
Many photographers charge extra for editing photos! Make sure you find this out before you book so you don’t get nickel and dimed before you can get your photos. We individually touch every photo for color correction, composition, and cropping. We also provide a further edit that includes touch-ups and blemish removals on a few of your key photos, and we always do this for any photo that you order a print size 8×10 or larger.
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18. What is your turn-around time for images and albums?
We usually have a 4-6 week turnaround time for your full collection of photos to be edited. With albums, it really depends on the clients and how many changes are desired.
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19. Will I receive a DVD with our photos and a print release?
In the digital age, it is now very common for couples to want digital high-resolution copies of their photos. We include These on a USB drive for all of our wedding packages.
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20. Does our photographer exhibit professionalism and have good organizational skills?
We take the time to be organized before and especially during your wedding day. When we meet with you the final time before your wedding; we help you create a schedule if you don’t have one yet. We get the names and cell phone numbers of the wedding party, parents and the officiate. We make detailed notes which allow us to know what is happening next so we are ready with a camera and the proper lens. We also give you a typical posed shot-list and let you make changes to it.
We strive to be professional in every way, we dress appropriately, we follow the minister’s wishes, and we treat you and your guests with the highest respect. One of our main areas of focus is customer service. You will find that we respond promptly and that we always do our best to provide you with anything you need. Courtesy and professionalism are not as common as they were in the past; we would like to help bring that back.