If you have any questions that aren't addressed here please feel free to contact me at chavensphotography@ymail.com
I really love your work, could you please hold our date?
A wedding date is only "confirmed" once the deposit is made and the contract is signed. When I get an enquiry that date is "flagged". All other couples who request the same date are then informed that another couple has enquired about their date. The date is only booked once a deposit has been received and a contract signed.
Our wedding has been cancelled can we get our deposit back?
If for whatever reason the date is cancelled and rescheduled I will do my best to accommodate the new date as long as the new date is within a one year period of the original date booked. Weddings that have been cancelled indefinitely will only be refunded if we are able to secure another wedding on that same day.
I am really camera shy and it is always visible in photographs. How do you get your couples to look so relaxed?
I do not work according to a set formula, where I pose and style a couple and then on the count of three ....say cheese. This is where people tend to look terrible in photographs as they look uncomfortable and the smile is always a forced one. The "deer in the headlights" syndrome! What I do is scout the wedding venue beforehand and take the couple to the selected locations. We then have the perfect location and I will direct the couple in such a natural way, resulting in photographs that show you relaxed and natural.
I usually ask bridal couples to allocate 45 minutes to an hour for the photographs. For the rest of the day i.e. the ceremony, preparation and reception I take a "photojournalistic" approach where I record the day in an unobtrusive manner. In the past some couples have insisted on a purely "photojornalistic" approach and have been disappointed with the photographs of themselves as either the background is not pleasant or the interaction between the couple does not provide an aesthetic and natural looking image. Not all people photograph well naturally and sometimes you need that perfect light to turn a normal looking venue into a glamourous background. For this reason, a couple of minutes of your time away from your guests will ensure that you get the quality images that you see in these portfolios.
You mention that as part of the package we get a CD with the High Resolution edited images, why is this so important?
Many photographers do not release the high resolution images, which act as your digital negatives. This means that in addition to the package that you have purchased you will need to go back to the same photographer for any reprints that you wish to make and you will be obliged to pay the prices set by the photographer. For this reason many photographers will give you a disc where pictures have been watermarked (sometimes called proofs) or that the images are saved as low resolution. Should you try and print the images they will either have the embedded watermark or be of a terrible quality.
My philosophy is that at the end of the day it is your wedding and your memories! All my packages include the CD with the high resolution images. This means that you will be able to view ALL of your "memories", not just the printed and paid for ones. If a year later you decide that you would like to print other images you are free to do so as and when you want. You can also duplicate the CD as many times as you like and send it to friends and family that may have missed the wedding.
You mention that all images will be edited, to what extent will they be edited as I am not a fan of overly edited photographs.
All photographs featured on your CD will go through an editing process. Editing which may not be visible to the "amateur" eye but which will enhance your features and will enhance the overall mood of the photograph. I'm not talking airbrushed to plastic perfection, but just a tweak that ensures that on your wedding day you look perfect, glamourous and blemish-free.
It is for this reason that I ask for 4-6 weeks time before I hand over the discs with the edited pictures. All images are available in B&W, Color Enhancement and Sepia.
I see that you offer an "Engagement Shoot" as part of your packages what is it and why do I need it?
For me the most important thing to getting a great image is that the couple feel comfortable in having me there on their big day. Lets face it your wedding day is the biggest, most planned for and probably one of the more stressful days of your life, the last thing you need is for someone dictate and direct you about.
I offer the engagement shoot as a "trial run" session. You select a venue, somewhere that is special to the both of you...the street where you danced in the rain or the Deli where he proposed to you, we then take pictures of the two of you at that venue.
This allows you to get comfortable with me and having a camera pointed at you before your big day. I always advise couples that if for whatever reason they feel uncomfortable with me at the engagement shoot that it is in their best interest to find another photographer ... no hard feelings and no obligations! As a sidenote, if your wedding photographer doesn't offer an engagement shoot, think hard about whether you'll be comfortable with them for an entire day.
I am not a fan of the formal shots and would prefer to leave them out but my mother insists on them, what should I do?
Formal shots are never important when you are younger, and the younger couples always seem to want to skip them. My advice is that although it is your wedding day, it is also the coming together of two families, take a couple of minutes to document this. It costs the same and it will make your mother/mother-in-law happy.
How do we book you?
My favourite question. First confirm my availability either by phone or via email, once I have your deposit and the contract is signed you have yourself a photographer.
Why should we book you?
Another favourite question. My approach to photographing each wedding is fresh & unique to each individual couple. Documenting your unique celebration of love, with a creative eye for detail. I like to ensure that every moment is captured in a fun, natural and elegant way. I want to provide you with quality images that will last you a lifetime. In 60 years time when you look at your wedding photographs I want you too feel like you are young again ...... zimmer frames and all!
