How many photos will we get? How do you share them with us?

I generally provide anywhere between 600-1,000 images for a full event with preparation photos. All of the images are full-sized JPGs in color or black & white, cropped and prepared for printing or use online. They are provided on archival DVDs and are free of any watermarks or logos.

How do you protect our images against loss, accidents and equipment malfunction?

I take image security very seriously. I can take great pictures but if I can’t get them into your hands, it sorts of defeats the purpose! To this end, I take several precautions:

• My cameras have dual card slots so I have the images recording to two cards during the day. In the highly unlikely event that a card does fail, the other card will have all of the images backed up.
• When I return to my studio, I immediately copy the images onto my main hard drive. Overnight, those images are backed up on a separate drive and online in the cloud. I also use an additional physical hard drive which resides at a separate physical location.
• In addition to the online galleries, I provide the images to you on special Archival DVDs. Normal DVDs last about 20 years until they begin to degrade. Archival DVD’s are more robust in manufacture, lasting up to 100 years before they do if kept in reasonable conditions.

Do you have liability insurance?

Yes! I have a $1 million dollar liability policy through The Hartford which is twice as much as any venue has ever asked for. Upon booking, I will be happy to have them send your venue a certificate of insurance which will cover them against liability for my company.

Do you use a second shooter?

Yes. Almost always. Weddings are thick with incredible moments to shoot. Having two photographers allows us to split up and cover a wider variety of those moments while also providing an alternative perspective of certain important moments to ensure that they are captured cleanly when Aunt Martha and Uncle Bill jump up in the aisle during your kiss with their iPhones.

An additional benefit to having a second photographer is that, (knock on wood) if something should happen to me which wouldn’t allow me to shoot on or just before the day, there will be a fully-professional photographer who runs their own studio when not shooting with me who could take over as the primary photographer in a heartbeat.

Do you offer albums?

Yes I do! They are included in most of my packages and hand-crafted in the USA by an incredible group of album-builders.

What is a “press-print” book?

A less-expensive alternative to albums is a press-print book. It’s essentially a more robust coffee table book which can contain an album design or even pictures from a portrait session or engagement shoot to be used as a guest book. The press-print books I use acetate hinged pages and lay flat. This increases the longevity of the books substantially by reducing stress on the pages where they connect to the binding. For the same expense as an album, you can get twice the number of pages.

Do you do video? If not, can you recommend someone?

I do not provide video services. I do recommend Well-Spun Weddings for video.

How does booking you as my photographer happen?

Once you figure out which package you’d like to book I will send you an email with a link to an online contract which you can sign electronically, much as you click on a box that says “I agree to the terms and conditions” when you buy something online. Once that is complete, you will send us a check for the non-refundable booking fee, normally for $1,000, to hold your event date.

How do you accept payment?

We accept personal checks, cashier’s checks and Venmo.

How many weddings have you shot?

It’s probably getting up near 200 at this point. I’ve lost track! And I love it more than the first day I started.

What equipment do you use?

I shoot Sony A9 and A7RIII and a wide variety of lenses and flashes.

What are your fees for travel?

I don’t charge any travel fees for venues within two hours of NYC. Fees for events outside those parameters are varied based on distance, mode of transportation and number of travel days and lodging.

How long after the event do we get our final images and/or albums?

I provide the images within 4-8 weeks of the event. I’ll send the initial album rough draft within 6-8 weeks after that. Once the album design is agreed upon, the final album will be sent to production and sent to you within 6-8 weeks, though most often it is nearer to 4 weeks.

Can we print the images and share them online?

Yes! The only usage restriction is that they can’t be reproduced or sold for commercial use.

Can you sell us original RAW files or copyright?

Yes. RAW files can be purchased for a flat fee of $3,000. Copyright is a bit trickier but can be negotiated for a substantial fee.

What is a booking fee and how is it different from a deposit?

A deposit is, by its nature, refundable. A booking fee is not refundable and is used to simply secure the date in question and will be used to compensate for losses due to any cancellations or unforeseen circumstances on the part of the client.

Do you retouch the photos?

I do my best to shoot and process the photos so retouching is not necessary. If you desire retouching, it can be purchased on a by-image basis.

How does the gallery work?

The gallery is set up so you can provide your family and friends access to the photos without having to set something up yourself. People who have the link and password will be able to access the categorized folders online and purchase prints there if they like. The images there are watermarked to protect your privacy from unauthorized use.

What is an engagement session and how long does it take?

An engagement session is a portrait session for the bride and groom. This is an excellent investment for a few reasons. First, you get great pics of the two of you which can be used in a newspaper announcement, on Save the Dates and on wedding web pages. Additionally, it gives us an opportunity to get to know one another better. This helps develop some trust as most people aren’t models and aren’t certain how their lack of comfort or experience will affect their portraits on the day of the wedding. Lastly, you can use the photos for a press-printed Guest Book!

What happens if you (the photographer) gets ill or is otherwise unable to perform your duties?

This hasn’t happened to me or my clients and I hope it never does! But I do have plans in place for this. I work with a network of event photographers in NYC and all over the country. In the event that I am unable to perform my duties, there are several things that can happen, depending on how far before the event we are. If it is days or weeks ahead, we will work together to find a replacement photographer for you that I can vouch for with a similar style at no extra cost to you. They will seamlessly work under my original contract. If it is a matter of a few days, we will likely have less time and fewer options available, so I will gather together a list of available photographers I know and you can choose among them. If it is more immediate than that and we don’t have time to discuss it, I will either choose a photographer on your behalf or have my second shooter step in and add another shooter to fill their spot as the second.