You have Questions? I Have Answers!

How many photos will we receive?

All of my wedding clients receive a minimum of 800 photos from their wedding day. I shoot an average of 150-200 photos per hour. All other full sessions will receive 35-50 images. Additional images may be purchased upon request. I pick all of the best images from our session myself and hand edit them, including basic blemish removal and teeth whitening.

Do you recommend a second photographer?

Yes!  As much as I wish I could be in two places at once, it simply isn’t possible. Having a second photographer reduces stress for everyone! From being able to have multiple perspectives of your ceremony, to getting ready photos of the bride & groom at different locations - it just makes it smoother.  Having a second photographer will allow me to have more time with the two of you on your wedding day too, since their main jobs are to photograph ceremony & reception details, cocktail hours, and candid photos of your guests throughout the day.  Second shooters are not included in every collection, but you’re more than welcome to add them on! I’ll be the lead photographer at your wedding, unless we discuss and plan otherwise. I have always photographed and hand edited every single session.

ARE YOU VACCINATED FOR COVID-19?

Yes! Vaxxed and Boosted, baby!

What if it rains?

There’s a couple of different answers for this question.

1.) If you’re a wedding client - I’ll normally ask before your day what your rain back up plan is (especially if your whole thing is outside)! While it can be a bummer, it is rumored to be good luck! I have a couple of clear umbrellas I’ve invested in that I keep in my car, so we can still get some outdoor portraits done if it down pours all day long!

2.) If you’re not a wedding client, and your session is able to be moved, we can just reschedule! I always keep a few days around each session date open and will reach out if I see bad weather in the forecast. If you’re from out of town and it rains literally the whole week and rescheduling just isn’t possible, this is an instance where I would return your retainer. I know I write “non-refundable” but I also like to be fair! Neither of us can control the weather! You’ll get a cancellation contract and maybe, some day in the future, we can cross paths again!

How long does it take after our shoot to receive our photos?

For weddings, I always deliver on your one month wedding anniversary! Once they are edited, I will upload them in to your online gallery so you can download them directly at no additional cost to you.  All of your hand touched, fully edited photographs are included in your wedding collection. I think it’s a great way to celebrate one month of marriage, and many of my clients tell me they make a date night out of looking at their photos!

For all other shoots, it takes me around 1-3 weeks, depending on if it’s busy season or not!

What about sneak peeks!? These are included next day for weddings! This means the day after your wedding you’ll get around 10-20 fully edited photos so you can share the great news with everyone! For surprise proposals, I deliver 4 to 5 sneak peeks within the hour! :)

DO WE GET TO SEE PROOFS? do you pick which photos we get?

While you don’t get to see proofs, I hand pick all of the best photos from your session. As digital photography became more popular, most people moved away from proofs as “developing”, aka editing, became super easy! I take between 300-600 images per session and then spend a few hours deciding which ones will be the best to deliver. You may not get every single pose from the session in your gallery, but I promise I’m not withholding good photos from you! The ones I delete are photos where someone is blinking, maybe the angle wasn’t flattering, Aunt Betty wasn’t looking at the camera, etc. I’ll never look at a good photo and decide to keep it from you, pinky swear.

Do you travel to different locations?

Absolutely! I have a few ideal photo spots of my own, but if you have one closer and more convenient to you then definitely let me know. Click here to read about all my fave spots! If you're interested in destination wedding photography, or if you just want me to travel a couple of hours to take your photos, I would be happy to talk with you about making this happen! I have bucket list here that you can check out - if your location is on the bucket list, I’ll shoot your wedding/shoot for free, you just pay for me to get there! Otherwise, the first 60 miles of travel are complimentary.

Will you post our pictures online?

With your permission, of course! I love to make blogs about my experience with my clients, and sharing your beautiful images is the best way for me to show off what I do! In my contract, there is a section that serves as a model release - meaning I can use your images for advertising purposes, social media, etc. If you don’t want that, just let me know and I’ll be more than happy to take it out. The internet is scary, I know not everyone wants their faces floating about!

Is this your full time job?

It sure is! I am lucky enough to do what I love as my full time career. I went full time at the beginning of 2022 and have felt so grateful that my passion is also what pay the bills. I can’t imagine doing anything else!

Can we order prints, albums, and other products from you?

Yes! Prints, canvases, holiday cards, and more are all available directly from your gallery. When you open your gallery it should walk you through all of the steps to order. Albums are available for purchase through me directly, and you can email for a quote at any time! Keep in mind that you don’t have to order your prints through me if you don’t want to - you will receive a print release in your contract. However, I highly recommend ordering prints through my professional lab if you want anything larger than a 5x7, this way you can guarantee that the quality will be high! If anything goes wrong with your prints, please reach out to me and let me know. Since I don’t physically print them myself (meaning a professional, out of state company fulfills my orders), I’ll reach out to them on your behalf to fix any problem. They have great customer service and have been super helpful in the past!

I feel really awkward in front of the camera, help?!

I GOTCHU. I understand that most people really aren’t fond of having their photo taken. Once there’s a lens in front of me, heck, even I feel weird. Posing is one of the toughest things a photographer can learn, but I’ve spent years practicing to make sure my clients never feel like they don’t know what they’re doing. You’ll never have to worry about saying “what do I do with my hands!!?!” don’t stress - I’ll tell you! My posing prompts are fun and I try to make you do silly goofy stuff throughout your session. I love real laughter and getting my clients to have fun candid moments with each other. My favorite compliment to receive after every shoot is “wow! that was actually so much fun!” Having photos taken shouldn’t feel like a chore with stiff poses. This isn’t the 1800s people.

I’m getting married on a plantation, can we work together?!

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: You may see some shots floating around the internet from my portfolio that were indeed shot on plantations. When I first moved to the South, I wasn’t really educated on the history of the plantations here. I knew they were most likely at one point owned by slave owners, but I never really thought about it that hard. It can be easy, I learned, because so many of them try to erase their dark history and pretend their beautiful locations were designed for weddings instead. Everyone makes mistakes and I’m no exception; while I have shot on them in the past, I will no longer take any job that photographs on land where such tragic events happened to so many innocent people. Recently I’ve read some material that I’ll link here, here, and here that was really eye opening to me and how in the wrong I was. In addition, I ended up writing an entire blog that goes into great detail on plantation weddings. If you’re planning a plantation wedding I hope you’ll take the time to read about why so many people are starting to take a stance on ending them. There are so many beautiful other locations in the South that weren’t sites of death and unfairness, and I’m so happy to recommend you in the right direction!

DO YOU RETOUCH (PIMPLES, FRIZZ, WEIGHT, ETC?).

Basic retouching is included in all of my packages. This means pimples/blemishes, teeth whitening, skin softening, color correction, and overly frizzy hair (curly hair gals where ya at? I feel your pain!!). I believe that each person is beautiful and therefor I do not photoshop weight off, remove unwanted “rolls”, “double chins”, or make people skinnier. I want to make you feel confident and beautiful in the body you came in because you are!! I also take care of any distracting objects in your photos, like weird road signs or bright red fire hydrants! Any other retouching beyond the basics (photoshopping people into pictures, etc.) can be discussed at an additional price.

can we know what gear you have?

Absolutely! I shoot with a Nikon Z6 II as my main camera body. I have a Nikon D750 as my backup camera. I use SD and CF cards, and my lens collection is primarily prime lenses. My favorite lens to shoot with is my Sigma 85mm, but I also use a Nikon 35mm, Nikon 50mm, and a Sigma 135mm Macro for those beautiful ring shots. I use a Profoto on camera flash when the sun goes down.

How would you describe your style?

My shooting style is fun and candid! A few typical posey pictures are included in every session, but I really love working with my clients to get those raw and fun emotions! I have a few posing prompts that I use to make you look natural and like you were just out having a great time with a photographer. For families, I LOVE letting the kiddos run around at the end of session. Games of tag, splashing in the ocean, and dancing are my go-tos! You can head over to my Instagram and check out some of my Reels I’ve made that show how I get those natural looking shots. The most important thing I’ll say is that if you don’t like having fun I don’t recommend working with me!

I would describe my editing style as bold, contrasty, colorful, and bright. I love the way film looks and I try to capture that with my editing. Portra 400 film is my favorite!

planning a wedding is tough, help!

No need to stress! My process starts with delivering my bridal experience guide to you. It’s a physical printed magazine with all of my best tips to help the day go smooth. In there you’ll find: sample timelines, what to bring for details, a page just for the groom, travel and cushion time, seasonal advice, hair and makeup, advice on the first look, unplugged ceremonies, family portrait lists, and more! My next step is connecting with your wedding coordinator (if you have one), so that I can be on the same page as them. Lastly, about a month before your wedding date, I’ll send you my wedding day questionnaire. This is basically a form where you’ll tell me every detail about the day! There’s space for everyone’s names, emergency phone numbers, sensitive situations, family portrait arrangements, and more. I’ll send a timeline right after that, and if it looks good to you, then we’re solid! I’ll text you the morning of and we can get rolling. As always, you’re welcome to text or email me with any questions leading up to the big day!

Do you edit in black and white?

Yes! Ever since college I’ve loved making photos black and white. My professors use to stress only using B&W if it made the image feel more emotional and drew attention to the subjects in the right away, so I keep that in mind every time I take the color away. Typically, if I do make a photo black and white, I’ll send both a color and B&W version of the photo just in case you like the color better. If I forget, simply shoot me an email with the file name and I’ll be happy to get the color version your way, too!

What if I have to cancel?

Life happens, it’s okay!

20% of your total amount is due as a non-refundable retainer upon booking. This reserves your date, making it unavailable to other clients, and covers any administrative costs. You are always more than welcome to use this money toward any session in the future, meaning you can reschedule if necessary!

For weddings, I’ll need to know at least 4 months in advance if you need to cancel, and all monies (except that retainer mentioned above) will be refunded onto the card used. This typically takes between 5-7 business days. Cancelling any later than that and the likelihood of me finding another client to fill your date is very, very slim. If I do find a client to fill your spot, we can discuss the return of all monies.

For all other sessions, I’ll need to know at least 2 weeks in advance. Once again all monies, except the retainer, will be refunded onto the card.

If you or a loved one contracts Covid-19, this is an exception where you can let me know on short notice and all monies, except the retainer, will be refunded. I’m a business owner, but I’m a human first and promise to be understanding. Please reach out to me as soon as possible if you have an emergency and need to discuss your photoshoot!

what happens if you can’t make it to my wedding?

If I get sick, die (knock on wood lol), or there’s some crazy outside force like weather or a meteor that’s keeping me from shooting your wedding - I have a list of great photographer friends that I keep handy that would come and shoot in my place. My replacement would be a professional and have a similar shooting style to me, and if I’m just sick I’ll still be the one to edit and deliver your images.

If none of my friends are available I also belong to many photographer networking groups, and I will get to work on finding you someone ASAP. In the event of my death (again…knock on wood) all of your money will be refunded. And if I’m the one cancelling, outside of the reasons listed above, all of your money will be refunded. These are extremely rare circumstances though, so please don’t worry too much!

How far in advance should we reach out?

This one can be tricky, because sometimes dates never book and other times they get snatched up really early on in the year! If you have a date set and you’re ready to start the booking process, then I would say ASAP. This applies to all shoots! The busiest times of the year for me are spring and fall. Don’t feel weird about reaching out far in advance, people sometimes book a year out! Once we confirm your venue, date, and package, you’ll be able to secure your wedding date and sign the contract online.

What do you wear to weddings, and should we feed you?

I’m a pant suit kinda gal, so typically I’m wearing some sort of nice slacks/fancy shirt combo. In the summer I’ll wear business-casual dresses or skirts, since I live in Savannah and it constantly feels like someone just took a really hot shower and didn’t fan out the bathroom afterwords here. I always try to stick to black or darker colors so I can be more discreet (I also love a good navy blue, though). I added this question because I had a client tell me their sister’s photographer showed up in Crocs! I promise to not wear Crocs to your wedding.

As far as a meal goes, yes. I do have it contractually obligated that myself (and second shooter if they’re a part of your package) get a meal, although most clients have been kind enough to do this without me asking. I specifically ask for the same meal you’re serving guests because one time (and it only takes one time) I was served an apple and a bag of chips for dinner as a “vendor meal”! We don’t need a seat at a guest table or anything like that, but we’re walking all day long usually. Normally we don’t get too much time to eat anything throughout the day since we’re busy snapping away. It’s also best that we get our plates right after the bridal party, so we can eat quickly and be back at it by the time you’re done eating, too! Most seasoned coordinators are aware of this request, but feel free to remind them when discussing catering. As for other breaks, I’ll normally step away to have a quiet moment, hydrate, check the time, and get right back to shooting! I try my best not to be on my phone in front of your guests.

Can we have raw images? Do you retain the copyright?

Unfortunately I don’t deliver RAW images and they are not available for purchase. RAW photos are exactly as they sound - straight out of camera, unedited, giant files. So big, that you can’t even e-mail them! These images don’t represent my brand or editing style, and I’d hate to see something I took re-edited from the beginning! If you’re not happy with the way an edit turned out, please reach out to me so I can try and make it right for you. It is standard practice in the photography industry to not deliver RAW fiIes.

As the photographer I do retain the copyright for all of your photos. What this means is you have personal usage rights for the photos, but technically, I own them. You can’t sell them or use them for advertising purposes, but you’re more than welcome to post them all over your socials and mail Aunt Betty a canvas.

Can you explain how my online gallery will work?

Absolutely! All of your hand picked, finished images will be uploaded to my gallery website. It will be password protected and there will be a code you enter to download the photos. If you’re printing them yourself, remember to click the “high-resolution” checkbox! After that, they’ll be on your computer in a zip file, ready for you to do whatever you want with ‘em. If you lose your zip file, no worries! I pay for unlimited storage, so your photos should technically be online for like… ever. You do need to be on a desktop computer to download your high resolution files, unfortunately most photo delivery sites have not figured out how to allow clients to download straight to mobile.

You can also e-mail your gallery and share the password and code with as many people as you like, or just post a link on your socials. This way, you don’t have to go through and give all the photos out yourself, your friends and family can get them right at home on their computer. Also, anybody will have the ability to order prints from your gallery, so if Aunt Betty wants to buy her own canvas and then some, she’ll be able to do that too.

Do you watermark your photos?

I do not! Since I deliver digital images, there’s no sense in me slapping my logo across the front of all your photos. Your photos will look similar to the ones you see right here on this website. Of course, I do appreciate a good credit/tag on Instagram, but it’s never required!

DO YOU HAVE BUSINESS INSURANCE?

Sure do! If your venue requires proof of insurance, let me know! I’ll be happy to send over all my info! :)

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