Affordable Photography and Video in Austin TX

The 15 Questions You Need to Ask your Prospective Wedding or Event Photographer/Videographer

1. Do you have a full backup camera system? Not just a backup camera, but backup flash, batteries and memory card?

If malfunctions happen at the wedding, all the photographs after the malfunction may not be any good!

I bring backup of all my equipment including camera, flash, batteries and memory card.

I've known some experienced wedding professionals that are still using older 6 megapixels cameras. That means that any enlargement greater than a 5” X 7” will not be as sharp and crisp as the photo printing machines can produce.

For example, I use a pro quality camera that shoots 18 megapixels photos (my backup camera as well) which will deliver a 11” X 14” or 16" X 20" native resolution print without loss of sharpness. Then I have special software that will upscale images to many times that if needed. I have produced 24”X 36” prints that look as good as sharp as other pro photographers 8”X10”. You may not think you need an enlargement over 8"X10" now. But in the future you may have need for some and not be able to get sharp enlargements because the camera did not have the megapixels to do it right. If you want to crop the photos then having a greater number of megapixels is even more important.

Most photographers have a portrait lens on their camera and take the entire wedding with it (see left photo), I carry two cameras (one with portrait lens and the other (my backup - the lenses are interchangeable if one camera body fails) with wide angle lens both 18 megapixel). You may be missing out on some great photos. All of the photos except the left most were taken with my wide angle zoom lens.

4. Do you have the necessary flash equipment to take vertical full length photos indoors or at night?

Is your wedding and reception going to be indoors or at night? If so, do you want any vertical full length photographs of people, such as the bride and groom together? Most photographers don't have the correct flash equipment to do this right. When they take a vertical photo with their flash, it causes a harsh, dark shadow on the side of the subject. See example.

For indoors or exterior night we take full length vertical photos with special flash equipment without the harsh shadows. See photo on right (2 feet from wall at an actual wedding)

Even when there is a shadow, my equipment makes it soft. See soft shadow beside the arm on the middle and right photo. At 9 to 10 from the wall this shadow will disappear. Imagine that the photo on the left is what you received after the event. Which photo would you prefer?

We have special equipment to do this. Over 95% of other photographers don't use this special equipment. I have shot the video of weddings and seen other photographers use the same equipment used to shoot the photo on the left. (They charged $2000 to $3000 to shoot that wedding and one had 30 years experience as a professional photographer- so it does not depend on experience or cost as who uses this special equipment) This subject is 4 feet from the wall, but this shadow will affect the photo if the subject is closer than 12-15 feet from an object or wall. Sometimes the photographer is aware of the shadows and just doesn't shoot full length photos with individuals or couples in them. Wouldn't you like full length photos of the individuals and couples like the bride, groom etc.

5. How many years have you photographed weddings? Do you have a good eye for composition, color and posing people?

I have over 30 years experience, a fine arts degree, I’m an instructor, and paint watercolor and oil portraits.

6. Do you correct every photograph by adjusting the exposure (light to dark ratio), color and contrast?

Some photographers don't have the software, don't know how to use the software or won't take the time and it does take time. If they don't do the correction, the photo will probably be left out of the set you will receive.

We include color, exposure and contrast correction on all photos. Some photographers just leave out the photos where the light meter in their camera was fooled, because they don't have the software or the knowledge to use it or don't think those photos are important.

Which of the photos above do you prefer? The one on the left is the original and the one on the right is corrected. Light meters are even fooled in professional cameras. The background is exposed correctly, but the foreground is the important part and the whole photo needs some adjustment. We do that adjustment as well as color, contrast, white balance, etc. Some photos taken by photographers are not even as exposed as well as this and will probably be left out of the ones you receive.

Quite a few photographers will not even include any but the most perfect photos.
If that is the case, your favorites may be missing.
We correct all images that need it, so you get many more photos.

Some brides want to eliminate minor imperfections, including scratches and cuts on their face they unexpectantly acquired a few days before the wedding. Do you want blemishes visible in your wedding album forever? Not all photographers can use the software or want to retouch photos. Make sure they have enough experience with the software and tools to remove all blemishes. I can remove tattoes, weight and other imperfections also.

We have over 10 years experience with Photoshop and retouch fashion model photos all at reasonable prices.

8. Does your price include just the photography or do I also get the digital photo files?

If the wedding photographer does include some prints, any additional prints will have to be purchased at his prices. Those prices will tend to be significantly higher than you can them printed. This may add up to hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars of additional expense that you may not be aware of until after the wedding. This is an expensive "gotcha" that so many people don't think about. So ask the cost of the prints.

We provide the high resolution image files on disc ready to print at any photo processing lab and you own them completely. We also provide the unlimited printing license thathat some labs require to print your photos. Some old school photographers will never let you own the digital files.

The photographer may take several hundred and only deliver 100 of what they consider to be the best. Why: because they are concerned with you showing on the best of their work. How many photos of the ones taken do you want? Most people want them all, but may not get them. In a lot of cases it is there policy to deliver only their top photos and you may not even be aware of this policy until it is too late.

We give you all the usuable photos. Which is generally greater than 95%. You have the choice of whether to print them or not.

10. Will I be able to get high quality multi-step black and white and/or sepia tone photos image files?

Some photographers select a handful of photos and convert them to black and white and/or sepia tone. Wouldn't you want the entire set converted so you can choose which ones you want to print? And ask for the more attractive multi-step process (which few do) instead of the extremely common and inferior one step process.

We have an exclusive multistep process for sepia tone and black & white which produces superior results when photos are converted from color.

The photo on the left is typical one-step conversion from color.
The two on the right use the exclusive multistep Riche® process.
Which do you prefer? (we give you a choice)

Most DSLRS require light to focus. If you dim the lights at your event (like for the first dance of the bride and groom or the event is a party at a nightclub, the camera won't focus in auto mode, if it does't focus, the camera it won't shoot. (they are designed that way). Which means the photographer must switch to manual focus. But in the very dim light it's still hard to focus even manually. Your photos may be out of focus if this happens.

We have solved this problem with special extra equipment that makes auto focusing possible even in completely dark areas.

Our video uses professional quality HD cameras with the new CMOS chips that are superior in low light to the older 3CCD technology even compared to the heavy commercial shoulder mounted cameras. The older technology cameras have more noise (grainy looking) in their low light video than our cameras or they use lighting that might not be necessary. The quality of your video is important. And there is a difference.

13. Do I get a choice of using all the usable footage or most of the usuable footage (standard edit - removing scenes that are somewhat redundant and/or uninteresting)

Most video companies give you the standard edit, we can put in all the usuable video if you prefer.

Video needs background music on all parts except the vows, interviews and speeches you can have your DJ provide the music from the wedding or provide it yourself. Most video companies put in stock music of their own choosing.

15. I want creative cinematic video as well as the standard video recording of all the events, do you do that?.

Our videographers are trained in creating cinematic video - click here for example (upper left hand corner video)

Over 35 years combined photography and video experience.