Hunter Valley Wedding Photographer | Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of wedding photographer frequently asked questions. Many of these I get on a weekly basis, from majority of my clients. Remember, never be afraid to ask questions. If you have any questions not covered here, contact me and let me know!

1. How many images do I get from my wedding day? It is hard to say! If you check out our Pricing page, you will get an approximate number of images for the differing collections. However, no two weddings are the same. Just because your friends wedding was 10 hours and so is yours, doesn’t mean you will end up with an identical number of images. There are many things to take into account. How much travel between Bride and Grooms house, Ceremony, and Reception is involved? How long do you want to spend on Bridal Portraits? Are your family and friends easily organised, or likely to run straight to the bar? I aim to shoot as many stunning images as possible, and present to you the absolute best of your day!
2. Do we get all the files from the wedding day? No, but let me explain. On an average 10 hour wedding day, if I am shooting just on my own (often I shoot with my wife Daniela), I will have approximately 3,500 – 4,000 RAW images. An average RAW image is approximately 25-30MB, so let’s say 25MB to play it safe. That is approximately 80-100GB worth of images I have to deal with. It takes a lot of computer, and hard drives to handle this many images, not to mention the software. But beyond the tech jargon, majority of these images are doubles, triples, blinkies, out of focus, you get the point. The images you see in my gallery , that I deliver to you are the cream of the crop. It would simply be pointless to receive the others.
3. Should we do an engagement, or pre-wedding shoot?Yes! A thousand times, yes! In fact, it is included in my packages, so if you book me, it is included free of charge. But if you are wanting to do your homework before booking someone in, I would love to do an engagement shoot with you. In fact, I have written extensively about the importance of these sessions here. But the long and short is;
   a. It gives you and I a chance to meet, work together, and get to know one another. From here, we basically become family, that’s right, family! So when I arrive on your wedding day, it’s not awkward, because you can’t be awkward around family.
   b. It gives me a chance to see how you are in front of the lens, and how you interact best as a couple. I would much rather work this out in the relatively stress free environment that is an engagement shoot, than work it out on a wedding day.
   c. Gives you some beautiful images to use as wedding invitations, save the dates, stationary etc. Many of my clients have actually had them displayed at their receptions!
4. You are a Hunter Valley Wedding Photographer, but my wedding is somewhere totally different. Do you travel?I certainly do! Yes I am located in the Hunter Valley of NSW, but I service Newcastle, the Central Coast, all the way down through Sydney to Illawarra. This is normal for me, and probably normal of many wedding photographers too. However, if you are having a destination wedding, either inside or outside of Australia, I am always overly excited (I do get really excited, just a warning) to hear more about your plans! For any wedding outside of the local area though, as is the norm with any wedding photographer, travel fees apply, which usually includes things such as airfares, care hire & expenses and accommodation.
5. Can we do family photos on the day?Of course! Long before the wedding, I will get you to fill in a questionnaire for me. This will outline all the types of shots you want. Group shots, family shots, portraits and so forth. If you have some family members feuding, I will learn about it here, and avoid it on the day. Bottom line, I will know in advance exactly what shots and combinations you want. Your only job on the day is to look beautiful and have fun!
6. What happens after the wedding? How do we get our images?This is the easiest bit! I will send you an online gallery, which includes all of your images, in high resolution (so they can certainly be blown up). You simply click the ‘download’ button, and they drop onto your desktop. For your album, this will be explained in a phone call, but you simply select your favourite images you want in your album, and I design it. Once I am done, I send it to you for proofing. You add any comments you would like, and I make revisions. Your album is then printed, and mailed to your front door.
7. How do I know my images are safe with you?Awesome question, not many people even stop to consider this. On the day, I shoot with two cameras (I have a 3rd as a backup), and each camera has 2 dual card slots. I have my camera set to duplicate, so each time I take a shot, the RAW file is transferred to both cards. Immediately I am backing up and safeguarding against a card failure. Also, throughout the day, I change m,y cards 2-3 times. The reason for this is, if you shoot an entire wedding on one card (even if backed up to two cards) and then say you get caught ion the rain, the cards both get ruined, there goes the wedding. The way I do it, at least you still have 2 cards full. It’s not ideal, but 2 cards is better than none. Once I get home
8. I love your work, but I found a bunch of photographers who are cheaper. Will you match them?Unfortunately, no. There are various reasons they may be able to offer a lower cost service. Perhaps they haven’t spent the money on gear, education, and insurances. Perhaps they are inexperienced and are just learning. I take my business and my clients very seriously. As a result, and in order to maintain a very high standard, I cannot compete with these photographers on price.
9. How far in advance should we get in touch to book you for our wedding?A year or two ago I would have said 6-12 months. But now days, it is more like 12 or more months. Venues are booking up even faster! My best advice, get started! Don’t make the mistake of being engaged for months before you even consider starting to plan your wedding. For more advice on how to best plan your wedding, click here.