wedding photographers cape town

HOW DO WE BOOK YOUR SERVICES?

Ready to book me for your wedding day? That's great!

All you need to do is pay the fixed non-refundable booking fee of R4000. To finalize your booking I will also require you to sign an agreement which I will e-mail to you along with your invoice. That's it, and I'm all yours! The final payment is only due one week before your wedding.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE AND DO YOU HAVE BACK-UP EQUIPMENT?

I'm a Canon girl all the way (no disrespect to Nikon shooters)! ;-) My main camera body is a full frame Canon 5D Mark III, and my second and back-up camera body is a full frame Canon 6D. Other than that I use a variety of lenses depending on the situation. I also have 2 speedlights but prefer natural light so only use them if and when needed.

HOW LONG WILL WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR OUR WEDDING PHOTOS?

I have a turnaround of 8-10 weeks, but will edit a sneak peek in the meantime to make the wait a bit easier.

WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO EDIT WEDDING PHOTOS? I HAVE HEARD OF PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT GIVE COUPLES THEIR PHOTOS WITHIN 2 WEEKS AFTER THE WEDDING.

Each photographer have their own style of shooting and editing. Different styles will require different editing techniques, which will in turn require different amounts of time to achieve. Each photographer will also have their own process and workflow; one photographer might only use one program to edit images, whereas another might use 2 or even 3 different programs. I personally spend a lot of time on editing photographs. I love vibrant, clean and crisp photographs. I also pay a lot of attention to skin tone and getting an even skin tone is important to me. All of this takes time to achieve. Unfortunately editing images isn't as easy as applying an Instagram filter.

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Being a photographer and your own boss often means that you are a one man show, so apart from editing there will be a lot of other tasks that also needs to be handled, including but not limited to answering e-mails, drawing up timelines for clients, meeting clients, social media marketing, updating and maintaining your website, planning shoots, doing said shoots, photobook layouts, collecting photobooks, getting parcels ready for clients, researching new techniques and/or products and gear, resizing images for web use, etc.

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Another thing to also keep in mind is that when you are a "one man show" that means if you can't work that day for whatever reason, should you be sick, have a doctor's appointment or any other urgent matter that needs your attention, we do not have colleagues that can "cover" for us and take over the load. So what wasn't done on your off day, will need to be caught up the next. We have to allow room for such events in order to prevent falling behind with our edit work and avoid disappoint our clients. As I always say, under promise, over deliver!

WILL ALL THE IMAGES BE EDITED?

Absolutely! I do not batch edit at all; every image will get individual attention.

CAN WE HAVE THE RAW / UNEDITED IMAGES?

This is one thing I feel very strongly about. Under no circumstances do I give RAW or unedited photos to clients. An unedited image is an unfinished product. No image will make it past me without getting that special touch! ;-)

It's important to remember that a true RAW file is not the same as an "unedited" photo taken with a cellphone or compact camera. Automatic adjustments are often applied to those photos in-camera without us knowing it. An actual RAW file is truly raw, and there's NO automatic adjustment applied in-camera, resulting in an overall flat image lacking vibrancy and contrast. Look at the below example.

What's more, RAW files require special software to be viewed and edited, the file sizes are big and take up a lot of space.

WHAT IF WE WANT MORE IMAGES?

I always select only the best images however, if you would like more images I'm happy to send you a contact sheet of the images that did not make the final selection from which you can choose any extra images you want edited at an additional fee, charged per image.

Kindly note that the extra images might not be edited within the 8-10 week timeframe and will only be schedule for editing once I received the selection.

WHEN IS IT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION?

Should the distance between the wedding venue and Table View be 100km or more, accommodation will be necessary. There will be a surcharge for accommodation (please see the notes section in my packages for more info). I will handle the booking of accommodation myself. Please keep in mind that the total surcharge will be payable at the time of booking. Depending on the distance of your venue, accommodation might not be necessary when you book the "Small + Intimate" or "Elopement" package as it will not be a full day of shooting. If travelling and shooting time combined equates to 10 hours or more, accommodation will be necessary. Where it is necessary to stay over 2 nights or more, it may be necessary to arrange separate accommodation for me and my assistant. I am aware that some venues already include accommodation in their packages, so if this is the case and you would rather have us stay at the venue, please chat to me about this.

IS IT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A SEAT AND MEAL?

Yes, please. I kindly request a seat and meal to be provided for my second photographer and myself.

We would be perfectly happy to sit at a separate table and do not have to be catered for with your other guests, as long as we have seat to have a quick bite to eat and a safe spot to put down our gear.

CAN I NEGOTIATE FOR A BETTER PRICE OR DISCOUNT?

No, sorry. I take great pride in my work and my rates are well worked out and competitive.

I do however realize that you might have a budget you have to stick to. With that being said, I am open to discussing a down-payment arrangement that will suit both my client and myself.

WE ARE BOTH REALLY CAMERA SHY, WILL THIS BE A PROBLEM?

Absolutely not! I can't tell you how many couples come to me and say they are camera shy.

Believe it or not, I'm also a bit awkward as soon as someone points a lens at me. WHAT?! A photographer that's camera shy?! Yup! But that has taught me how important it is to make my couples feel comfortable and at ease in front of the lens. I love to capture the natural interactions between a couple, but will give direction and guidance when necessary and will adjust my approach according to each couple.

If you are really stressed about it, I would suggest booking an engagement session beforehand. It's a really great icebreaker and easy way to get familiar with each other, that way you already know what to expect on your wedding day.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SECOND SHOOTER?

The main photographer and the second photographer will be working as a team to ensure coverage at moments where two photographers are most needed, or serve as a second pair of eyes when we are shooting together. For example, the second photographer will photograph the groom getting ready while I will be photographing the bride getting ready. During the ceremony the second shooter will focus on the groom as the bride walks in, while I will focus on the bride. The second photographer might also be assisting me by carrying bags, holding equipment etc. when needed.

DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH SAME-SEX WEDDINGS?

Of course! This shouldn't even be a question!

CAN WE ORDER PHOTOBOOKS AFTER THE WEDDING IF IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN OUR PACKAGE?

Sure! Just e-mail me to request my current pricelist and place your order.

HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD WE BOOK?

On average 8 hours is enough. With that being said, each wedding is different and there are a lot of variables than can influence the amount of time needed.

If you are unsure, please chat to me and we can discuss it in more detail.

You can also book the White Package and ad on to it at a later stage when your wedding timeline has been finalized.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING WEDDINGS?

I have been taking photos since 2011 and have been photographing weddings isnce the end of 2012.

WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH ON THE WEDDING DAY?

My wedding photography style is natural, clean, crisp and vibrant with a touch of romance.

I strive to create timeless photographs that can withstand the trends of time. With that being said, I keep formal poses to a minimum and take on a very relaxed approach, which allows me to capture the natural interaction between couples. I do give guidance and do a little styling to make sure everything is picture perfect! So if you are a little camera shy, don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way to make the experience a happy one.

CAN WE ARRANGE A VENUE VISIT WITH YOU?

If I haven't photographed at your venue before, I will arrive an hour or so earlier than the scheduled starting time to have a look around and familiarize myself with your venue.

If you still feel you would like to arrange a venue visit with me, you sure can. I do however charge a fee for venue visits and travelling expenses p/km to and from the venue.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD WE BOOK?

For weddings I would suggest booking your date at least 8-12 months in advance, especially for popular weddings months (February, March, April, October, November, December). For all the other months 4-6 months in advance is usually fine. For engagement and couple sessions 1-2 months in advance is usually enough. Kindly note: - I only accept a maximum of 1-2 wedding and 4 couple/engagement bookings per month. Because of this, availability is limited and therefore a date that is available presently might become unavailable should a different date in the same month be booked. - My booking system works on a first-come-first-served basis and no provisional bookings will be made. I understand that deciding on your wedding photographer is a big decision, so if there's a specific date you have in mind but you are still deciding, I'm happy to make a note and give you first option to book the date should I receive another enquiry for the same date.

CAN WE MEET OVER COFFEE BEFORE WE BOOK YOU?

Absolutely! If you want to make sure that we click and get along before going ahead and booking, just get in touch and we can set up a meeting. I am available to meet clients in Century City or Blouberg area.

WE LOST OUR WEDDING / ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS, CAN WE GET A NEW COPY?

I always advice my clients to make at least one back-up of their images on a separate secure device. But, I know, life happens! I compress and archive wedding photos after a year, and lifestyle sessions after 6 months, so if you loose your photos after this time an admin and retrieval fee will apply. If you loose your photos before it has been archived, no admin and retrieval fee will apply. Kindly note that I keep wedding photos for up to 2 year after the wedding, but unfortunately I cannot guarantee that I will have your wedding / lifestyle photos indefinitely, which is why it so important to make your own back-ups.