Hudson Valley NY Photographer

Some frequently asked questions...

Q: Can you provide references?
A: Of course! You can also click HERE to read a few "love letters" from my clients.

Q: Do you offer the high resolution digital images that I can print myself?
A: Yes! While I strongly recommend that you have any prints, and especially things like canvas and albums, printed through me to ensure the best quality, I do offer the high resolution images with permission to print for personal use. I can also give you the name of a great print lab too!

Q: We don't need an engagement session - can we take that out of our wedding package?
A: Why on earth would you want to?! Your engagement session is SO much more than fun casual photos of you! It is a chance for me to get to know you both better - to get a real feel for your personalities, what you're like as a couple, what your best angles are... it gives me the opportunity to find out things like the bride is terrified of the camera or that you aren't comfortable with public display of affection. It gives you the opportunity to get to know me as well and to get more comfortable in front of the camera, to see first hand how I work prior to your wedding day. When your wedding day arrives it will go so much more smoothly if we've built that rapport and we all know what to expect. You'll know that the moment just before the kiss makes a better photo so you'll keep that in mind and go in slowly... I'll know that the groom is self conscious of his nose so I should make sure that I don't get any straight profile shots! ;) Having an engagement session with your wedding photographer will most certainly prove to give you better wedding day images!

Q: Do you have business insurance?
A: VERY smart question! Yes, I do carry business and liability insurance - you can never be too prepared!

Q: Do you know any (make-up artists, hair stylists, DJ's, Bands, Florists, etc.) that you can recommend?
A: Absolutely! I can refer you to some great vendors that I have worked with in the past. There are links on both my website and my blog to some of my favorites too! I won't recommend anyone that I haven't personally worked with and I won't recommend anyone that I didn't think did a great job!

Q: Have you ever worked at my venue?
A: Obviously this answer varies, however I can tell you that I actually love to work at venues I've never been to. It keeps things fresh and interesting for me. Some vendors may get nervous if they've never been to your venue but I'm not one of them... I enjoy a change of scenery and I think very quickly on my feet!

Q: We want to purchase an album from our wedding - what is the average cost?
A: Albums vary widely and it will depend on the style of album you would like, the physical size of the album and the number of pages but on average my clients invest around $2600 on their album. Your wedding album is not just a book with photos of your wedding - it is your first family heirloom. It will tell the story of your day and will be passed down for generations. The quality and design of your album should reflect the significance of this.

Q: You came up in a search for boudoir photographers but I don't see any information on your site about them. Do you offer boudoir sessions?
A: Yes, I do offer boudoir sessions, however I don't share my "portfolio" as I believe that these photos are intended for a specific audience - not for all of the internet to see! ;) My sessions are on location - I can come to your home or many clients will reserve a room at a nice hotel or bed and breakfast for their session. You can even book back to back sessions with a friend and split the cost of the room!

Q: Do you have back ups? What if something happens to your equipment or to you?
A: Yes, I have back up equipment and a long, long list of photographer friends in the tri-state area whom I could call on if there were ever an emergency (and it would have to be MAJOR!). I back-up my images on and off site and when photographing a wedding I keep all of my "used" memory cards on my person the entire night so if there were ever an issue of stolen equipment I would still have your images. So yes, I have back up! ;)

Q: Do you do studio portraits?
A: Not really. I do have a portable backdrop stand and a couple of very basic backdrops, however I really only use them to block out cluttered backgrounds for newborn sessions and such. Once or twice a year I will pull them out as a special request for a small portion of a session but they are just not my style. I prefer to use natural elements as backdrops to add visual interest and help tell a story. I also find that people are much more at ease when not seated in front of a backdrop.

Q: What kind of deposit do you require?
A: For weddings and portraits I require a non refundable retainer of 50% (including tax) and a signed contract to reserve your date. Wedding balances are due 2 weeks prior to the wedding, portrait session balances are due on the day of your session. If you need to reschedule a portrait session your retainer can be transfered to another date.

Q: What are your a la carte prices?
A: It's a long list of prints and products - when you inquire for your session or wedding I will e-mail you the full pricing.

Q: Why doesn't your pricing include prints or albums?
A: I don't believe in a one-size fits all approach and most likely you won't even know what you REALLY want until after you see your photos. I like to keep things simple - my packages are service based and products can be added as you would like, WHEN you would like.

Q: Do you travel for weddings or portraits?
A: It depends. I don't fly so anything outside of a 4 hour drive is not my idea of fun. That being said, I'm originally from Florida so any excuse to go visit my family and friends is fine by me! ;) My general rule of thumb is that if it is a wedding and more than 90 minutes from my house I will require a hotel stay. Depending on the circumstances (how many hours I'm being hired for, time of day for my arrival and departure, etc.), I may require 2 nights' hotel. If it's really far, just ask - I'll either say no or I'll provide you with a custom quote. For portraits, an additional travel fee may be added for the extra time and fuel - please ask for a custom quote.

Q: What should we wear?
A: You DO NOT need to MATCH. Just coordinate with one another and punch it up with some fun accessories! No white button downs and khakis for the whole family - wear clothing that you're comfortable in and something that looks like YOU! Don't be afraid of color but it is not a great idea to wear very bold patterns like wide stripes, etc. as they draw the attention to your clothing rather than your face. If you aren't super formal don't think that your session will only look good if you dress up like you're going to a black tie event - it won't look like YOU! Take a look at my "about" page for my family's portraits - we are a jeans family so that's what we wore. I didn't want us all to match perfectly so we went with coordinating outfits - chocolate browns, deep purple and oatmeal. They were colors that we all wear on a normal basis, we all look good in them and they fit our style. If you're still unsure, just ask me or bring a few outfits to choose from - we may even do a clothing change during your session to mix it up!