FAQ

ANSWERING ALL YOUR COMMON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS

Feel free to browse through the questions that I am most often asked by my wedding clients. Grab a coffee or maybe a glass of wine and enjoy a good read. This can be handy if you're in the early stages of your planning. You will hopefully learn more about what goes into wedding photography and what you should be looking for when meeting photographers. If you have any questions for me that are not below, please send me an email and I'd be happy to chat.

FAQ

We've just started looking for our wedding photographer and it's so confusing! How and where to start?

A.I know! I remember looking for my own wedding photographer and finding it all kind of baffling! My advice:
- Ask recently married friends and family if they have any recommendations. Google your wedding venue + wedding photographer and make a note of images that you love
- Check out websites of different photographers and try to narrow your search down to your favorite 2 or 3
- Find out if they're available on your date and ask to see a full gallery of a recent wedding.
- Chat on the phone or meet up with your favorite photographer to make sure you'll feel comfortable with them being in the room when you're getting dressed and interacting with your family and friends
- Make sure you're 110% happy with your choice and then book them quick!

Who will actually be taking the pictures at my wedding?

A.Me - Chelsy Bolser - every time!

There may or may not be a second photographer and/or an assistant depending on the coverage you select but I will be the lead photographer for your wedding.

How many images will I have from my wedding?

A.I usually take at least 50-100 shots an hour as I'm documenting the day. If you add in a second photographer, then you'll be looking at almost double this. I'm going to edit out the images that don't work for a variety of reasons - eyes closed, a guest's flash fired, someone got in the way of a shot, over or underexposed etc. Rest-assured you will have full and comprehensive coverage of your wedding and will receive all of the retouched images by USB.

How do we go about booking you?

A.It's simple! Send me an Email at ChelsyLeAnnPhotography@yahoo.com or use the contact page and let me know the date you plan on getting married. If I am free, we can arrange to chat about your wedding plans and figure out if I would be a good match as your wedding photographer. If you decide to choose me to be a part of your big day, we can go over the contract, put down the deposit(25% of package price) and also we can chat about your visions of what you expect for your big day, any questions you have, etc. If you've decided to purchase engagement photos with your wedding package, we'll then schedule your engagement pictures.

About a couple weeks prior to your big day, we can either meet up again or chat on the phone regarding finalizing how your timeline looks for the day and any last-minute things we may need to discuss. I am here to make your day as stress-free as possible!

We don't know if we need/want to take engagement pictures. What do you think?

A.I'm a fan of scheduling an engagement session. You get amazing pictures of the two of you at this happy time in your life (excellent holiday/birthday gifts for the next year!) but more importantly we'll spend a little time getting to know each other. It's all very relaxed, no awkward posing, just enough direction to make you both look absolutely amazing. Even if one or both of you dislike having your picture taken, I promise you'll love these pictures! It also means that when I show up on your wedding day, I'll feel like an old friend with a camera instead of a stranger. Plus, you've seen how you'll look in the pictures, so you'll be super relaxed and know exactly what to do.

Do we get to see all the pictures? Will they all be photo shopped or retouched?

A.Each photographer has a different workflow and editing style. That's why it's so important to look carefully at each photographer to make sure their style fits best with your vision.

My objective is always to get the natural and true image as you see it in real life. All your images will be downloaded onto multiple hard drives with back-up copies (this can take a few hours!). I'll then carefully sort through the images and filter out duplicate shots, blinking/open mouths, flash misfires and any unflattering expressions, so you see the very best images of your day. Professional Adobe software will be used to carefully process each image for color, contrast, density, and use a little sharpening. Some images might be cropped for maximum impact. Things I try to avoid are weird trends and fads that will date your photographs. For example, the "vintage" filter which makes everything (the dress, the sky, your skin) yellow/orange. I also stay away from awkward camera tilt as it makes the proportion not flattering.

Enhancing the natural beauty is my goal when showcasing your special day.

Can we give you a list of "must-have" shots, I saw a great list on pinterest of 500 must-have pictures?

A.I work closely with my couples to get a short list of names for family formal pictures so I can call people by name, be aware of divorces, know that Grandma can only stand for a few minutes, etc. That all is really helpful. If there are other groups of people outside of immediate family (maybe high school friends) that you'd like pictures of then I suggest having one of your wedding party get them all together at a prearranged time.

Weddings are wonderfully unscripted and it's impossible to anticipate all of the real moments that will happen. Rather than work from a Pinterest list of other people's wedding pictures it's nice to have your own unique pictures that other people will pin! Pinterest is awesome for inspiration, but I'd recommend you delete your wedding boards the week before the wedding - you don't want to look back and compare!

Can other people take photos during the wedding?

A.Absolutely! It's a special event and I wouldn't dream of insisting that no other cameras are used. It’s always fun to see guests’ photos after your wedding day, while you wait for the professional wedding photos. However, if someone's shooting the formal pictures over my shoulder my biggest concern is always wandering eyes or myself running into them when backing up to get a wider shot. So, in the event I feel guests are getting in the way, I might politely ask them to step aside so that I can give you the very best pictures! Some couples will put a note in the program requesting that no photos are taken during the ceremony - it's your call - but there's nothing worse than having an arm with a cell phone sticking out in the aisle, a guest stepping in and blocking the photographer’s shots or the beep of a little point and shoot during your vows.

What will you wear?

A.My favorite neon orange and pink blazer? No seriously - I aim to blend in as a conservatively dressed guest. Usually event-appropriate black clothing with flats as I'm on my feet and moving around sometimes quickly and I want to be unobtrusive and professional.

How long will it take to get my images?

A.Sorting through hundreds of images, retouching and enhancing them, as well as getting them ready for shipment all while being a Mom to a busy toddler, is harder than most people would assume. My goal is to get your images to you in a timely yet realistic manner. My turn around time for wedding portraits are 6-7 weeks. That gives me enough time to make sure you are getting the best out of your images while still juggling my daily life. I promise you, they will be worth the wait! ;)